This vegan radicchio Caesar salad is my love letter to radicchio: an underappreciated leafy winter veggie! Radicchio (in my humble opinion) is one of the prettiest winter veggies – it has a vivid purple/pink color and a fresh, crisp, and slightly bitter flavor profile that (with the right technique, more on that below) makes it perfect for crunchy winter salads.

And this radicchio Caesar salad is pretty much the winter iteration of a classic Caesar salad; crunchy radicchio that perfectly emulates the crisp crunchiness of romaine, plus loads of sweet and zippy Caesar dressing and toasted panko. I don’t hold back on the toppings here; I like my salads LOADED.

Note: if you want to bump the protein of this salad up, feel free to throw in some chopped roasted chicken or crispy chickpeas.

Ingredients for this Radicchio Caesar Salad

Everything you’ll need to make this winter radicchio Caesar salad.

Radicchio
Parmesan: Feel free to add some (read: a lot) of shaved parmesan to this salad; it’ll make it taste so good! Unfortunately, I can’t eat cheese, and the vegan stuff just isn’t the same.
Panko breadcrumbs
Mayonnaise: If you’re not the biggest mayo fan, feel free to swap it out for a Greek-style yogurt or dairy-free alternative.
Olive oil: Highly recommend using a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil – it’ll shine through in the dressing. California Olive Ranch and Terra Delyssa are my go-to brands for olive oil.
Lemon juice
Honey: Agave, maple syrup, or cane sugar would work well as a sub. If you do use cane sugar, I would mix it together with the lemon juice first to dissolve it, and then whisk in the remaining ingredients – that way your dressing isn’t gritty.
Capers
Dijon mustard
Garlic
Kosher salt

A Visual Guide To This Radicchio Caesar Salad

Slice the radicchio head in half, remove the stem, and chop into large chunks. Dump the radicchio into a large bowl, fill with ice and water, and let sit for 20ish minutes (the longer the better). Soaking radicchio in ice-cold water significantly reduces the bitterness and makes it much more palatable!

While the radicchio soaks, make the dressing. Simply add all of the ingredients into a jar and whisk to combine – taste and adjust the honey and salt to taste. Quick note: if you’re using older garlic, I highly recommend removing the germ (the green sprout in the middle of the garlic), as it can be quite bitter.

Feel free to either toast the panko on the stove or in the oven. I prefer toasting the panko in the oven (it’s more hands-off), but both methods work. To toast the panko in a pan, add the panko and olive oil to a skillet and toss to coat the panko in the oil. Heat on medium heat, and let toast, stirring occasionally, until the panko is golden brown. To toast the panko in the oven, preheat the oven to 450°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the panko and olive oil to the sheet pan, toss to coat well, and flatten into an even layer. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes (watch it closely, it burns fast), mixing halfway through.

Remove the radicchio from the water, drain, and pat the radicchio dry on a towel, or if you have a salad spinner, use that. Add the radicchio to a large serving bowl, add half the toasted panko, pour over 3/4 of the dressing, then toss well. When you’re ready to serve, top each plate with the remaining breadcrumbs, a drizzle of extra dressing, and shaved Parmesan.

A Few More Notes

Don’t blend the dressing. One, if you blend everything together, the capers will discolor the dressing, and instead of being a creamy light yellow, it’ll be a muddy brown-green color that just isn’t appetizing. And secondly, blending raw garlic amplifies the intensity and will make the dressing almost too garlicky!
Feel free to either toast the panko on the stove or in the oven. I prefer toasting the panko in the oven (it’s more hands-off), but both methods work. Details are in the recipe card!
If you want to prep this ahead of time, simply prep the radicchio and store it in an airtight glass container lined with a paper towel. Store the dressing in a jar in the fridge, and store the toasted panko in an airtight container/jar in the pantry.

So excited for you to make this salad – it’s a new favorite of mine! P.S. this radicchio Caesar salad would be a great addition to your Valentine’s/Galentine’s dinner menu!