Asian pear, radicchio and jicama salad with pine nuts and greek yogurt dressing. Fresh, healthy and full of zip.

Recipe by Chef Erin Eastland
Photos by Amy Sheridan

We love Asian pears for our cheese plates, they offer a nice sweet crunch and don’t oxidize and turn brown like apples and pears can. In this satisfying Asian pear, Radicchio and Jicama Salad with Pine nuts and Greek Yogurt Dressing they steal the show, balancing out the bitter radicchio. Greek yogurt is a great way to make any of your favorite dressings creamy, and keep them low-fat. It can be used in addition to, or in lieu of oil and is great with fresh lemon juice, aged balsamic, a good sherry vinegar or anything really flavorful and acidic, just add fresh herbs and season with salt. We add our Maletti Aceto Balsamic of Modena 6 Year to the dressing to give it a balanced acid component.

Directions

1. Peel the jicima.
2. Cut in half and slice into thin, even slices about 1 cm thick.
3. Stack the slices and slice into thin matchsticks.
4. Square off the the apples and asian pear by slicing off the four sides and leaving the core.
5. Slice the sides into thin slices, like the jicima, stack and cut into matchsticks. You want the skin left on the apple and pear.
6. Combine the jicima, apple and pear into a large bowl and squeeze about 2 TBS lemon juice on top.
7. Toss gently with your hands to coat. This will prevent any oxidation from the apples.
8. Cut the radicchio in half, top to stem. Remove the core by cutting it out in a V-shape with a knife. Lay the radicchio flat, core side down, and thinly slice starting at the top and working towards the core end. This will give you a shredded look.
9. Add the pine nuts, radicchio and parsley to the pear/apple/jicima mix.

Dress the salad and serve right away. If you are not eating immediately, wait to dress the salad until just before or you will end up pulling the water from the fruit and diluting the dressing as it sits.