What to Make with Radish Microgreens — Seven Ideas

Radish microgreens taste like the root, only hotter, with a crisp stem and a pink-to-magenta colour that shows on a plate. That heat is the thing to work with. Treat them as a seasoning rather than a salad green: a small handful finishes a dish, a large one takes it over.

The one rule — keep them off the heat

Unlike sunflower or water spinach shoots, radish does not suit the wok. Heat wilts the fine leaves almost at once and dulls both the bite and the colour. Add radish microgreens at the end, after the pan comes off the heat, or use them raw.

Seven ways to use them

• Fried-egg rice bowl — rice, a crisp-edged fried egg, a drizzle of Maggi or soy, and a handful of radish shoots on top. The egg yolk softens the heat.
• Thai-style yum — scatter over a yum woon sen or a fried-egg yum just before serving, so the shoots stay crisp in the dressing.
• Sushi and hand rolls — tuck into rolls in place of, or alongside, daikon. They give the same peppery note with more colour.
• Tacos and rice bowls — a peppery finish for anything rich, grilled or fried.
• Avocado toast — the fat of the avocado and the heat of the radish balance each other. Add lime and salt.
• Noodle soup and ramen — float a pinch on top as you serve. Do not let it sit in the broth.
• Egg sandwiches and crackers — with egg mayonnaise or soft cheese, where a little sharpness lifts something mild.

What goes well with radish

Fat and egg calm the heat: avocado, egg yolk, mayonnaise, soft cheese, coconut cream. Acid sharpens it: lime, rice vinegar. Sweetness balances it: a little palm sugar in a dressing, ripe mango. If you want the same dish with less heat, mix radish with milder shoots such as sunflower — our flavour guide covers the pairings.

Storing radish microgreens

Keep them in the fridge, dry, unwashed, in the container they came in, and eat them within a few days — the fine leaves wilt faster than thick sunflower stems. Our guide to storing microgreens has the details.

Our radish microgreens are cut to order. If you would rather grow your own, they are the easiest tray to start with: see how to grow radish microgreens.