How to Cook Radishes

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

You're probably familiar with seeing peppery radishes as garnishes or in cold salads. Cooking the radishes can round out their spicy flavor and bring out their sweetness. Roast the radishes with a little olive oil until they're slightly caramelized. Or sauté them on the stove until they're tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. You can also blend sautéed radishes with onions and potatoes to make a rich, creamy radish soup.

Ingredients

Roasted Radishes

2 bunches (about 20 total) medium radishes with the greens attached
1 1/2 tablespoons (22 ml) olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
Coarse kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice

Makes 4 servings

Sautéed Radishes

4 bunches (about 2 pounds or 907 g) radishes with greens attached
2 1/2 tablespoons (35 g) unsalted butter, divided
1 teaspoon (5.5 g) salt
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons (9 g) chopped fresh chives

Makes 4 servings

Creamy Radish Soup

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups (230 g) sliced radishes (from 2 bunches), divided
½ cup (75 g) chopped onion
1 medium Yukon Gold potato
2 cups (475 ml) low-fat milk
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground pepper
¼ cup (57 g) reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon (3.5 g) chopped fresh radish greens

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Roasted Radishes

1
Preheat the oven to 450 °F (232 °C) and grease a baking sheet. Get out a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the bottom of the sheet with the oil to prevent the radishes from sticking.^{[1]
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- You could also use canola, vegetable, or coconut oil.
2
Rinse and cut the radishes. Rinse 2 bunches of radishes and cut off the top 1/4 inch (1 cm) with the greens. Chop the greens into bite-sized pieces and put them aside. Slice each radish in half lengthwise and transfer them to a mixing bowl.^{[2]
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- You can use red, pink, purple, or daikon radishes for this recipe.
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3
Season the radishes and spread them on the sheet. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 ml) of olive oil onto the radishes and sprinkle them with salt according to your taste. Stir the radishes to coat them in the oil and then spread them on the greased baking sheet so they're in single layer.^{[3]
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- If you don't want to use olive oil, you could use coconut, canola, or vegetable oil.
4
Roast the radishes for 18 minutes. Put the baking sheet in the oven and roast the radishes until they're tender in the center and a little crispy on the outside. Stir the radishes 1 to 2 times while they roast to ensure that they cook evenly.^{[4]
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- To test if the radishes are cooked, insert a fork or knife into the center of one. You should be able to pull it out easily.
5
Combine browned butter with lemon juice. While the radishes cook, put 2 tablespoons (28 g) of unsalted butter in a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and melt the butter with a pinch of salt. Keep cooking the butter until it smells fragrant and turns golden brown. Turn off the burner and stir in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of fresh lemon juice.^{[5]
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6
Pour the browned butter over the roasted radishes and serve them. Remove the roasted radishes from the oven and transfer them to a serving platter or bowl. Pour the browned butter over the radishes and sprinkle them with the chopped radish greens. Serve the radishes immediately.^{[6]
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- Refrigerate the leftover radishes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Eat the radishes cold or heat them in a microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. To warm them on the stove, heat them in a pan for a few minutes until they're as hot as you like.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Sautéed Radishes

