This Radicchio, Apple & Bacon Salad with Caramelized Hazelnuts and Apple Cider Dijon Dressing is a refreshing addition to any meal, especially your Thanksgiving spread. It's just the thing to wake up my tastebuds before I go in for seconds, and maybe even thirds...
The bitter radicchio with the crunch of the (freshly picked!) apples, is a great pairing with the sweet ’n salty caramelized hazelnuts. The Apple Cider Dijon Dressing has a teensy touch of cream in it, just enough to round off the dish. As for the bacon, well, bacon needs no introduction, does it? Add bacon to anything and 98% of the population would say it’s a great decision. Throw these together and you end up with a dramatically colorful and superbly delicious salad!
The hazelnuts and dressing can be prepared a day or two in advance, requiring nothing more than a helpful hand to assemble it all whilst you see to the turkey. The bacon is optional too, if you have vegetarians at your table just leave it out, or try using goat cheese instead. This is versatile, use it as a blueprint and go from there! xoxo Kirsty
Salad Ingredients (serves 4)
4 rashers of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup (40g) hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon (15ml) honey
generous pinch of flaky sea salt, we love Maldon
1 head of radicchio, or 2 small heads, leaves separated and washed
1 apple, washed and sliced, we love Fiji apples for this
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
Apple Cider Dijon Dressing
2 tablespoons (30ml) apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons (75ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream
If you haven’t cooked the bacon yet, you can do so easily in the oven whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C), lay the bacon rashers on a foil-covered roasting tin. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway, until crispy. Place on a paper towel to cool.
Reduce oven heat to 300F (150C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper and put the hazelnuts on it. Drizzle over the honey and bake for 5 minutes until caramelized. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. Set aside to cool.
Pull the radicchio leaves apart and arrange them on a platter, add the apple slices and nestle them amongst the leaves. Crumble the bacon. Sprinkle the bacon, caramelized hazelnuts, and chives over the salad.
To make the dressing, simply put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake away! Drizzle over the salad when you’re ready to serve it, or serve the dressing on the side.
