Garlic Roasted Radishes

Fresh radishes in shades of pinks, reds, whites, and purples are a beautiful and welcoming sign of spring. This recipe for Garlic Roasted Radishes is one of our favorite ways to serve this often forgotten vegetable, and we’re quite sure it will soon become one of your favorite radish recipes, too! Roasting brings out the sweetness that is otherwise masked by the peppery kick that radishes are known for.

This post was originally published on June 25, 2016; Updated on April 22, 2021.

What to do with radishes

You may have purchased a bunch of radishes from the farmer’s market because they are just so darn beautiful. Or you may have received a CSA box bursting full of the bright pink and red orbs. Or you may be in the mood for something new.

But what do you do with radishes? Sure you could serve raw radishes as part of a veggie tray. Or you could slice them thin to top tacos or nachos. Or you could par-boil them and serve with butter, a technique popular in France.

But we vote that you try this roasted radishes recipe. If you haven’t tried roasting radishes, you’ve been missing out. Even if you don’t think you (or someone in your household) likes radishes, we encourage you to give roasted radishes a try because we know you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Roasting is a technique that mellows the peppery flavor of radishes and brings out their natural sweetness. Then, our garlic-infused butter (or ghee) adds a nice layer of flavor. If you like roasted potatoes, you’ll probably like this recipe. The end-product is somewhat similar in texture, but far lower in starchy carbohydrates.

Ingredients to make Roasted Radishes

You’ll only need a few ingredients to make this roasted radishes recipe, and you can easily substitute some of the ingredients.

• 1 pound fresh globe radishes – these are the most available type of radishes
  
  
• Butter – or you can use ghee, or substitute coconut oil or avocado oil to make this a vegan recipe
• Sea salt – any salt will do, but we like flaky sea salt for this recipe
  
  
• Ground black pepper
• Garlic cloves – or substitute 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder for the 3 garlic cloves
• Dried parsley – or use dried chives or dried dill

To make these cooked radishes, simply toss the fresh trimmed radishes with the melted butter, season with salt and pepper and spread in a baking dish to roast until nice and golden brown. Add the garlic and dried parsley near the end, and roast for 5 minutes more.

How to cook radishes

Radishes can be eaten raw or cooked. Applying heat to radishes helps calm the mild (or sometimes strong) spicy or peppery flavors in them. To cook radishes, you can bake or roast them in the oven, or saute or pan-roast them on the stovetop. You could also boil or steam radishes, though those techniques could result in too-soft radishes and nutrient losses. We tried several ways, and our favorite method for cooking radishes is also the easiest: roasting radishes in a hot oven.

How radishes fit into your diet

Radishes deserve the spotlight, and that’s why we wanted to share with you this delicious and unique way to enjoy them. We think radishes are an unsung hero of meals everywhere and worthy of far more praise. Not only do radishes come in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors, but the are a healthful food that fits nicely into so many eating styles. Radishes are a non-starchy root vegetable that easily adds flavor and options to low-carbohydrate, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, or Whole30 diets. Radishes are naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free.

5 reasons to love radishes

• Radishes are a root vegetable that come in several different colors, and are a cousin to cabbage
• This bright spring veg is a very good source of disease-fighting and immunity-boosting vitamin C
• Radishes contains natural antibacterial and antifungal properties
• They contains a unique phytochemical called indoles which promotes detoxification, helping your body rid itself of harmful substances
• Radishes are full of powerful antioxidant flavonoids that fight havoc-causing free radicals and aid in healthy liver and kidney function

How to serve Roasted Radishes

Garlic Roasted Radishes are a delicious low-carb side dish to enjoy throughout the spring and summer. We love to serve them alongside grilled meats and chicken. For an extra treat, we love to drizzle these radishes with our dairy-free ranch dressing.

Another favorite way to enjoy these Garlic Roasted Radishes is by adding them to a salad along with sliced chicken, avocado, sliced almonds, and green onions, then toss it all with our citrus vinaigrette. Is your mouth watering yet?

Other delicious veggie side dishes to try

• Baked Carrot Fries with Dijon-Thyme Aioli
• Sauteed Asparagus with Goat Cheese Sauce
• Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes
• Garlic Roasted Root Vegetable Fries
• Warm Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Salad
• Instant Pot Artichokes

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All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.