Radish leaves are edible! I was surprised when I first learned this because the leaves are fuzzy; they didn’t seem like anything I would want to add to my salad! Even knowing that they are edible has not convinced me to add them to my salad, but I do cook with them. They work really well when sautéed with greens in a little olive oil with onion and garlic. Radish leaves also make a lovely addition to soup.
Radish leaves only last in the refrigerator for a day or two. When I bring radishes in from the garden or home from the store, I immediately cut off the leaves, rinse, and dry them. If I can’t use the leaves immediately, I put them in a bowl with a cloth on the bottom to absorb any moisture. Then I make plans to use them as soon as possible.
I love radish leaf soup. It is naturally low in calories and fat, but it is still very filling. And well, I also like the frugal oddity of it! This recipe makes enough to serve 8, but it can easily be halved if you are cooking for a smaller crowd.
Radish Leaf Soup
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- 8 cups loosely packed radish leaves
- 4 cups chopped potatoes*
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook potatoes in water until they are tender. Rinse, drain, and return them to the pot.
- While the potatoes are cooking, pour olive oil in a skillet. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Cook until the onions are slightly brown. Stir in radish leaves, lower heat and cook until the leaves are wilted.
- Add the radish top mixture, broth, and marjoram to the potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes over high heat to blend the flavors.
- Ladle 2 cups at a time into a blender and puree until smooth. If the soup seems too cool after pureeing, return to the pot and heat until it reaches a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
What odd things do you use up in soup? Feel free to leave a link to your favorite soup recipe, even if it contains “normal” ingredients.
Would you like to save this article?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
KVC says
I divided all ingredients in half. Added spinach to radish greens for a little more nutritional boost. Stirred in approx 1/4 c coconut milk, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper & 1 tsp pink salt. My family LOVES it! Thank youuu!
becka says
We had radish soup while visiting in the home of a French lady. It was delicious! French women are very frugal and use up all kinds of vegetable scraps and wilted vegetables to make pureed soups. We don't grow radishes, so it's not a soup I make here at home, but it has made me think about making soup out of other vegetables that are a bit past their prime.
girlichef says
How fantastic! I'd never thought of blending them into a soup…it sounds delicious and oh-so-healthy =) Thanks for sharing it w/ the hearth'nsoul hop this week!
Alea says
Thanks Alex, I am honored to be included in your Bloghop Highlights!
a moderate life says
Alea! I LOVE radish greens! I am always so happy when i go to the market and there are fresh bunches of red radishes with the lovely green healthy tops! That's such a treat and so healthy! I love this simple recipe and will be sharing it as a feature on the Hearth n Soul blog hop recipe highlights this friday, so stop by and say hi! Thanks for linking! Alex@amoderatelife
alicia says
Who knew? Really?? Can't wait to try this one. Thanks for linkin up to tasty tuesdays.
Nicole Feliciano says
Wonderful. I've never heard of this before and I too have suffered from wilty radishes. Nice to know they aren't just for salads.
Sheila says
That looks really good!! Who knew you could eat radish leaves? Thanks for sharing–I love learning new things. Take care.
DORCAS says
So it taste like onion and potatoes? UH! Then I will have to give it a try. I don't like the flavor of radishes but if it doesn't taste like it, this is a must! It looks delicious!!
Thank you for sharing!
~Dorcas
http://4sweetangels.blogspot.com/
Christy says
What a nourishing soup – I am allergic to radishes, I wonder if I could eat the leaves?? Hmm. Thanks for sharing this with Hearth'nSoul!
Butterpoweredbike says
What a gorgeous soup, Alea. Thank you for linking up with Hearth and Soul this week. I just discovered eating radish leaves last spring. I just couldn't stand throwing away anything that I had worked so hard to grow. But I really grew to love eating radish leaves, particularly the crisp stems.
Alea says
@Shana – No ma'am, it tastes like an oniony, vegetabley, potato soup.
Shana says
I don't like radishes. Does this tastes like radishes?
Alea says
Making broth from scratch is such a wonderful use of items that would otherwise be discarded!
Living on Less Money says
Hmmm.. radish leaves huh? I bet it tastes better than the roasted radishes I tried this summer. They were too hot. I had an overabundance from my garden.
I save carrot peels, onion ends, celery leaves and use them to make a wonderful chicken broth.