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Radicchio and Apple Salad With Mustardy Croutons

A bowl of Radicchio and Apple Salad With Mustardy Croutons
Photograph by Chris Simpson, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker

Colorful, robust radicchio brings a touch of drama wherever it goes. In this hearty salad, the bitter chicory gets tamed by sweet, crisp apples and deeply roasted leeks. To keep the apples from oxidizing, they’re tossed in a bit of apple cider vinegar, which also reinforces their flavor and injects some welcome acid. Creamy, garlicky yogurt is punched up with mustard to make a dressing that adds a perfect, cooling finish.

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What you’ll need

Ingredients

8 servings

1

medium leek, trimmed, thinly sliced

cup (or more) plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

¼

cup chopped parsley, plus leaves for serving

3

Tbsp. Dijon mustard, divided

2

tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more

Freshly ground black pepper

6

oz. stale country-style bread, torn into 1½" pieces

2

small apples (such as Honeycrisp or Fuji), cored, thinly sliced

1

Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2

garlic cloves, finely grated

1

cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

2

small heads of radicchio, leaves separated, torn

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 400˚. Place 1 medium leek, trimmed, thinly sliced, in a medium bowl of water and swish around to remove any dirt. Drain and pat dry with a kitchen towel.

    Step 2

    Whisk ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup chopped parsley, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl to combine; season with freshly ground black pepper. Add 6 oz. stale country-style bread, torn into 1½" pieces, and toss to coat well. Transfer bread to one side of a large rimmed baking sheet and spread out into a single layer.

    Step 3

    Add leek to oil mixture left in bowl and toss to coat. If leek looks dry, add another 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and toss again to coat. Spread out leek on empty side of baking sheet and roast until croutons are golden brown and crisp and leek is tender and beginning to brown, 20–25 minutes.

    Step 4

    Meanwhile, toss 2 small apples, cored, thinly sliced, in 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar in a small bowl to coat.

    Step 5

    Whisk 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, and remaining 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard in another small bowl. Gradually pour in ⅓ cup water, whisking constantly until incorporated. Dressing should be pourable; whisk in a little more water if needed.

    Step 6

    Arrange 2 small heads of radicchio, leaves separated, torn, between 2 platters. Drizzle some dressing over and top with apples, leek, and croutons. Drizzle more dressing over and scatter parsley leaves on top; season with salt and pepper. Serve any remaining dressing alongside.

    Do ahead: Croutons and leeks can be made 3 days ahead. Store croutons airtight at room temperature; cover and chill leeks. Dressing can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

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  • This recipe was perfect. I used the entire leek because we like leek. I usually skip the crouton but I’m glad I didn’t. Added crunch and not overpowering.

    • Anonymous

    • NY

    • 12/18/2022

  • this was amazing. I only made half and it was enough for 6 but I used a large honey crisp and the head of radicchio was on the larger side. I used a whole leek as it made zero sense to use a half. The roasted leek and bread are super good and I would use 2 leeks if making the whole recipe

    • Debbie Satterfield

    • portland oregon

    • 11/7/2022