Radicchio is a stunning purple vegetable, with bitter leaves. It brightens up any plate and can be cooked or eaten raw. Tips on how to cook radicchio as well as a recipe for sautéed radicchio.
Eating seasonally is full of surprises, one of which is radicchio.
A far cry from the earthy root vegetables and winter greens that are most common at this time of year, radicchio is refreshing in its vibrancy.
A glorious red and white colour, my heart lifts a little when it appears in my vegetable bag. Isn’t it beautiful?
What is radicchio?
Radicchio is a leafy vegetable with vibrant purple leaves that are a pink, red or purple colour.
It’s often mistaken for red cabbage. Radicchio is, however, a type of chicory. Sometimes it’s called Italian chicory.
Radicchio has bitter leaves, which some people love and others struggle to enjoy.
Cooking your radicchio can help to reduce the bitterness.
Too bitter for you?
Radicchio is naturally bitter.
If you find it too bitter to handle, chances are you have a gene that makes you taste bitter foods more intensely.
How to cook radicchio
Enjoy radicchio raw
If you love the bitter leaves then radicchio is delicious in salad. Try combining it with clementines and walnuts in my radicchio salad recipe. The acidic sweet clementines are a perfect match for the radicchio.
Roast it
I’m a huge fan of roasting veg - it’s one of the best ways to cook many vegetables and radicchio is no different. Why not try my balsamic roasted radicchio?
Sauté your radicchio.
If you’re after a quicker recipe and you don’t want to eat your radicchio leaves raw this sautéed radicchio recipe is for you.
Ingredients
For full recipe including ingredients list, quantities and method please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
To make this sautéed radicchio recipe you will need:
- a head of radicchio
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- sea salt
- flat leaf parsley
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of miso paste instead of the balsamic vinegar
- Chuck in a few cloves of crushed garlic
- Add some toasted seeds or nuts
How to prepare radicchio
- Slice your radicchio in half.
2. Cut out the white core.
3. Shred into thin slices.
4. Sauté with olive oil.
5. Add balsamic vinegar, salt and finely chopped flat leaf parsley. Adjust to taste.
6. Serve immediately.
Can you prepare it in advance?
Sautéed radicchio is best enjoyed as soon as it’s cooked. However, if you need to prepare it in advance, or you have leftovers, you can store in the fridge for a few days in an airtight container.
Reheat in a frying pan or in the microwave until piping hot.
How long does it take to cook?
Once prepared radicchio will cook in 8-10 minutes.
How to make sautéed radicchio
If you have made this recipe and loved it please consider leaving a comment and rating below.
Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
Sautéed radicchio
Ingredients
- 1 head radicchio
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Slice your radicchio in half. Cut out the white core and shred into thin slices using a sharp knife.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat.
- Add the shredded radicchio and sauté until soft, stirring often. This will take 8-10 minutes.
- Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and a tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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