Quick and Healthy Radish Recipes 

Radishes have often been dismissed as decoration and garnish. They are actually members of the cruciferous vegetable family so eat the greens. Radishes have a colorful skin, and can add great crunch and flavor to your favorite salad. If you do not like the spicy taste of raw radishes, try roasting them to bring out the natural sweetness of the vegetable.

• Colorful Coleslaw
• Tangy Vegetable Pasta Salad
• Sauteed Radishes

Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Radishes

The popular red globe radish is low in calories with an abundance of flavor and crunch. A 1/2 cup serving (about 12 medium) of sliced radishes provides a goodly amount of potassium, vitamin C, folate and fiber. Winter radishes such as daikons are similar in nutrients.

Nutrition Facts

1/2 cup fresh sliced raw red globes

• Calories: 12
• Protein: 0.35 grams
• Carbohydrates: 2.0 grams
• Dietary Fiber: 1 gram
• Potassium: 134.56 mg
• Folate: 15.66 mcg

Preparation and Serving

Summer and winter radishes are most often eaten raw. Use a stiff vegetable brush and scrub radishes under cold running water. Do not peel summer or black radishes. Pare away the top and root end then slice, dice, shred, or serve whole. Large Chinese and Japanese varieties hold up well during cooking. They can be eaten raw, preserved or substituted in any recipe calling for turnips.

Daikon radishes are thought to aid in digestion, especially the digestion of fatty foods. It is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking and is always grated and added to tempura dipping sauce. Young daikons can be eaten raw but the larger (more than 8 inches long) ones must be cooked. Always peel daikons. Cut up and simmered in stews and soups, daikon tastes light and refreshing rather than heavy or starchy. Daikons are often cut into paper-thin slices by talented Japanese chefs.

Daikon greens are delicious, too. They can be washed, stacked, rolled into a scroll, and cut crosswise. This produces thin julienne strips which are traditionally salted and left standing for an hour. The moisture is squeezed out. The leaves are then chopped and stored in glass jars for up to a week in the refrigerator. The Japanese stir them into warm rice, they can also be added to soups and other recipes.

Home Preservation

Due to the high water content, summer radishes do not freeze well, and they are not recommended for drying. They become limp, waterlogged, and develop oxidized color, aroma, and flavor upon thawing. Summer and winter radishes are best pickled.