Warm Radicchio Salad with Crushed Tomato Vinaigrette Recipe

Radicchio is also called Italian or red chicory. It has crisp leaves, ideal for those who live a crunch, and a combination of sweet and bitter taste. Lactucopicrin (intybin), a sesquiterpene lactone, makes it bitter, and which is a potent antimalarial agent and has a sedative and analgesic (painkiller) effect. It has a reddish color, and traditionally that has been linked to health benefits of cleansing the blood and improving circulation. Remember that bitter taste has benefits – it stimulates your digestive tract and it stimulates bile, which can help decrease cholesterol. We are not used to bitters in the US culinary tradition, and it is an acquired taste, so if you try it the first time and you feel a little worried about how bitter it may taste, remember that it supports your gut, including the productions of bile, and you can prepare it in such a way that extra flavors are added to it, while you can still enjoy its benefits. It is great as a salad or in soups and is traditionally used as a winter salad green. It can also be braised and grilled in olive oil! It also has its use as poultry stuffing, as part of tapenade, and in Italy it is served with a pasta, of course.

Radicchio is has a 95% water content and only 7.5 calories per cup, if anyone is counting. Because of its high fiber content, it will keep you full longer and thus help you lose some weight. It is a great source of carotenes and may be helpful for insomnia because it can purify blood. It contains selenium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, B-vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and folate. It is an excellent source of vitamin K, an important nutrient in bone and might even limit neuronal damage in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease. It also contains phenolic flavonoid antioxidants such as zeaxanthin and lutein, which protect us from age-related macular disease by filtering harmful ultraviolet rays. Radicchio contains inulin, an indigestible fiber that is a preferred fuel for good gut bacteria while it also helps regulate blood glucose. Its fiber also cleans up the colon. Did you know that the root of radicchio contains volatile oils that may be able to eliminate intestinal worms? The whole plant contains them, but the root has the highest concentration of them.

It is best to consume radicchio soon after purchase as it increases in bitterness with age. If you would like to store it, you can store it no longer than 3 days in the back of the vegetable crisper, ideally at 38°F, after you wrap it in a dry paper towel and put inside a plastic bag.

Enjoy this Radicchio Salad recipe! Looking for more recipes with functional nutrition benefits? Follow me on Pinterest!

Warm Radicchio Salad with Crushed Tomato Vinaigrette

December 20, 2016

by Kasia Kines

Category Member Recipes Recipes Salads Salads

Persons

4

Ingredients

• 4-5 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 7 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 8 Roma tomatoes, cored and halved
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon dill
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 2 pounds of chicory (optional)
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 1 radicchio lettuce

Instructions

1. Heat half the olive oil in a small frying pan, add the garlic and fry over moderately high heat for a few minutes, or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.
2. Heat a little more olive oil in the frying pan and cook the tomatoes, cut-side-down, over moderate heat until browned and very soft. Turn to brown the other side. Transfer to a bowl to cool, then peel and discard the skins. Coarsely mash the flesh with a fork.
3. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together about half the crushed tomatoes, the extra-virgin olive oil, the vinegar and the honey. Season with dill, sugar, cayenne, salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Trim the coarse stems from the chicory, wash the leaves well and drain. Cut into short lengths.
5. Heat the rest of the olive oil in the frying pan, add the onion and cook until transparent. Add the chicory and stir until wilted. Add the remaining tomatoes and stir until well combined. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Tear any large radicchio leaves into smaller pieces. Toss through the chicory mixture.
7. Transfer to a large serving bowl, drizzle with the tomato vinaigrette and sprinkle with the garlic. Serve immediately.

https://kasiakines.com/warm-radicchio-salad-tomato-vinaigrette-recipe/

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