Radicchio Salad Cups With Maple Lemon Dressing Recipe
Looking for a healthy-ish appetizer to serve at your holiday party? These radicchio cups loaded with seasonal flavors are, and a sweet, bright Maple Lemon Cream are a total winner! Try this Radicchio Salad Cups With Maple Lemon Dressing Recipe for your party!
3tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oilplus more for garnish
1tablespoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice
2teaspoonsPure maple syrup
kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper
For The Salad Cups:
2small headsradicchio or endiveleaves separated
1mediumPink Lady or other sweet apples
1mediumfennel bulbs
1/3cupfinely chopped pistachios
1/3cupslivered almonds
1/2cuppomegranate seeds
1handfulbaby arugula
Maldon sea salt or other flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
Make The Maple Lemon Cream Dressing: Combine the cream and lemon peels in a small bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours until the mixture is well infused with the lemon flavor. Discard the peels and strain the cream into a large bowl. Add the oil and whip to soft peaks then mix in the lemon juice and maple syrup. Add more salt and a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper then taste and adjust as desired.TIP: Dressing can be made up to three days ahead of time. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
Prepare the Radicchio Salad Cups: Trim the ends off the radicchio or endive, then separate them into individual leaves and soak in ice water while you prepare the remaining ingredients.Juice the 3 lemons you peeled, place them in a mixing bowl and fill them with ice water. Halve the apple, core it, then thinly slice the apple into half-moon shapes. Immediately place the sliced apple into the ice water.Reserve the fennel fronds and place them in another bowl of ice water. Trim off the end of the fennel, then thinly slice the bulb, so you have paper-thin rings of fennel. Add the sliced fennel to the bowl of fennel fronds. TIP: All this prep can be done up to 4 hours ahead of serving.
Assemble The Lettuce Cups: Once the Maple Lemon Cream sauce (above) is ready, drain all the vegetables from their water and pat them dry.To make one cup, take a radicchio or endive leaf, add 1 teaspoon of the Maple Lemon Cream sauce to the bottom, then add a few slices of each apple and fennel. Add in couple of arugula leaves then top with a pinch of each of the nuts and the pomegranate arils. Repeat to make more salad cups. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt and serve.TIP: All this prep can be done up to 1 hour before serving.