Can you eat radish greens? You keep wondering every time you harvest your radishes, and because you are not sure you end up throwing the greens away, it must feel bad to tend your garden so well only to eat half the produce and throw away the rest. If you are the kind of person who harvests radishes and does away with the greens, I would like to inform you that radish greens are 100% edible, and you can cook and eat them. So you don't feel as if you have wasted a part of the harvest.
Did I forget to mention that you can even harvest a few radish greens and use them before you harvest the radish? Then, all you need to do is leave some greens on the radish, so it keeps growing.
What are the Benefits of Eating Radish Greens?
Radish greens have an acquired peppery earthen taste that you may not find the best, but that does not mean that you cannot eat them. These vegetables are loaded with nutrients, so you will be adding important nutrients to your diet when you eat them. The radish greens contain some nutrients at a higher concentration than the radish itself.
The nutrients found in these radish tops include;
- Vitamin C, which is up to six times more per serving than in the radishes
- High concentrations of Vitamin B6
- Magnesium
- Vitamin A
- Phosphorus
- Iron
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Folic acid
- Unique antioxidants like sulforaphane indoles
Eating radish leaves will benefit you in the following ways.
(i). Boost Immunity
With the high levels of vitamin C from these leafy greens, you can be sure that eating them will boost your immunity and keep your body safe from infections.
(ii). Skin Care
Who doesn't love a young and clear skin? Radish leaves are an excellent source of antioxidants, which means they fight against oxidative stress and chronic diseases. When you have enough antioxidants in your diet, your skin will keep looking young. The antioxidants will also reduce skin blemishes and scars and also soothe inflammatory conditions.
(iii). Lower Cholesterol
High amounts of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium found in radish leaves can strengthen the heart by improving circulation, lowering blood pressure, and repairing damaged blood vessels. In addition, low cholesterol levels minimize your risk of getting a stroke, heart attack, and atherosclerosis.
(iv). Aid in Digestion
Dietary fiber is a crucial part of a diet as it eliminates the symptoms of constipation and stimulates peristaltic motion. These radish greens are packed with large quantities of dietary fiber to help keep your bowels regular.
(v). Improve Liver Health
Radish greens detoxify the body by stimulating urination and improving liver function. In addition, they help the body filter toxins from the blood, and the process relieves unnecessary stress on the immune system.
(vi). Promotes Weight Loss
These vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber, and packed with nutrients, which means that you will feel full if you make a salad with them. When this happens, you will not want to snack between meals or overeat. So you will get your caloric intake of the day and still not overdo it.
(vii). Regulate Blood Sugar
A high-fiber diet is a great choice if you want to keep your blood sugar levels in check; this is because fiber regulates insulin and glucose release in the body. This is important, especially for diabetic patients. For example, eating radish greens will regulate your blood sugar levels as they are fiber-rich.
How Can You Eat Radish Greens?
Now that you know how nutritious radish greens are, I know you would like to try them. In that case, I would like to take you through a few different ways to eat them.
1. Salads
The most obvious way to eat radish greens is raw in a salad. It is also the easiest way. Fresh radish greens have a great taste when mixed with other salad greens. They are best for salads when they are still young as at this time they are very soft and tender.
2. Sautéed Radish Greens
When the greens are older, maybe 30 days or more, it is better to cook them as they are not as tender, and the bitterness is also higher. So by cooking them, you will be making the radish greens softer. To make it more delicious, you can add complementary flavors of parmesan cheese with lemon juice, and you will enjoy your meal.
3. Radish Greens Pesto
Making pesto with these greens is another way to put them to use. This process is extremely easy; instead of using basil leaves alone, add half radish greens. This substitution will add a new flavor to your pesto to make it more interesting.
The procedure is given below;
- Add half a cup of pine nuts, pepper, salt, and garlic clove to a food processor
- Give the mixture a few pulses
- Add two tablespoons of lemon juice and equal parts basil and radish greens
- Pulse until everything is well mixed
- Add a 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Pulse again until there are no more dry ingredients left
Be generous with the olive oil to achieve better results.
There you have your pesto with an added flavor.
You can also use your radish leaves to;
(i). Garnish a plate or top of a dish with freshly sprouted radish leaves
(ii). When roasting radishes or other vegetables in the oven, add the greens for the last 5-10 minutes till they crisp up.
(iii). Can be stir-fried like any other leafy green vegetable.
(iv). Pickle them for delicious pickled vegetables.
Radish greens are very edible and highly nutritious. Therefore, next time you uproot your radishes and get a bunch of radish tops, do not throw them away. Instead, you can use them to make any dish you want as there are numerous dishes you can make with these greens to make a delicious meal. Remember to cook them if they are mature; however, if they are still young and tender, you can use them to make a delicious and nutritious vegetable salad.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and have learned something about radish leaves.
