Radicchio Brussels Sprouts Salad with Citrus Maple Dressing
Lighten up your holiday table with this flavorful salad. Thinly sliced radicchio and brussels sprouts with mandarin segments, crunchy salted pistachios and a bright citrus-maple dressing. Great as a starter or side dish.
In a small saucepan over high heat, bring orange juice to boiling, reduce heat to an active simmer and reduce the orange juice to a half cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
When orange juice is cooled, Add the shallot, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
With a sharp knife, slice the brussels sprouts crosswise into very thin slices, discarding the root end. Transfer the brussels to a large salad bowl.
Pull the leaves from the radicchio and stack them in a pile. Cut the pile in half, vertically, then slice the radicchio into very thin ribbons horizontally. Transfer the radicchio to the salad bowl.
Supreme the mandarins. This means using a very sharp paring knife to remove the peel and outer membrane of the mandarin, so the bare segment is exposed. Then use the knife to slice in between the membranes to remove each individual segment. Transfer the segmented fruit to the salad bowl.
Roughly chop the pistachios and add them to the salad. You can make the salad up to this point and refrigerate until ready to serve. Do not add the dressing until you're ready to eat, otherwise it will wilt.
Add about 3-4 tablespoons of dressing to the salad and toss to coat. If the salad needs more dressing, add 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing after each addition. The salad shouldn't be goopy and wet, just lightly dressed. (Any remaining dressing can be used on other salads or to dress a piece of fish or chicken.