It’s mid winter and I’m craving salad. Winter greens are far more robust than their more popular summer siblings. Crisp with a crunchy texture and slightly bitter taste  my favourite winter greens have to be baby endive with its delicate, curly, pale green leaves and the sturdier ruby red radicchio treviso.  These leaves really do produce a beautifully crisp salad. Especially when paired with wafer thin slices of aniseed flavoured fennel and sweet green apple. Offset any bitterness with a lemon and mustard vinaigrette. Shards of salty, oven baked prosciutto and  crushed, buttery hazelnuts complete the very pretty picture.

At only 165 calories for a very generous serve, this salad is filling and delicious with lots of interesting flavours and texture. The perfect fast day lunch. Followed up later in the day with a hearty bowl of puy lentil and vegetable soup. Recipe here.

Radicchio and Endive Salad with Fennel, Apple, Crisp Pancetta and Roasted Hazelnuts.
Serves 6 (165 calories per serve)

1 medium head radicchio treviso, cored and sliced (75 calories)
1 small head of baby endive (45 calories)
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced,  fronds reserved (73 calories)
1 large crisp Granny Smith apple unpeeled, thinly sliced (110 calories)
100g rolled pancetta, thinly sliced (250 calories)
juice of 1 lemon (2 calories)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (4 calories)
1 small shallot, finely minced (7 calories)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (240 calories)
3 tablespoons hazelnuts, roasted, peeled and coarsely chopped (180 calories)
sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

PREHEAT oven to 180 C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
PLACE pancetta on the oven tray and roast in a hot oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool and break into shards. Set aside.
COMBINE the radicchio, endive, fennel and apple in a large bowl.
IN ANOTHER bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil.
DRIZZLE dressing over the salad leaves, tossing gently to combine. Season to taste with sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper.
GARNISH with fennel fronds, hazelnuts and crisp pancetta.