Fresh radishes in shades of pink, red, white, and purple are a beautiful and welcoming sign of spring. After finding myself with too many radishes growing in my garden, I decided to try roasting them like a potato to use them up. How did it turn out? Well, all I can say is that it was pretty life-changing. This is now one of my favorite ways to serve this often-forgotten vegetable because roasting brings out the sweetness that is otherwise masked by the peppery kick that radishes are known for, and they make a stunning addition to just about any meal.
A whole new way to Enjoy radishes
I grew up nibbling raw radishes from veggie plates at family gatherings, and it had never occurred to me that you could cook a radish! But one day, I found myself with a bumper crop of radishes in the garden. There was no way I’d be able to eat them all before they went bad, so I decided to try roasting them like I would roast baby potatoes. And, wow! The end result was better than anything I could have expected.
Roasting mellowed the peppery flavor of the radishes and brought out their natural sweetness, and the garlic-infused butter (or ghee) added a nice layer of flavor. Seriously, so good. If you like roasted potatoes, you’ll probably like this recipe. The end product is somewhat similar in texture but far lower in starchy carbohydrates.
What You’ll Need
You’ll need just a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand to make these, and you can easily substitute some of the ingredients to suit your taste or dietary needs.
- 1 pound fresh globe radishes — these are the most available types of radishes. You can use all red or a mix of red, pink, purple, and white, which are sometimes referred to as ‘Easter egg radishes’
- Butter — or you can use ghee, or substitute olive oil or avocado oil to make this a vegan recipe
- Sea salt — any salt will do, but we like flaky sea salt for this recipe
- Ground black pepper
- Garlic cloves — or substitute ¼ teaspoon garlic powder for the 2 garlic cloves
- Dried parsley — or use dried chives or dried dill
How to cook radishes
Radishes can be eaten raw or cooked. Applying heat to radishes helps calm the mild (or sometimes strong) spicy or peppery flavors in them. To cook radishes, you can bake or roast them in the oven, or sauté or pan-roast them on the stovetop. You could also boil or steam radishes, though those techniques could result in too-soft radishes and nutrient losses.
I’ve tried several ways, and by far, my favorite method for cooking radishes is also the easiest: roasting radishes in a hot oven. I like using a large baking dish so there is room for the radishes to fit in a single layer. This helps them caramelize just a bit on the edges, adding to their flavor.
I have always loved layering thinly sliced raw radishes onto freshly buttered bread then sprinkling them with salt. It was the only way I’d ever eaten radishes until Stacie created this recipe. Now I love roasting radishes with fresh garlic and herbs when they’re in season.
Why Radishes are the Unsung Hero of Health Foods
I think radishes are worthy of far more praise and attention than they get. Not only do they come in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors, but they are a healthful food that fits nicely into so many eating styles. Radishes are a non-starchy root vegetable that easily adds flavor and options to low-carbohydrate, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, or Whole30 diets. Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free.
- Radishes are root vegetables that come in several different colors and are a cousin to cabbage
- This bright spring veg is a very good source of disease-fighting and immunity-boosting vitamin C
- Radishes contain natural antibacterial and antifungal properties
- They contain a unique phytochemical called indoles, which promotes detoxification, helping your body rid itself of harmful substances
- Radishes are full of powerful antioxidant flavonoids that fight havoc-causing free radicals and aid in healthy liver and kidney function
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How to serve
This is a delicious low-carb side dish to enjoy throughout the spring and summer. I love to serve them alongside grilled meats, chicken, and fish. For an extra treat, I’ll drizzle them with our dairy-free ranch dressing.
Here are some main dishes that pair well with these roasted radishes:
Another favorite way to enjoy these is to add them to a salad along with sliced chicken, avocado, sliced almonds, and green onions, then toss it all with our citrus vinaigrette. Is your mouth watering yet?
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Garlic Roasted Radishes
If you thought radishes were only for veggie trays, think again. Roasting them brings out their natural sweetness making them a delicious accompaniment to chicken, beef, or pork.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh radishes, stems removed, ends trimmed, and halved
- 1 tablespoon melted ghee, butter, avocado oil or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley, dried chives, or dried dill or mix
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- Optional for serving: Ranch dressing for drizzling or garnish of fresh parsley, dill, or chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- In a bowl, combine the radishes, cooking fat (ghee, butter or oil), dried herbs, salt, and pepper; toss until the radishes are evenly coated. (Note: don’t add the minced garlic until step 5).
- Spread the radishes into a single layer in a large 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.
- After the first 10 minutes of baking, add the minced garlic and toss well. Return the dish to the oven to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the radishes are golden brown and easily pierced with a fork.
- If desired, serve with ranch dressing for dipping or drizzling on top and garnish with fresh parsley, dill, or chives.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 68
- Fat: 6 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Carbohydrate: 4 g
- (Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 2 g)
- Protein: 1 g
Dietary
Frequently Asked Questions
Beyond serving radishes raw as part of a veggie tray, you could slice them thin to top tacos or nachos. You could also par-boil them and serve them with butter, a technique popular in France. We’ve even heard of people adding them to stir-fries.
Yes! Simply replace the butter or ghee with olive oil or avocado oil. And if you’d like a drizzle of ranch, use your favorite plant-based ranch dressing or vegan mayo in place of regular mayo in this dairy-free ranch dressing recipe.
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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
Absolutely delicious! Cooked them for 15 minutes at 425 degrees before flipping them around. They really only needed 10 more minutes or so, but after the second 10 minutes I added the garlic and cooked them for another 5 minutes. I took them out just in time. Adding the garlic in the last few minutes ensures that the garlic does not burn but still contributes a ton of flavor with the salt and pepper. Best eaten straight from the oven! 10/10!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing!!
Made these for my husband and myself and they are delicious! Neither one of us are big radish lovers, but these reminded us of brussel sprouts when they were done. Such a great flavor and texture!
(I had to use oregano in place of dill, etc., bc it’s all I had on hand.)
These came out great! Thank you for a new way to use radishes, we end up with so many sometimes!
Just made these, SO good!! Thanks for a super easy, delicious recipe.
Hey I work at a food co-op and we just got fresh local radishes in. I was going to provide this recipe to our patrons with a link of credit on the photo and the recipe rewritten as requested. Just here to obtain that written permission! Thank you
Hi Lily – That would be great if you want to share the recipe with credit with your customers. Thanks for checking!