Why You Should Stop Throwing Away Radish Greens

Radishes are a flavorsome, perhaps slightly peppery, root vegetable we love to add to our salads. Their crunchy texture and beautiful red color are just what our months crave. But as The Kitchn notes, radishes aren't always eaten raw, even if that seems to be the most popular way to consume this food. The source goes on to explain when you cook radishes that they actually lose the tangy bite and become soft and delicious. Radishes can be roasted, grilled, braised, and even pickled. And if you've never made yourself some radish toast, you might want to put it on your culinary bucket list.

But as MasterClass notes, the bulb of a radish isn't the only part that is edible. One radish lover asked celebrity chefs on Twitter, "What can I do with radish leaves ... ?" As it turns out, you can do quite a lot with a bunch of leafy greens from a radish. That is, as long as you follow Chef Alex Guarnaschelli's reply to the Twitter user to be sure to wash them to remove the sand. You can even make homemade root-to-leaf radish spaghetti. But before you dig in, here's what you need to know. 

Love and Lemons is first in line when it comes to advocating for using radish greens in your salads. The source even states that you can turn them into a delicious pesto. MasterClass describes the taste of these greens as "mild" and "peppery," which is very similar to the radish itself. You can also serve them as a side dish by sautéing them like you would spinach. Chef Guarnaschelli suggests using them in a stir fry and adding them to creamed spinach (via Twitter). 

However, if you plan on using your radish greens in your next recipe, there is one important step you want to take when you bring them home from the farmer's market or grocery store. Love and Lemons recommends removing the greens from the radish immediately. This will keep them fresh. If you don't plan to use them for an immediate meal, the site suggests wrapping the greens and keeping them in your refrigerator's crisper drawer until you are ready to make something yummy with them. Zestful Kitchen notes that younger radish leaves are going to have a lighter flavor while those that are more "mature" are going to have a acerbic taste.