Yes, You Can Cook Radishes! Here Are 5 Tasty Ways

Radishes are so pretty and irresistible, coming in all sorts of colors, shapes, and sizes. And while they’re usually eaten raw — dipped in good butter and flaky salt, or sliced thin onto salads — these jewel-toned vegetables can also be cooked like most other root vegetables.

What happens when radishes get cooked? Their characteristic spicy bite mellows out, plus they turn nice and juicy. Here are five delicious ways to cook radishes — give them a try!

Radishes can be pickled and fermented but still retain a refreshing crunch. Just swap radishes into your favorite cucumber or carrot pickle recipe, or add them to your next homemade batch of kimchi.

• Kale Salad with Quick-Pickled Watermelon Radish
  
• Pretty-in-Pink Pickled Radishes
  
• Bar Tartine’s Pickled Carrots, Green Tomatoes & Watermelon Radishes
  
• How To Make Easy Kimchi at Home

Both Chinese and Japanese cuisines braise daikon radish, but all radishes are great for braising. They absorb the flavorful braising liquid, mellow out, and get all sweet and juicy. They’re a great lighter alternative to potatoes — try radishes in your next meaty braise or add them to your next vegetable stew; they’ll add new dimensions of flavor and texture.

• Braised Radishes
  
• Spring Radishes Braised with Shallots and Vinegar

It’s hard to find a vegetable that doesn’t take well to roasting, and radishes are no exception. They roast up more quickly than winter squash or potatoes (just 10 minutes!) but are just as tasty as they take on some caramelization.

• Roasted Radish and Herbed Ricotta Omelet
  
• Roasted Radishes Are the Vegetable That’s Missing from Your Life
  
• Roasted Potatoes, Radishes & Fennel with Lemon Brown Butter Sauce

If everyone’s grilling lettuces now, why not radishes? Toss whole or halved radishes with some oil or butter, then throw onto the grill until some nice grill marks appear. Smoky grilled radishes are a fun way to add some vibrant color and fresh flavor to your next cookout.

Don’t forget that radish tops are edible! While you can eat them raw like lettuces, you can also stir-fry or sauté the tops, or blanch the greens and blend them with some garlic, nuts, and cheese to make a lightly spicy pesto. Radish tops can also be wilted into pasta dishes, risotto, or even soups.

• Don’t Toss Those Radish Greens!
  
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