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Radishes are root vegetables that come from the Cruciferae family that includes mustard. Radishes can be eaten raw or cooked and have a peppery taste that gets milder if cooked. While radishes most likely originated in Asia, you can find them worldwide.
You may be familiar with the red globe radishes that are commonly found in supermarkets but there are many different varieties from round to long and colors from white to black, according to WebMD. Some of the most common ones are red radishes, daikon, long cylinder-shaped white radishes – which are more common in Japan and China – , watermelon which have white and green outsides and a magenta flesh, and black radishes that have a black skin and are the strongest tasting variety.
Radishes are delicious, but did you know that eating them is good for your health too? The ancient Greeks and Romans used radishes as a medicinal food. That’s because radishes are vitamin rich and contain antioxidants like catechin, pyrogallol, vanillic acid, and other plant compounds. Antioxidants help fight free radicals in your cells and could protect you from chronic illnesses, including cardiac disease, liver disease, diabetes, and even some cancers.
So jump on the radish bandwagon with these five veggie radish recipes that your family will love.
Garlic Roasted Radishes
Roasting radishes mellows the peppery taste and brings out the sweetness within. This garlic infused roasted radish recipe from a blog on the Real food Dieticians website adds extra flavor and is really easy to make. You will need one pound of red globe radishes, butter – or you can use ghee – , garlic cloves, sea salt, black pepper, and dried parsley. This can be a delicious side dish or added to a salad.
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Zesty Radish Slaw
This creamy and delicious slaw from the Casa de Crews foodie blog is a perfect side dish for any meal. It is also very simple to make. Like any coleslaw, you will need cabbage and carrots but this one comes with a bite from the radishes, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro in it. Top with a creamy Baja dressing.
Creamy Radish Soup
Enjoy a hot lunch or dinner with this creamy radish soup recipe from Eating Well. Simply sauté radishes, a Yukon gold potato, and one onion in extra virgin olive oil. Puree the mixture and add to two cups low-fat milk, sour cream, pepper, and fresh radish greens or parsley. It takes just 30 minutes to cook this delicious soup.
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Korean Daikon Radish Salad
This easy to make daikon radish salad is actually a shredded radish kimchi according to the My Korean Kitchen blog. The salad is light, fresh, spicy, and crunchy; in every bite. All you need is a pound and a half of peeled and julienned daikon radishes, green onion, Korean chili flakes, Korean fish sauce, minced garlic, and sea salt. The best part is that it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and then just let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Quinoa Salad with Radishes and Greens
Quinoa is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It is highly nutritious, gluten-free, and a great whole protein. This quinoa, radish, and greens salad from the kitchn blog is very easy to make. You need to strain and cook the quinoa with butter (or vegan substitute) and salt, and after cooling just add it to sliced radishes, microgreens like arugula, fresh basil, Lemon zest, and lemon juice. You can serve on a bed of lettuce and add toasted almonds and goat cheese if desired.
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