Radishes are a bright pink root vegetable with a crisp, peppery taste. They are commonly enjoyed raw in salads but are great roasted too. I’ll teach you everything you need to know about buying, storing preparing and cooking radishes in this easy Radish 101. Let’s do this!
What is a radish?
Radishes are a root vegetable. They grow underground and are a part of the Brassica family. They are related to mustard greens, kale, cauliflower, cabbage and turnips.
The most common variety of radish in the united states is are bright reddish/pink radishes with fat, round bulbs (which are also called globes), little tails at the bottom, and beautiful leafy greens on top. They can vary in size, but the average radish is about the size of a ping pong ball (see the photo above for a reference).
You can also find white, purple, and black radishes, some are round and some are more oblong. You can eat the entire radish, both the bulb and the greens are edible. I’m dying to make some radish greens pesto (I just haven’t had the chance yet!).
Radishes can be enjoyed both raw and cooked. The radish globes have a nice crisp, crunchy, texture and pungent, peppery flavor. The greens mirror the peppery flavor of the bulbs.
Are radishes good for you?
Allow me to say, ALL veggies are good for you (just to be clear!). So, yes! Of course, radishes are super healthy and nutritious.
Nutritionally, radishes are a powerhouse veggie. A half-cup of radishes is just 12 calories, so just like most vegetables they are low in calories and high in nutrients.
Radishes are a great source of Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps to fight off free radicals in the body! They also contain a good amount of potassium, folate and vitamin B6 (just to name a few!).
When is radish season?
You will notice that radishes are available at the grocery store all year round, but their peak season is the Spring. This is when you will be able to find the most tender and delicious radishes.
Buying radishes
When you are shopping for radishes you want them to be firm and smooth, brightly colored with beautiful, vibrant greens on top. Avoid radishes that are soft, limp, slimy or that have wilted greens on top.
How to store radishes
Once you get your radishes home, it’s best to remove the greens from the radishes before storing them, as this will help them to last longer. If the greens stay attached, they actually pull moisture out of the root, which will cause them to go bad quicker (this is true of all root vegetables).
Simply cut the greens off, and then if you plan to eat them, store them wrapped in a damp paper towel and pop them in an airtight container (this could also be the plastic produce bag from the grocery store). The greens are delicious tossed in a salad, used on a sandwich, sautéed with a bit of butter, or even made into a pesto.
As for the radishes themselves, I like to keep them in the produce bag from the grocery store, being sure to push out any excess air and then wrap them nice and tight, with a loose knot on top. Place them in your veggie drawer in the fridge and they will keep well for at least 5 days.
How to prepare radishes
When you are ready to work with your radishes, give them a good rinse and rub them under some cold water. They do grow underground so they can get pretty sandy (same for the greens, if you are using them).
Next, trim off the stem and the roots. Depending on how you’ll be serving the radishes, you could leave a bit of the stem on, simply for presentation, but it’s certainly not necessary.
How to eat radishes
Radishes can be enjoyed both raw or cooked and pair really well with lemon, avocado, celery, fennel, fresh herbs, vinegar, whole grains, eggs, and lentils (just to name a few!).
I love dipping them in hummus as a fresh, bright snack.
Radish recipes
There are so many ways to enjoy radishes! Here are the two recipes I’m sharing in the video featured in this post.
PS! I also love adding radishes to fish tacos and egg salad. So good!
I’d love to know if you try these (or any) recipe! Tag @clean_and_delicious on Instagram to let me know and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy, delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
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