Name: Chicken and Radicchio Salad with Caramelized Honey-Tahini Vinaigrette
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup honey; 2 teaspoons grated orange zest plus ½ cup juice; ¼ cup red wine vinegar; ¼ cup tahini; 1 teaspoon table salt; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken; 1 small head radicchio , sliced thin (about 4 cups); 1 large fennel bulb , ⅓ cup fronds chopped; stalks discarded; bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin; 4 scallions , sliced thin; ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro; ½ cup salted roasted almonds , chopped coarse

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe transforms store-bought rotisserie chicken into a salad so full of texture and flavor, you’ll be making it again and again. The radicchio brings pungent bitterness balanced by fennel and herbs. The vinaigrette is a little bitter, a little tart, but mostly sweet. To make it, we caramelize honey before deglazing the pan with orange juice. We whisk in red wine vinegar for tang and tahini for nutty creaminess. Finally, salty toasted almonds add extra crunch.

Before You Begin

Squeeze the orange juice fresh for the best flavor. This salad keeps surprisingly well in the refrigerator and makes great leftovers.

Instructions

for the vinaigrette

Cook ½ cup honey in small saucepan over medium-high heat until large bubbles form over surface, about 2 minutes. (Watch closely as it can burn quickly.) Carefully add ½ cup orange juice and swirl pan to combine (mixture may splatter). Transfer mixture to large bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup tahini, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons orange zest until combined and thickened.

for the salad

Add 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken; 4 cups thinly sliced radicchio; 1 large fennel bulb, halved and sliced thin, and ⅓ cup chopped fennel fronds; 4 thinly sliced scallions; and ¼ cup cilantro, chopped, and toss until combined. Sprinkle with ½ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped coarse, and serve.