Radicchio is not my go-to salad base but it’s absolutely worth adding to the regular salad rotation, especially when I find a gorgeous treviso radicchio at the market. It has a naturally spicy, slightly bitter flavour that pairs really well with sweet apple and creamy rich blue cheese. Add pecan brittle to balance out the flavours. 

Because all of these ingredients are so flavourful on their own, I’ve kept the salad dressing simple with a 4-ingredient apple cider vinaigrette.

This bittersweet salad of ruby-red radicchio and crisp green apples is guaranteed to liven up any meal.

What is Pecan Brittle?

It’s all about nuts and caramelized sugar! 

• 1 cup (110g) pecans, roughly chopped 
• 1 cup white sugar 
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda, optional

Toasting the pecans is an optional step, which gives the nuts a richer, nuttier flavour. Preheat oven to 300°F. Place the chopped pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast for 5 minutes, watching that they don’t burn. Let cool.

For the Pecan Brittle 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Sugar – all you need is white sugar.

Add the sugar to the saucepan and give it a gentle shake to level it out, then add the water. Let this sit for a minute or two until almost all the sugar is wet. 

Place the pan over low heat on the stove and don’t touch it. You must use low heat and let it slowly dissolve and gradually come to a boil. Once the mixture boils, let it keep cooking until it turns golden amber, then take it off the heat.

Sprinkle the baking soda over the pecans and gently place them in the melted sugar.

Give the mixture a good stir and pour the praline onto the parchment lined baking sheet. 

Once it’s completely cool, it will be hard and ready to use. This will happen quickly.

At this point you can chop it up into bite sized pieces.