While ramps might steal the spotlight each spring, radishes deserve some attention, too. The versatile root vegetable adds crunch to salads, soaks in flavor from a marinade when roasted, and the green tops can even be pureed into a fresh and zesty pesto.
From Emeril Lagasse’s sautéed radishes with orange butter to Gail Simmons’ 15-minute pickled radishes, there's no shortage of inventive ways to put this bright but often unsung vegetable to good use.
We asked 11 chefs across the country about their favorite way to use radishes, and here’s what they had to say:
Haile Thomas, vegan chef and motivational speaker
“Pickling radishes are a go to move for me! When pickled, I find its peppery flavor really stands out. And the crunch is spectacular. I love adding pickled radishes to Asian Buddha Bowls and salads with either tahini or almond/peanut dressings.”
Dale Talde, Chef/Owner, Talde, Massoni, Rice & Gold
“I love radish kimchi - crunchy, funky, and super satisfying.”
Sarah Grueneberg, Chef/Owner, Monteverde
“We have one dish that has been on the menu since before we even opened called Prosciutto Butter Toast. We make butter with prosciutto and spread it on a seeded rye toast and then top with radishes and lemon marmellata. While we serve this year-round, it’s even brighter in the spring with fresh radishes. I also like to shave them into any salad or dip them whole in our prosciutto butter.”
Kenny Gilbert, Chef/Owner, Gilbert’s Southern Kitchen & Bar, Gilbert’s Hot Chicken, Fish & Shrimp, Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen, and Gilbert’s Social
“I love to use them shaved raw to accent many dishes. I love them butter poached and served with oysters as well.”
Joanne Chang, Chef/Owner, Flour Bakery + Cafe
“I'm not a big raw radish fan but I adore them sautéed in a wok. They get caramelized and sweet and the slightly pepper bite of the radish adds a little bitterness that goes well with the char of a wok.”
Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Executive Chef, SoBou
“I love nothing more than to thinly shave any kind of radishes, especially watermelon ones, over a salad of pickled red grapes and poached pears with grilled Louisiana White Shrimp.”
Diane Yang, Pastry Chef, Spoon and Stable and Bellecour
“Dip them in BUTTER!”
Katie Button, Executive Chef/Owner, Cúrate and Nightbell
“The best thing about early spring are the radishes with the bright green tops that you can get. I cut them in half, leave the green tops attached, toss them in a little olive oil and salt and grill them. They are delicious. The green leaves get crispy as they grill and char and the radish gets just tender but still has a bite to it. Serve with a whipped butter or fresh ricotta covered with chopped fresh herbs like dill and tarragon and a little lemon zest, yum!”
Junghyun 'JP' Park, Chef/Owner, Atoboy and Atomix
“Eat it raw or make a white kimchi with it.”
Cynthia Wong, Executive Pastry Chef, Butcher & Bee
“Radishes and feta are a classic combo. I love pairing a tiny, acidic salad of the greens and shaved radishes with my feta-lemon puff pastry tartlet.”
Gavin Kaysen, Chef/Owner, Spoon and Stable and Bellecour
“Raw, sliced, and dressed with olive oil and salt draped over the Bison Tartar at Spoon and Stable.”
This article was written by Nina Friend from Food & Wine and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.
