radicchio salad with baby greens and caramelized onions

I almost never post recipes on here, but I have been eating this salad non-stop for the past 4 days so I thought I would be generous and share. Plus, I am always complaining that there aren't enough salad blogs so I figured I should do my part.

This salad was completely and totally inspired by Julie, an amazing food stylist with whom I have had the privilege of working recently. She was telling me about a salad she made comprised of radicchio, spinach, caramelized onions and tossed in a vinaigrette, and my mouth was watering. Joe and I eat salads as our main course several times a week and I'm always looking for new things to try.

In my version, I added crumbled bacon and a sprinkling of ricotta salata at the end. I also chose to use a balsamic vinaigrette. With the sweetness of the onions, smokiness of the bacon, bitterness of the radicchio, saltiness of the cheese, and sweet-tart of the dressing, there is a delicious mix of flavors that hits all the important notes. No matter how you make this, though, you really can't go wrong. It's fab.

Radicchio Salad with Baby Greens & Caramelized Onions

1 head radicchio, chopped
4 oz. mixed baby greens (arugula, spinach, and baby chard work really well)
2 sweet onions, sliced very thin
olive oil
5 strips of thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)
vinaigrette of your choice
ricotta salata (optional)

First, caramelize your onions. I found the easiest way to do this was to toss them with olive oil and salt, spread them on a sheet pan, and bake at 375 until they are golden. Make sure to stir them occasionally so they don't burn.

Make your dressing. I make all my dressings to taste, so I'm pretty hopeless when it comes to amounts. Basically, I squirt some dijon dressing in a mason jar (2 teaspoons, maybe), add some balsamic vinegar, some salt and pepper, and some good olive oil and shake until it's all emulsified. Easy.

Add radicchio, greens, caramelized onions, and bacon to a large mixing bowl, pour in dressing, and toss. Sprinkle on ricotta salata at end, if desired.

Serves 4