Tasty radicchio salad

Indulge in the rich flavors of a vibrant radicchio salad bursting with a medley of crisp, fresh ingredients for a satisfying culinary experience.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2-inch thick slices sandwich bread
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 medium heads radicchio (3/4- 1 lb total)
• green olives
• 1 oz parmesan, finely grated
• 1 lemon
• 1 medium garlic clove
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preparing the salad: Heat oven to 375º F. Rip sandwich bread into quarters. Place the bread in a food processor and pulse until they become coarse crumbs. Put the crumbs in a medium bowl. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the crumbs, then mix well. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper, then stir again. Spread the crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until they turn golden brown and crispy - approximately 8 to 10 minutes - stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on the smaller crumbs as they tend to brown faster than the larger ones. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet. Turn off the oven.
2. Meanwhile, discard any wilted outer leaves of the radicchio. Cut the heads into quarters, discard the stems, then cut each quarter into 2 to 3 bite-sized chunks. Place the radicchio in a salad spinner basket. Place the basket in the salad spinner bowl and fill it with very cold water. Set aside.
3. Roughly chop enough olives to make a heaping 1/3 cup (adjust to your preference). Set aside.
4. For the dressing: Wash the lemon thoroughly, then zest it. Put the zest in the same bowl used for seasoning the bread crumbs. Squeeze the lemon to extract 2 tablespoons of juice, then add it to the bowl with the zest. Mince the garlic. Sprinkle the minced garlic with kosher salt and use the flat side of a chef’s knife to mash the garlic and salt together until it forms a paste. Add the garlic paste to the bowl with the lemon zest and juice. Mix in the black pepper and sugar. Blend in the mayonnaise until the mixture is smooth. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste the dressing and adjust seasoning with salt, sugar, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
5. Assembling the salad: Drain the radicchio and spin it until dry. Put it in a large bowl. Add most of the chopped olives, all of the parmesan, and the entire dressing. Toss thoroughly to coat the radicchio with the dressing. Add most of the bread crumbs and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if required. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs and chopped olives on top. Serve.

Summary:

• Calories: 1459 kcal
• Fat: 126 g
• Protein: 24 g
• Carbs: 64 g
• Potassium: 1033 mg
• Magnesium: 91 mg