The most delicious pairing of bitter and sweet flavors on one plate balanced with savory umami roast duck, our no-cook radicchio salad is super easy to prepare and perfect for midweek dinners or entertaining the crowds!
Easy salad recipes for a quick meal...you can't beat that!
When we have a busy week ahead, having a few easy-to-prepare salad recipes ready is a game changer. When juggling kids, work, and life there are some days we just don’t have the time to prepare fancy dinners. But we also don’t want to compromise on taste. This Radicchio Salad with Roast Duck and Orange is the perfect meal for when you have a busy week ahead of you.
Why This Recipe Works
- There's no cooking involved,
- Only cutting and tearing ingredients to create a savory and flavorsome salad,
- You don't have to roast your own duck. You can buy a pre-cooked one!
Ingredients
The flavor is insane in this radicchio salad! Radicchio and red cabbage are not the same thing. Radicchio is more tender and has more of a subtle taste. It tastes a little bit like green cabbage. Paired with fresh oranges, red wine vinegar, and an array of spices, you're about to experience a taste that's out of this word tasty!
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Prepare the Roast Duck
Buying a whole roast duck is so convenient for this dish. You can purchase a whole duck at your local Chinese barbecue restaurant, but remember to ask them not to cut it up and that you would like it whole.
You'll want to place the roast duck breast side up and cut it into 4 quarters. For the breast quarters, slice through and remove the breast meat off the bone. Then cut the breast meat into ¼ inch thick slices.
For the thigh quarters, use a small knife and slice off bite sized chunks of duck meat as close as you can to the bone. For parts that are tricky to remove all the meat, use your hands and tear the flesh off the duck. Keep going until you get as much meat as you can. Set aside duck meat for assembly.
How to Prepare the Radicchio
Cut the radicchio in half lengthwise. Placing half radicchio cut side down, chop the radicchio from top to bottom into thin slices. Repeat with the second half of the radicchio. Once chopped, give it a good rinse and if you like to take the edge off the bitterness, soak it in icy cold water. Drain after 5 minutes and shake dry.
How to Prepare the Oranges
First, slice both ends of the orange and then hold the fruit on its base. Cutting in a downward motion, remove all the peel. Then turn the fruit on its side and cut into ¼ inch rounds. Then cut the rounds into quarters. Place aside ready for assembly.
Preparing the Onions, Mint and Red Wine Vinaigrette
Thinly slice a red onion in half moons. Wash and roughly chop mint leaves. Set aside.
This light citrus vinaigrette using orange and red wine vinegar creates an amazing balance between all the flavors. Place the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and orange juice in a jar with a lid. Shake well and taste. Add salt and pepper to red wine vinaigrette according to taste.
Assembling the Salad
You can easily serve the radicchio salad with roast duck as individual main meals or on a large platter for sharing. Either way, it is pretty much the same way to assemble, just make sure you divide the salad ingredients into 4 equal portions.
To do that, start layering the plate with chopped radicchio leaves at the bottom. Next, add a layer of shredded duck and then scatter sliced orange and red onion. Drizzle half the red wine vinaigrette over the salad. Place duck breast and thigh slices on top and then scatter with chop mint. Drizzle the remaining red wine vinaigrette and serve.
A perfect no fuss radicchio salad and duck recipe that is excellent for lazy evenings or when you have no time to cook. There is more than enough roast duck for 4 main servings and possibly for 6 people as light lunches.
Easy.
Delicious.
If you're looking for radicchio salad recipes, this one is definitely worth adding to your menu this week.
Expert Tips
- You can purchase a whole roast duck at your local Chinese barbecue restaurant. Remember to ask them not to cut it up.
- If you wish to take the edge of the bitterness in radicchio, soak the chopped leaves in icy cold water for 5 minutes, drain and shake dry.
- There is sufficient roast duck for 4 main serves and possibly for 6 people as light lunches.
- Discard the roast duck bones if you wish. We normally keep and freeze the bones for bone broth later.
- For this radicchio salad recipe, I like to cut oranges into wheels. Make sure you have a very sharp knife otherwise you will squish the fruit and release too much juice.
Other Must Try Salads
If you are looking for other great salads, this Lobster Tail Salad with Mango Dressing is refreshing and simple. People also rave about our Gluten Free Pasta Salad with Tarragon Mustard Chicken.
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! I love hearing from my readers and I can't wait to hear how this recipe turned out for you!
Radicchio Salad with Roast Duck and Orange
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 roast duck
- 1 radicchio
- 2 oranges
- 1 red onion
- ¼ cup mint chopped
Dressing
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon orange juice
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Place the roast duck with breast side up and cut the roast duck into 4 quarters. For the breast quarters, slice through and remove the breast meat off the bone. Then cut the breast meat into 0.5cm slices. For the thigh quarters, use a small knife and slice off bite sized chunks of duck meat as close as you can to the bone. For parts that are tricky to remove all the meat, use your hands and tear the flesh off the duck. Keep going until you get as much meat as you can.
- Cut radicchio in half lengthwise. Placing half radicchio cut side down, chop radicchio from top to bottom into about 1.5cm slices. Repeat with the second half of the radicchio. Give chopped radicchio a good rinse, drain and shake dry.
- Slice both ends of the orange and then hold the fruit on its base. Cutting a downward motion, remove all the peel. Then turn the fruit on its side and cut into 0.5 cm thick rounds. Then cut rounds into quarters. Place aside ready for assembly.
- Thinly slice a red onion in half moons.
- Wash and roughly chop mint leaves.
Dressing
- Place all ingredients, olive oil, red wine vinegar and orange juice in a jar.
- Shake well and taste.
- Add salt and pepper according to taste.
Assembly
- On individual plates or one large sharing plate, start layering with chopped radicchio leaves at the bottom.
- Next add a layer of shredded duck and then scatter sliced orange and red onion.
- Drizzle half the red wine vinaigrette over salad.
- Place duck breast and thigh slices on top and then scatter with chop mint.
- Drizzle the remaining red wine vinaigrette and serve.
Notes
- You can purchase a whole roast duck at your local Chinese barbecue restaurant. Remember to ask them not to cut it up.
- If you wish to take the edge of the bitterness in radicchio, soak the chopped leaves in icy cold water for 5 minutes, drain and shake dry.
- There is sufficient roast duck for 4 main serves and possibly for 6 people as light lunches.
- Discard the roast duck bones if you wish. We normally keep and freeze the bones for bone broth later.
- For this radicchio salad recipe, I like to cut oranges into wheels. Make sure you have a very sharp knife otherwise you will squish the fruit and release too much juice.
Moop Brown
This salad combines a unique variety of flavors and looks super vibrant. Thank you for sharing.
Amanda Mason
Enjoy!
Debbie
This RADICCHIO SALAD WITH ROAST DUCK AND ORANGE is not only beautiful but sounds amazing. If I had a whole duck available to me I would make this tomorrow. I can't wait to try this beauty.
Amanda Mason
Try it with chicken if you can't find duck. Roasted chicken also works well. You can find duck at a butcher shop.