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Healthy Eating Recipes Summer Vegan

Radish and Apple Salad

Around a week ago a friend from work asked if I’d like a bunch of his surplus radishes. As you will understand, it would have been impossible for someone as frugal as I to refuse such a generous offer, so I candidly accepted, despite not being the most avid fan of radishes. Upon opening the bag left for me in the fridge, I found myself rather impressed by the colour of the brassicas you see before you, having only previously used the shop-bought, perfectly spherical, uniformly red variety. The taste of the vegetables was also far better than I had expected and would clearly be well-matched with something sweet; hence the apple.

Naturally, the body of this salad would be rather light, so as not to disguise the texture, nor the delicate flavour of the radishes. As such, a mixture of salad leaves seemed the best option for which to plump. Indeed, many of the leaves also complimented the flavour of the radish rather well. For instance, the peppery rocket and fiery watercress, of which there was a little, has a similar effect on the tongue as the radish, which allowed it to play an effective back-up role. A good back-up it provided too, for as you know, it’s best never to mess with rocket.

If you’d rather try something a little more unusual, give my recipe for Roasted Radish and Spring Onion Salad a try…

Radish and Apple Salad

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• A small bunch of radishes, thinly sliced

• 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced

• A handful of rocket

• A handful of baby spinach

• A handful of watercress

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

• A pinch of salt

• A twist of black pepper

• A little parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Method:

1. This should be reasonably self-explanatory. Make sure all of your ingredients have been thoroughly washed before constructing it. Basically, chuck all of the fresh ingredients into a bowl. Mix together the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper until it has emulsified. Drizzle the vinaigrette over and give it a mix up. Grate the cheese on top, if you wish and serve with a little crusty bread.

Cost: Based on the assumption that not many of you receive free bags of radishes on a daily, or weekly, basis, the entire salad should set one back no more than around £1.70. That’s not bad for a nice, fresh, leafy salad. Indeed, radishes are in season at the moment and are, as a result, extremely cheap.

82 replies on “Radish and Apple Salad”

One of my favorite, unorthodox uses for excess radishes is to cook them in curry or stew, in place of or with potatoes or kohlrabi. They make a lighter curry than potatoes which I enjoy in the summer and cooking takes some of the zing out which increases their appeal to non-radish lovers. They do look great in this salad!

Radishes aren’t my favorite either, but this looks lovely. The dressing especially. It may just have to be my lunch tomorrow.

I’m not much into radishes (despite my gardening dad’s enthusiasm for them). Or tennis, for that matter. 🙂 But I do love a good salad. Nice mix of colors in your salad. Have you ever tried shaving your Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler to get nice thin shards for a salad? Of course, I love Parmesan any way I can get it, shaved, grated, melted…

fantastic! i have fresh radishes in my garden right now. They are actually the only thing that is growing right now for me. I will definitely have to try this since I haven’t a clue what to do with all these radishes. thanks! 🙂

This salad sounds amazing, love the apple/radish/parm combo! Radishes are also good sliced thinly on bread with butter and salt and pepper…sliced thinly on tacos and…roasted whole!

Radishes to me are like the pretty lit end of a sparkler. So vibrant and beckoning in their appearance I am eternally drawn to them and then find myself regretting it. I too am not the greatest fan of radishes but I hate being a person that ‘doesn’t eat things’ so I’m always on the look out to find recipes that will change my mind about foods I might have been previously dubious of.
I know nothing of Tennis I admit.I get nervous seeing those fresh whites waiting to be grass stained.

I love a peppery radish and the color and shape of your beets.. deep reds and purples with sharp white.. beautiful! This salad is on my “must make” list.
ps I don’t follow tennis.. oops

Good grief, it must be early alzheimers setting in.. I totally recall what I was attempting to say but it typed out all wrong.. What I was trying to convey was the purply shade of your radishes remind me of beets… but of course, well, it didn’t come out that way, did it?? Apologies.. humbly yours.. smidge

Hmmm, I’m thinking that maybe I need to only follow folks who live south me. Because I’m always seeing these delicious ideas involving ingredients that have just ended here for the year! (Oh well, at least there’s hope that radishes will reappear this Fall.)

This looks awesome and I can’t wait to try it. BTW – If you have any leftover radishes, I make a great green garden salad with them, cukes, tomatoes, etc. I’ll be happy to send you the recipe – just drop me a line.

I didn’t used to be a big fan of radishes either, but since trying two new preparations I’ve changed my mind. The first way I like them is sauteed in butter, especially when accompanied by snow peas. Secondly, on a slice of baguette with butter & sea salt. Although both involve butter, so maybe I need to try this salad for a change of pace!

Your photos are getting more and more beautiful with each post! I love radishes. I usually make a savoury Indian dish with grated radish and spices, but some things taste better raw!

Well, he´s out now….so we can focus on the real tennis! I adore radishes and I´m not quite sure why we didn´t plant any this year as they grow to quickly (space?). Gorgeous salad, lots of lovely peppery flavours.

I’m not much of a radish fan, either, but I can see how the sweetness of the apple in this salad would balance nicely with the radish’s spicy bite. And how lovely it looks in the picutres!

Heheh – I must admit, I know very little (next to nothing, in fact) about tennis. But I do know about salads, and this one looks wonderful! I’ve never been big on radishes myself, but I’m hearing so much about fresh-from-the-garden ones that I might just have to plant my own next year. Love the pairing with apple, too – great idea!

I confess that I do not typically care much for radishes, to the point of occasionally grimacing à la “Nadal close-up.” Or perhaps I do not have enough imagination when it comes to concocting a good salad that includes these vibrant roots. Or I have been served bad radishes. Your rendition à la “British flair” is changing my mind. 🙂

Just spectacular Nick! My kind of post – funny enough this is the type of post I do the least – mostly because I eat my salads as soon as I prepare them (got to be a better planner)…I love a fresh radish when they are sweet! Well done my friend!

What absolutely gorgeous photos, and one salad I’ll definitely be trying. It looks yummy!!

I obviously need to practice my food photography, I rarely get a shot as good as any of these.

I must point out though that this is neither Vegan nor Vegetarian with the addition of Parmesan cheese. Just thought I’d mention it as it’s listed in your ‘tags’ as such.

Sue xx

Thanks, it’s so nice and colourful isn’t it. You’ll get there on the photography. I’m still learning loads. I realise that parmesan is neither vegan nor vegetarian, hence it is optional :).

I have always loved radishes, the peppery sparkle was as spicy as we got in New Hampshire when I was a girl. Recently though I was turned onto roasted radishes! Wow! you have to try them, a totally different flavor and really yum! So, if you have a good bit of them try roasting a few! I bet you’ll be surprised, I was.

The salad looks wonderful! We recently harvested our radishes and discovered that the greens on top are also edible. Another blog has a recipe for radish leaf pesto that is wonderful as a spread for sandwiches. I also used it on pizza last night with grilled summer/yellow squash, fresh tomato and mozzarella cheese. http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2009/05/radish_leaf_pesto.php. As a fellow frugal feeder, I figured you would appreciate having something else to not waste any edible part of your windfall.

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