Today I have a simple suggestion for a salad for you: spinach and radicchio salad dressed with balsamic cream and a generous sprinkle of toasted sesame and sunflower seeds.

Adding seeds to salads is a healthy habit, but it is also a tasty habit, providing that crunchy contrast that I believe enhances the pleasure of eating salads, all of them. And it makes them appealing to children, which is not insignificant! 😀

It’s true, raw spinach and radicchio have a strong flavor – and that’s exactly what I like – but the combination with toasted seeds and balsamic vinegar, especially when it’s in cream form because it’s sweeter, is just what you need to achieve the pleasant contrast of flavors that makes this salad great.

What main course would you like to accompany my spinach and radicchio salad with? My pork loin rolls? Or, if you prefer a veg main, how about the soy meatballs? 😉

Let me know what you decided! In the meantime…

Enjoy your meal!

spinach and radicchio salad with seeds and balsamic

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very cheap
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Cooking methods: No cooking
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

As I often like to do in my recipes, I don’t provide weights and quantities, this is a simple salad that doesn’t require too much precision: use more spinach and less radicchio or vice versa, more sesame… or you can also add pine nuts or almonds… take inspiration and get creative 🙂

baby spinach
red radicchio
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
balsamic vinegar (in cream)
extra virgin olive oil

Tools

Pan
Bowl

How to prepare spinach and radicchio salad with sesame and sunflower seeds:

Wash and drain the radicchio and spinach.
I recommend baby spinach or at least the smallest and most tender leaves.
Place in a bowl and dress with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Toast the sesame and sunflower seeds in a pan for a very few minutes, together or separately.
Add the toasted seeds to the spinach and radicchio salad and enjoy your meal!

Advice without salt

I remind you that I cook without added salt. If you’re just arriving here and don’t know… then I invite you to learn about the reasons for my choice in my Cooking without salt, my journey. 😊

Then try following some of my tips in pills! You’ll see that it’s not a sacrifice at all!

If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▪ Gradually decrease the salt, the palate must get used to it slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▪ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, etc.
▪ Use herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint, etc.
▪ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, etc.
▪ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange, etc.
▪ Use strong-tasting condiments like vinegar, wine or balsamic.
▪ Use my saltless vegetable granulate
▪ Prefer fresh foods.
▪ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▪ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▪ Allow yourself occasionally to break the rule. It’s good for your mood and helps you persevere.

If you do not want, or cannot, give up salt:
▪ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.