Description

This Radicchio Salad with Crème Fraîche Vinaigrette is a beautifully layered dish featuring lightly charred radicchio wedges grilled to perfection. The salad is dressed with a creamy, tangy vinaigrette made with crème fraîche, sherry vinegar, honey, and fresh thyme, then topped with toasted hazelnuts for a delightful crunch. Perfect for serving as a sophisticated starter or a light side, this salad balances bitterness, creaminess, and sweetness with a satisfying smoky finish from the grill.

Ingredients

Scale

Salad

3 small heads of radicchio (about 2 pounds), cored and cut into 8 (1-inch) wedges
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts, toasted
Fresh thyme, for garnish
Additional honey, for drizzling

Crème Fraîche Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 small shallot, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1½ teaspoons honey, plus more for drizzling
¾ cup crème fraîche

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Instructions

Prepare the grill or grill pan: Preheat your grill on medium-high heat or heat a grill pan over medium-high to ensure it is hot enough to properly char the radicchio.
Prepare the radicchio: Place the radicchio wedges on a rimmed sheet pan. Brush all sides with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle evenly with ¼ teaspoon sea salt to season them before grilling.
Grill the radicchio: Place the radicchio wedges on the hot grill or grill pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, allowing the radicchio to develop a light char while becoming slightly softened.
Make the vinaigrette: While the radicchio grills, whisk together sherry vinegar, finely chopped shallot, minced thyme, Dijon mustard, 1½ teaspoons honey, ¼ cup crème fraîche, the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until the mixture is well combined.
Assemble the salad: Spread the remaining ½ cup of crème fraîche evenly over a serving platter. Arrange half of the grilled radicchio wedges over the crème fraîche layer. Drizzle half of the vinaigrette over the radicchio and sprinkle with half of the toasted hazelnuts.
Repeat layering: Top the first layer with the remaining grilled radicchio wedges, drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, and sprinkle with the remaining toasted hazelnuts.
Garnish and serve: Sprinkle extra fresh thyme over the assembled salad and drizzle a bit more honey on top for an added touch of sweetness. Serve immediately while the radicchio is still warm.

Notes

To toast hazelnuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool before chopping.
If you don’t have crème fraîche, you can substitute with sour cream or a mixture of yogurt and heavy cream for similar creaminess.
For a milder flavor, rinse the radicchio wedges briefly in cold water and dry completely before grilling.
Serve this salad immediately after assembling to enjoy the contrast between warm grilled radicchio and cool crème fraîche.
Leftover vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.