SaurabhLeafy vegetables are always more than welcomed in our cooking. Whether you are making a salad or cooking something, they provide freshness and taste.
Radicchio is one of those leafy veggies! It is used in many cuisines especially Italian. With a mildly bitter taste, this distinctive veggie has a red color with white veins, which add an extraordinary touch to your cooking.
You can eat it raw with some salt and olive oil or mix it with many other ingredients. The extra spiciness that it has in its taste, can be achieved when it’s roasted or grilled.
Italians tend to add it to pasta or as stuffing. However, in case you lack this product, is there a way to substitute it? Can I substitute Radicchio? Absolutely!
Common substitutes for radicchio include endive, romaine lettuce, curly endive, arugula, watercress, chicory, red cabbage, radish, treviso, and frisee.
All of the veggies will adjust well in your cooking and serve you as the perfect substitute based on your recipe.
Best Radicchio Substitutes
Now that we know more about Radicchio, we can search for a replacement more easily. Below you’ll find a list of substitutes that will save your next recipe and make you want to experiment.
1. Endive
A delicate veggie with a unique appearance and bitter taste is the endive. It comes from France and it is used in many French recipes.
This is the first vegetable that we recommend for you to try. It works really well in salads and its green colors will adjust properly.
There are many uses of Endive. You can consume it raw, grilled, baked, or add it to recipes that require Radicchio. The bitter taste and light color are perfect for any salad.
You can also add it with some fish or chicken and actually many Belgians adore this veggie so sometimes it is referred to as Belgian Endive.
It has a crisp texture with a crunchy taste. But when cooked, the flavors become mellow and the texture softens.
2. Romaine lettuce
Yet another leafy vegetable that serves as a replacement for radicchio is Romaine lettuce.
It is typically used in salads and has a very unique taste based on the other veggies. This is a green veggie which is different at that point when compared to Radicchio.
They share a similar texture and taste which is on point for sandwiches and especially for salads.
3. Curly endive
With curly leaves and green color, this type of Endive is typically added to salads as it will provide a nice bitter taste. However, when it’s cooked, both the texture and taste become mellow.
Keep in mind that the steam end is not brown and the leaves are fresh green with yellow colors.
4. Arugula
Arugula is a perfect nutritional replacement for Radicchio in many recipes.
The edible plant has a leafy appearance with a tart, fresh peppery, and bitter taste. People tend to add it as a topping on pizzas to provide extra flavor. However, when it’s baked, the taste varies and it actually serves as a seasoning.
Serve it with different fish, salads, cook it, or anything else that requires Radicchio.
5. Watercress
Another leafy veggie is Watercress which is added in cooking instead of Radicchio.
You can consume it and use it in your cooking the same way as Radicchio. It is an aquatic flowering plant that is mostly available in Asia and Europe.
It has a bitter taste and can be eaten raw or cooked.
6. Chicory
Chicory is a plant that serves as a good replacement for Radicchio.
The leaves are eaten like celery while the roots should to be boiled beforehand. Chicory is also used in cooking as a spice to add extra flavor and aroma to your cooking.
The leaves may be a bit tougher but it’s commonly added in salads as well. Use it in most of the recipes that need Radicchio.
7. Red cabbage
This leafy veggie replaces radicchio in most recipes and that is red cabbage.
Commonly used in cooking, this cabbage has thicker leaves and a more waxy texture. The taste is similar and can be served in most of the recipes that needed Radicchio.
8. Radish
Radish finds its place on the list as a suitable replacement for radicchio. It is another veggie with similarities you can add it to most of the recipes.
You can eat it raw with the leaves of the radish which will be crispy with a zest taste and a bit of spiciness to add to your salads.
9. Treviso
Treviso is another veggie with a leafy texture that makes a great substitute for radicchio. It is harvested early as it stays tightly closed or later with its narrow base so it can open up and unfold its leaves.
It has a crunchy texture with a mild taste and traces of sweetness. You can either cook it or eat it raw depending on what you are preparing.
10. Frisee
This French endive or Frisee is yet another good substitute for Radicchio.
The curly, short leaves of this type of endive have a bitter taste and they can be cooked in different ways. Typically it is eaten raw and added in many salads or sandwich toppings.
The light green leaves with yellow endings are also very crunchy. And you can use them as part of many recipes that require radicchio.
Radicchio Substitute In Salad
Radicchio is a good ingredient for salads.
It will add a nice fresh taste and will adjust accordingly with the other ingredients that are used. However, if you don’t have enough or simply you are out of Radicchio, we have the substitutes you need.
You can use endive, which is very delicate and has a similar bitter taste. Then, curly endive which is the second-best thing, or Arugula which is perfect for salads to provide freshness and a nice touch.
Adjust the quantity based on the other ingredients that are used.
Related Questions
Can I use red cabbage instead of radicchio?
Of course, you can add red cabbage instead of radicchio.
The leaves may be thicker and waxy but the mild taste and crunchiness will be good for many recipes. You can add it both raw and cooked.
What vegetable is like radicchio?
Similar to radicchio if you don’t have any are chicory, escarole, arugula, or endive which have similar taste.
What does radicchio taste like?
Radicchio has a similar taste to cabbage and the other leafy veggies since they are all part of the same family. It has a short and bitter flavor which is perfect in many recipes.
Is radicchio the same as red lettuce?
No, radicchio is not the same as Red lettuce, but they can be used as a substitute for each other. The colorful lettuce is useful in many ways in cooking instead of radicchio.
