• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Healthyish Appetite

Healthyish Appetite

Approachable plant-forward recipes.

Show Search
Hide Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Work with Me
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter

The Best Radish Salad

Filed Under: no cook, recipe, side dishes Written By Leanne February 28, 2022

Jump to Recipe
radish salad pin

This five ingredient radish salad will be your go-to spring side dish. Try it once and it might be the only way you eat radishes from now on! It’s fresh and bright and really highlights the slight bitterness and crunch of the vegetable.

radish salad on a plate with lemon, dill and parmesan cheese

Do you ever learn about a new cooking technique that changes your life forever? Okay that sounds dramatic but you guys… these radishes.

I tried a recipe for radishes several years ago where you sort of “massaged” them (just like kale salad!) and I don’t think I’ve prepared them any other way since. On their own, radishes can be rather bitter but if you slice them thin and use this technique, you’ll be surprised how much they mellow out. Plus lemon, cheese and dill. I mean you can’t go wrong here.

I’m a believer that most people don’t like vegetables because of how they’ve been served in the past. No gross mushy broccoli or plain steamed carrots around here. Let’s learn how to make vegetables taste GOOD.

ingredients for a radish salad

Start by grabbing these simple ingredients:

Radish Salad Ingredients

  • radishes (any variety, I love the multi-color ones)
  • lemon
  • dill
  • parmesan cheese, I recommend fresh grated
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt and black pepper

Like I mentioned above, slicing thin is best for vegetables that have a bitter flavor profile. I like to use a mandoline to get them to 1/8″ thickness, but you could also use a sharp knife (it just takes a bit longer).

side note: be extremely careful when using the mandoline. I recommend using the guard or one of those protective gloves to prevent any finger-slicing injuries.

shaving radish on a mandoline
squeezing lemon juice over a bowl of radishes
massaging radishes with lemon juice

Steps for Prepping Radishes

  1. Slice the radishes to 1/8″ thickness
  2. Add lemon juice and a big pinch of salt
  3. Massage the juice into the radishes for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened and basically translucent. Optional: drizzle in some olive oil.
  4. Add in the cheese and dill and toss to get everything really well incorporated.

Tips for Plating

Instead of serving this in a bowl, I like to scatter the radishes all over a plate in a single layer. This way you can finish with a shower of parmesan, dill and salt/pepper and every single bite is covered.

How pretty is this?

plate of radish salad with glass of water

Technically one bunch can yield 2-3 servings but if you end up eating this whole plate by yourself, I wouldn’t blame you.

Radish FAQs

Can you use the greens from the radish?

Absolutely! I don’t have a whole lot of experience with this, but you can use the green tops to make pesto or even sauté them.

How do you clean the radishes?

I trim the green tops with kitchen shears, then rinse the radishes and wipe dry with a towel to get off any remaining grit (they can be on the dirty side). Also remove any long roots before slicing.

When are radishes in season?

April is typically when radishes are in peak season, but you can typically find them in most grocery stores all year around.

closeup of radish salad on a plate

I’ve got farmer’s markets on my mind! This beautiful dish is about as simple as they come, but no flavor is sacrificed in the process.

More fresh vegetable sides:

  • Purple Cabbage Slaw
  • Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
  • Farmer’s Market Salad
Print

The Best Radish Salad

plate of radish salad
Print Recipe

This five ingredient radish salad will be your go-to spring side dish. Try it once and it might be the only way you eat radishes from now on! It’s fresh and bright and really highlights the slight bitterness and crunch of the vegetable. 

  • Author: Leanne Ray, MS, RDN
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Sides
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 bunch radishes, sliced to 1/8″
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, torn
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Add sliced radishes to a medium bowl and squeeze juice from half a lemon over the top plus a big pinch of kosher salt. Massage with your hands for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened. 
  2. Add olive oil, cheese and dill tossing well to coat. 
  3. Scatter the radishes on a small plate and top with zest from the other half of the lemon, additional cheese, dill, salt and fresh ground black pepper. 

Equipment

mandoline

Buy Now →

citrus juicer

Buy Now →

Notes

  • The equipment section above includes affiliate links to things I use often in my kitchen and recommend.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 145 calories
  • Fat: 10 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 4 grams
  • Fiber: 1 grams
  • Protein: 4 grams

Keywords: easy summer salad, vegetable side dish, 15 minutes or less, spring recipes

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @healthyish_appetite on Instagram

Want More Plant-Forward Recipes?

Join my VIP list and I'll send you five reader favorites! Healthy, flavor-packed recipes. What's not to love about that?

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

I promise I won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Welcome!

I’m Leanne and I created this space to share beautiful, wholesome, plant-forward recipes that are equal parts approachable and delicious.

Read More

Never miss a recipe.

Get new recipes straight to your inbox, every week.

Most Popular Recipes

  • Chickpea Cookie Dough Bites
  • Basic Banana Overnight Oats (+ 3 Flavor Variations)
  • 4 Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

Quick & Easy

Salads & Bowls

Sweet Treats

Footer

Never miss a post

Get new recipes straight to your inbox, every week.

  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

© healthyish appetite · PRIVACY POLICY · design by lr creative

Copyright © 2023 · Leanne Ray ·

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT