While many vegetables have been forced upon us as kids, we never really hear anyone say “Eat your radishes, honey!” However, we must add radishes to the repertoire of broccoli, spinach, green beans, peas and asparagus. After all; like these cruciferous vegetables, radishes also contain a host of nutrition and yet go unappreciated. In this guide, we will study some radish nutrition facts that will change your thoughts about this vegetable. Then we will move on to easy ways to prepare raw radishes and also ways to eat white/red radishes and even the radish greens.
Health benefits of radishes – Radish nutrition facts
Naturally cooling
Many traditional folk medicine recipes invite you to try radishes for cooling down excess body heat, especially in warmer months.
Soothe sore throats
Radishes have pungent and spicy flavor that can eliminate mucus from the body. This makes them a wonderful food to fight colds, coughs and flu as well as sinus infections. Their high Vitamin C content also boosts natural immunity of the body to ward off coughs and colds.
Aids digestion
Radishes are naturally detoxifying. Eastern and Ayurvedic medicine recommends radishes to remove toxic build up and clogged up waste in the digestive tract.
Cancer fighting ability
Preliminary evidence also suggests that the antioxidant content of radishes can help fight free radical damage. Being a cruciferous vegetable, radishes belong to the same family as broccoli which is known to be cancer preventive.
Easy ways to prepare and eat raw radishes
1. Easy radish salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
- Boiling water
- Ice water
- 1 cup thinly sliced radish
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
For the Lemon dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
- 2 tsp liquid honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Dijon mustard – 1 tsp
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ tsp grated lemon zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Partially cook the asparagus in boiling water and immediately drain and plunge into icy water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl with radishes and sesame seeds.
Combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over the salad. Toss well. Serves 4.
2. Enjoy radish with butter
This is a French way to eat radishes. Butter tames the vegetable’s bite and many Europeans love to eat radish with butter for breakfast. All you need to do is wash the radishes and remove their fibrous roots/hairs from the tops and the greens. Wipe the radishes dry. Take a bowl of fresh homemade butter at room temperature (you can also use store bought butter). Dip each clean, dry radish piece or slice into the butter and immediately dip it into a dish of sea salt/ flake salt/pink salt. Take a bite! This is an easy way to eat radishes with butter.
3. Easy recipe to use up radish greens
You will love this salad that uses radish greens. In case you do not find radish greens, use arugula.
Method
- Clean, dry and quarter radishes and wash, dry and chop the radish greens.
- In a 12-inch skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter.
- Add the radish pieces with salt, pepper and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook for 12 -15 minutes until the radishes are tender. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Transfer the radishes to a bowl.
- Now in the same pan, add 1 tbsp butter and sauté chopped radish greens. Cook until wilted.
- Stir in salt and pepper.
- Transfer to bowl with radishes. Adjust seasoning.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
4. Roasted radishes with tahini-yogurt sauce
Method
- Heat oven to 500 degrees.
- Make sauce by combining ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt, 1 tsp grated lemon zest, 1 tbsp tahini sauce, crushed garlic, and 2 tsp lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to make a creamy dip. Set aside for serving.
- In another bowl, mix chopped toasted almonds or pistachios, ground cumin and toasted sesame seeds. Combine and set aside.
- Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Whisk melted butter, 5 tsp miso, 1 tsp honey and pinch of salt. Add radishes and toss to coat evenly. Arrange 2 lbs clean, dry and sliced radishes (with their roots and greens removed. Reserve the greens.) on the lined aluminum sheet and roast until brown on both sides.
- Whisk 1 tsp virgin olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp miso, 1 tsp honey and ¼ tsp salt. Mix well. Add 8 cups of clean radish greens and toss well to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, spread yogurt tahini sauce on serving plate. Add roasted radishes and coated greens. Sprinkle seeds and nuts on top. Serve.
5. Pickled radishes
Pickled veggies enhance the flavor of any meal and are great in sandwiches and subs.
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 large radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
- 1 shallot sliced thin
Method
- In a bowl, whisk together lime juice, salt, sugar, until well combined.
- Stir in radishes and shallot
- Let sit for 15-20 minutes at room temperature or in refrigerator for an hour.
- Drain before serving.
- Variation: Add one chopped jalapeno to the pickle. You can also add chopped fresh tarragon to drained pickle before serving.
6. Baguette with radishes, butter and herbs
This is a great way to enjoy radishes and butter with herbs over a fresh baguette.
- 10 tbsp unsalted European style butter at room temperature
- 6 tbsp minced chives
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp each lemon juice and olive oil
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 baguette halved length wise
- 8 oz radishes trimmed and sliced
Method
- In a bowl, whisk together butter, half of the chives, salt pepper until combined.
- Whisk together remaining chives, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl, add parsley and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cut the baguette and apply the butter mixture on both cut sides.
- Shingle radishes evenly over the baguette and add the parsley salad on top. Sprinkle sea salt on top if needed.
- Cut the baguette and serve.
7. French style breakfast radishes with avocado, nori and tamari
Nori sheets are readily available. Cut them into thin strips using scissors.
Method
- Take 1 lb French breakfast radishes with greens removed. Chop them lengthwise. In a bowl, toss the chopped radishes with salt and vinegar. Set aside at room temperature for up to 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, mash avocados with lemon juice, scallions, pepper and salt.
- To serve: arrange radishes on a plate next to 1-inch round dollops of mashed avocado. Sprinkle nori strips on tops of radishes. Serve with tamari sauce on the side in a ramekin for dipping. For added crunch, add toasted sesame seeds on top.