Roasted Radishes…Seriously Delicious (And Easy)…Who Knew?

The radish…an edible root vegetable that while I enjoy eating, I’ve always considered more of just a garnish or something to add to a green salad for color and crunch. I’ve never even thought about the nutritional benefits of the simple, and usually very cheap, radish. Nor had I ever even thought of eating them in any way other than sliced up in its raw form.

A FEW RADISH FACTS:

• Radishes are low in calories, 1 calorie per medium radish.

• Radishes are good sources of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, and Potassium.

• Radishes are low in Cholesterol and Fat.

I started researching radishes because I need to incorporate more vegetables in my diet on a daily basis and I tend to get bored with the “same old veggies” week after week. I knew that radishes were a root vegetable somewhere in the back of my brain but like I said earlier, I never thought of eating them in any other way than raw. Once the “root vegetable” clicked, I wondered if they could be roasted in the same way that I roast carrots, beets, turnips and more.

ROASTING VEGGIES…

I particularly like to roast vegetables in the fall and winter when it feels good to have a hot oven going. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in vegetables and intensifies their natural flavors. With roasting, you get vegetables that have a delicious caramelization and a nice browning. And since you don’t need to add much oil, roasted vegetables are good for your waistline.

Roasted vegetables can take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes, to up to 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how they are cut and what you’re roasting. The smaller the vegetable is cut up, the shorter time it will take to roast. I typically roast my vegetables at 450 degrees but on occasion I’ll set the temperature at 400 instead, again depending on what vegetables I’m using and how I’ve prepped them. I add about a teaspoon of oil per cup of vegetables and add a generous pinch of Kosher salt and black pepper. Occasionally I’ll add just a bit of melted butter too. Once seasoned, place in a single layer on a foil-lined baking dish and roast. Seriously, it doesn’t get any easier than this for delicious vegetables that are also prepared in a healthy way. Once you get the hang of roasting, experiment with different seasonings like rosemary, basil, or parsley. You can also squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice over the finished vegetables.

I experimented with roasting up some radishes when we had family over for the Super Bowl and let me tell you, within 5 minutes of me pulling them out of the oven, they were all gone! This would make a healthy, inexpensive, and very easy side dish to make. Or do what we did, and just pop in your mouth as an appetizer or snack. And if a serving of “just radishes” doesn’t sound that great, you could add some carrot slices or onions to the radishes and roast.

** 1 bunch of beets = 12 radishes (approximately) = 1 cup sliced

ROASTED RADISHES –

Depending on how many servings you want and how you’re serving them once roasted, will determine how much you’re cooking. A good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of olive oil per cup of radishes.

Wash radishes and trim ends. You can either slice each radish in half or quarter them. I’ve made these twice now and when I quartered them, they cooked much quicker than when halved.

Mix radishes with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place on foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, depending on size of radishes. (Poke a fork through them after 15 to 20 minutes to test for doneness. You want them to be tender but not over-cooked.) If they look like they are becoming too dry, you can add a little more olive oil. I usually stir halfway through cooking.

Radishes are so inexpensive that even if you try this recipe and don’t like it, well, you’re only going to be out a buck or so. But unless you just hate the flavor of radishes, I think you’ll enjoy this. And even if you don’t like radishes, you should try these because they do taste sweeter when roasted versus when in their raw form.

Besides the health benefits I mentioned earlier, here’s a few more ways they are healthy for you…

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-radish.html