Spring is here which means radish greens are popping up in gardens. These often-overlooked greens are edible and packed with nutritional power! Add them to salads, stir-fries, and soups or sauté them in olive oil and garlic for a fresh side dish (see recipe below).
Surprisingly, radish leaves have a greater concentration of nutrients than the red root we typically eat. In fact, radish leaves have up to four-times more flavanols than the roots. They’re also high in vitamin C, calcium, and polyphenols which scavenge damaging free radicals.
The bioactive compounds in every part of the radish (sprouts, roots, and leaves) are being studied for their health protective effects against a variety of ailments including liver damage, cancer, diabetes, and chronic inflammation.
Bottom line: Eat radishes, including the radish greens!
Sauteed Radish Greens
Ingredients:
- 1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-3 cups radish greens, rinsed
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
How-To:
- Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add radish greens to the pan and sauté until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Spritz with lemon juice. Enjoy!
If you don’t have radish greens, substitute with beet greens, kale, chard, spinach, or collard greens! Serve with a protein of choice.
