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Festive Red Cabbage and Radicchio Salad

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Red cabbage and radicchio salad on a platter
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco

If you’re looking for a showstopping salad for your holiday table—or just something fresh and crunchy to tack on to a simple roast chicken dinner—stop scrolling! This moody-colored mix of cold-weather stalwarts, like radicchio, cabbage, red onion, and citrus, is equal parts juicy, fresh, and festive. Cara Cara, Valencia, or standard navel oranges will work in a pinch. Look for a smaller, more-tender head of cabbage for this salad, and don’t skip the massaging step—you want to retain some crunch, but not overwhelm with too much thick roughage.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    15 minutes

  • Yield

    6–8 servings

Ingredients

1 medium grapefruit
2 large blood oranges, divided
1 large lemon
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
½ small head of red cabbage, cored, any thick ribs removed, cut into ½"-thick strips
1 large head of radicchio, halved, cored, cut into 1½"-thick strips
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
Pomegranate seeds (for serving)
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Using a small knife, cut away peel and white pith from 1 medium grapefruit, then 1 blood orange; discard. Slice each crosswise into ¼"-thick rounds; set aside. Cut 1 large lemon and remaining 1 blood orange in half and squeeze juice into a measuring glass or small bowl. Whisk ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp. honey, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt into juice.

    Step 2

    Place ½ small head of red cabbage, cored, any thick ribs removed, cut into ½"-thick strips, in a large bowl; drizzle half of dressing over. Massage cabbage with your hands to coat and soften. Let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

    Step 3

    Add 1 large head of radicchio, halved, cored, cut into 1½"-thick strips, ½ small red onion, thinly sliced, and reserved citrus to cabbage; drizzle in remaining dressing and toss to coat. Transfer salad to a platter and top with pomegranate seeds; season with freshly ground pepper.

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