Radicchio Salad with Pear & Walnut & Gorgonzola Dressing

A platter of radicchio salad with pears, walnuts, parsley and a gorgonzola dressing

5 from 2 votes

Radicchio Salad with Pear & Walnut & Gorgonzola Dressing

The combination of flavour and texture is unparalleled with this delicious crunchy salad. Sweet pairs are combined with crunchy walnuts and crisp, bitter radicchio. The funky, salty blue cheese dressing is the icing on the cake. A wonderful burst of all things Italian.

Prep Time15

Cook Time7

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 328kcal

Author: Lee

Ingredients

For the Salad

1/2 cup walnuts
2 pears peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 radicchio leaves separated and torn or left whole
1 small bunch parsley roughly chopped

For the dressing

3.5 oz gorgonzola cheese about 100g
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 lemon juice of
1 garlic clove finely minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC
Arrange the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 7 minutes. Remove and cool completely.

For the dressing

Using a food processor or blender, blend all the dressing ingredients together until smooth. You may need to water it down with a couple of tablespoons of until thick and creamy, like a whipping/double cream consistency.
Set aside.

Arranging the salad

Strip the radicchio leaves and either leave whole or cut or tear into pieces.
Peel the pears and remove the core. Cut into thin slices.
Arrange the radicchio in a layer on a large platter. Place slices of the pear all around and then scatter over the whole walnuts. Lastly scatter over some of the parsley leaves.
Drizzle the salad generously with the gorgonzola dressing and serve.
Serve the remaining dressing on the table so that people can add more if they like (they will!).

Notes

Serving: I generously coat the salad with a portion of the dressing and offer the remaining amount separately, allowing anyone to freely add as much as they desire.
Storage: You can store this dressing in a sealed jar or container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Suggestions: Apart from being an ideal salad dressing, the Gorgonzola sauce is superb as a topping for meats, fish, and cooked vegetables. It adds an exquisite touch when drizzled over steaming salad potatoes. For an Italian twist on eggs benedict, you can also try it as a delightful sauce poured over poached eggs.

Substitutions

Instead of gorgonzola, use any mild blue cheese
Instead of creme fraiche, use sour cream or mascarpone diluted with a little milk.
Instead of walnuts use pecans, almonds, pistachio, pine nuts or even hazelnuts.
Instead of pears, try this salad with fresh figs, apple slices, fresh peaches or nectarines.

Nutrition