How to Use Radicchio: 3 Tips for Cooking With Radicchio

Radicchio is a red leafy vegetable, similar in appearance to a small cabbage, with a bitter flavor. Radicchio is in the chicory family along with Belgian endive and escarole. Radicchio can be found year-round, but its peak season is mid-winter to spring.

There are four types of radicchio commonly found in markets.

1. 1. Radicchio di Chioggia is round, about the size of a softball, and is the most common variety found in American grocery stores.
2. 2. Radicchio rosso di Treviso has a longer, oblong shape and more defined white veins and stems, like a small, red napa cabbage.
3. 3. Radicchio di Castelfranco features red speckles on pale green or yellow leaves and is less bitter than other varieties of radicchio.
4. 4. Radicchio di Tardivo is a gourmet favorite, mostly due to its labor-intensive traditional growing process and resulting scarcity.

Radicchio’s hallmark is its bitter taste, which makes it an ideal backdrop for more savory ingredients like crisped prosciutto, aged Parmesan, and goat cheese. The bitter taste of radicchio also works well with sweeter ingredients like slices of jammy, ripe persimmon paired with a honey-mustard vinaigrette or balsamic vinegar.

Radicchio can be enjoyed in a few preparations.

1. 1. Add it to a salad. Incorporate torn or sliced radicchio leaves into a wintery mesclun mix or slaw to add a subtle, palate-cleansing bitterness, or massage dressing into whole leaves for a more substantial dish.
2. 2. Braise or grill. Cooking radicchio tempers its bitterness and draws out a mellow sweetness similar to red cabbage. Roasted radicchio is a side dish that needs little more adornment than a simple drizzle of aged balsamico and extra-virgin olive oil. Serve with fresh burrata and grilled bread to complement.
3. 3. Use as garnish. Ribbons of raw radicchio give lift to a rich dish like risotto, and add dimension atop pizza—especially when partnered with a creamy egg yolk at the center.

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