Grilled Radicchio with Blue Cheese

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Grilled radicchio with blue cheese is an easy, showstopping side dish for any occasion and only takes a few minutes to prepare! Grilling mellows out the bitterness of fresh radicchio and adds a smoky, caramelized flavor that pairs perfectly with blue cheese.

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Radicchio is a type of bitter green known for its distinctive taste, similar to dandelion greens or chicory, and gorgeous reddish purple and white-striped leaves. If you don’t know how to prepare it, it can be quite bitter and hard to eat.

Fortunately, there is one simple tip to make any bitter green more palatable: acid. Adding vinegar balances out the bitterness of the radicchio and highlights its subtle sweetness. It’s a simple shift that transforms these bitter greens into something much more approachable for beginners.

Grilling also helps with this transformation, making this grilled radicchio with blue cheese vinaigrette the perfect way to introduce someone to this special green!

Serve it with roasted chicken, grilled steak, or your favorite creamy pasta dish for a winter-inspired meal. Grilled radicchio pairs well with Mediterranean chicken thighs.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions & Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top Tip
FAQs about Grilled Radicchio
Grilled radicchio with blue cheese

Ingredients

For this grilled radicchio recipe, you only need a handful of ingredients to prepare the greens and make the white balsamic dressing. You probably already have some of these pantry favorites on hand!

Radicchio
Olive oil
White balsamic vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and black pepper
Crumbled blue cheese

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

This recipe is quick and easy, but be sure to follow the instructions carefully to avoid burning the radicchio.

Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together white balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and ½ of the blue cheese. Set aside.

Step 2: Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush the radicchio quarters with olive oil and add to grill.

Step 3: Cook, turning about every minute, until grill-marked, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving plate.

Step 4: Drizzle dressing over radicchio then top with remaining crumbled blue cheese.

Tip: Keep turning the greens! If they stay in one spot for too long, the radicchio will cook too quickly.

Substitutions & Variations

There are quite a few ways to adapt this radicchio recipe to suit your preferences and dietary needs.

Add more toppings – Grilled radicchio can easily be expanded into a festive warm radicchio salad. Separate the leaves and add simple, seasonal flavors, like toasted walnuts or pecans, crisp apple or pear slices, pumpkin seeds, sliced red onion, salty prosciutto crisps, and more.
Play with different blue cheeses – There are so many different types of blue cheese out there, with some salty, sharp options, like Roquefort, or smooth, slightly sweet options, like gorgonzola dolce.
Sweeten – Add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup over the grilled radicchio for a touch of sweetness.
Try other greens – Did you know you can grill other types of crisp greens, like romaine? This is a nice entry-level option if you’re intimidated by radicchio.

Equipment

Grilling radicchio is a very simple process. You’ll need a small bowl and a whisk for the dressing, then a grill (or grill pan) and tongs for the radicchio. A cast iron or non-stick grill pan would work well here. Be sure to grab a nice serving platter to present the salad on the table.

Storage

Once grilled, the radicchio is best served warm. It can be reheated in pan, but the leaves will break down even further, and it doesn’t have the same flavor cold from the fridge.

Top Tip

If you find radicchio to be too bitter, even grilled, soak the whole head in ice cold water for about 30 minutes before cooking. This will reduce some of the intybin, which gives radicchio its telltale bitterness.

FAQs about Grilled Radicchio

Is it easy to make grilled radicchio?

Grilling is an easy way to prepare bitter radicchio! The grilling process caramelizes the edges of the leaves and brings out a subtle sweetness while tenderizing the greens.

I like to brush the radicchio wedges with a little olive oil, then grill for about 2-3 minutes per side. Radicchio is a hearty vegetable which means it hold up well during the grilling process. Pair it with a tangy blue cheese dressing to balance out the tangy, earthy flavors. It’s very quick to make and works great as an alternative to salad during the cold winter months.

What type of blue cheese is best for radicchio?

The bitter, earthy, and slightly nutty flavor of radicchio can pair with many types of blue cheese and each one takes the flavor in a different direction.

A sweet, creamy blue cheese will add needed sweetness of this green and the dressing, while a salty cheese will highlight the savory notes.

If you’re not a huge blue cheese fan, look for gorgonzola, cambozola, or St. Agur, which are a little milder. Love the funk? Choose a sharp blue cheese, like stilton, roquefort, or Danish blue.

Can you grill radicchio ahead of time?

Although it can be tempting to work ahead before a dinner party or special meal, this isn’t the place to do that. Once grilled, the radicchio leaves start to wilt and soften, which makes them ideal to eat right away.

However, if you try to store them for later, they’ll become even softer to the point of becoming soggy. To save time, you can soak and clean the radicchio heads or prep the dressing, but don’t grill until right before serving.