1
Rinse and trim the greens from the radishes. Rinse 4 bunches of radishes under cold water to remove any dirt or grit. Dry the radishes and greens on a kitchen towel and then place them on a cutting board. Cut off the the greens and separate them from the radishes.^{[7]
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- Use red, pink, purple, or daikon radishes for this recipe.
2
Chop the greens and slice the radishes into wedges. Use a sharp knife to chop the greens into coarse pieces. Set them aside and cut off 1/4 inch (1 cm) from both ends of the radishes. Discard the ends and slice the radishes into wedges that are 1/2-inch (12-mm) wide.^{[8]
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3
Sauté the radishes with butter and salt for 12 minutes. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 g) of the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter foams up, stir in the radish wedges and 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt. Stir and cook the radishes until they become soft in the center and tender on the outside.^{[9]
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- You can substitute your favorite cooking oil for the butter.
- Insert a fork or knife into the center of a radish to see if it's finished cooking. The fork or knife should easily slide out.
4
Cover and keep the radishes warm. Transfer the sautéed radishes to a large platter and cover them loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. This will keep them warm while you make the browned butter.^{[10]
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5
Sauté minced garlic in butter for 30 seconds. Peel 1 clove of garlic and mince it while you melt the last 1 tablespoon (14 g) of butter in the skillet. Turn the heat to medium and add the minced garlic to the melted butter. Stir and sauté the garlic until it's fragrant. This should only take 30 seconds or the garlic may start to burn.^{[11]
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- 1 clove of minced garlic generally equals 1/2 teaspoon.
6
Stir in and sauté the radish greens for 1 minute. Add the coarsely chopped radish greens and cook them over medium-heat until they wilt. This should take 1 minute.^{[12]
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7
Stir the sautéed radishes into the greens and garnish with chives. Remove the aluminum foil from the radish wedges and add them to the skillet. Stir them until they're combined with the greens. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons (9 g) of chopped fresh chives over the top and serve the dish immediately.^{[13]
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- Store leftover sautéed radishes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. You can eat the radishes cold or microwave them until they're as warm as you want. If you prefer, heat the radishes in a skillet on the stove for several minutes.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Creamy Radish Soup

1
Rinse and slice the radishes. Get out 2 bunches of radishes and rinse them to remove any dirt or grit. Set the radishes on a cutting board and trim off the greens. Set the greens aside to use as a garnish for the soup. Use a sharp knife to slice the trimmed radishes into 1/4-inch (1-cm) thick slices. You'll need 2 cups (230 g) of sliced radishes.^{[14]
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- Use your favorite radishes such as red, pink, purple, or daikon.
2
Sauté some of the radishes with the onion for 5 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil into a large saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. Stir in 1 3/4 cups (200 g) of the sliced radishes and ½ cup (75 g) chopped onion. Stir and sauté the vegetables until the radishes become translucent and the onions soften.^{[15]
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- If you don't have extra-virgin olive, oil, you can use canola, vegetable, or coconut oil.
3
Chop 1 potato and add it to the saucepan with milk, salt, and pepper. Peel 1 medium Yukon Gold potato. Cut the potato into cubes that are 1-inch (2.5-cm) wide and add them to the saucepan. Stir in 2 cups (475 ml) of low-fat milk, ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt, and ½ teaspoon (1 g) of ground pepper.^{[16]
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4
Heat the soup and simmer it for 5 minutes. Keep the soup at medium-high heat until it starts to boil. Stir the soup and turn the burner to medium so it bubbles gently. Cover the saucepan and simmer the soup until the potato is completely soft.^{[17]
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- Stir the soup occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5
Blend the soup. Put an immersion blender into the soup and turn it on to blend the soup until it's completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully pour some of the hot soup into a blender. Cover the blender and pulse it until the soup is smooth. Return the blended soup to the saucepan.^{[18]
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- If you're using a blender, pulse the soup in batches to avoid overfilling the blender.
6
Cut the rest of the radishes into matchsticks. Place the remaining 1/4 cup (30 g) of sliced radishes on a cutting board. Cut the radishes into long thin strips the size of matchsticks.^{[19]
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7
Garnish the soup and serve it. Pour the soup into 4 serving bowls and sprinkle a little of the radish matchsticks on top. Dollop 1 tablespoon (12 g) of reduced-fat sour cream on top of each bowl of soup. Roughly chop the reserved radish greens and sprinkle them over the soup.^{[20]
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- Store the leftover soup in an airtight container. Refrigerate and use the soup within 3 days. Warm the soup for 1 to 2 minutes in the microwave or heat it on the stove for about 5 minutes.

Community Q&A

Question

What does cooked radish taste like?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Cooked radishes taste a lot milder and less spicy than raw radishes. They tend to be sweeter, with a taste that’s more similar to turnips.
Question

Are radishes better cooked or raw?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

It’s mostly a matter of personal opinion. Raw radishes are much spicier, and they also have a nice crunch. If you prefer a sweeter, milder flavor, you might prefer them cooked.
Question

Do you peel radishes before cooking?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You don’t have to peel them, but it’s definitely a good idea to trim and wash them first. Trim off the roots and stems, and rinse them under cool water to remove dirt and residues.