This roasted radish side dish is savory, salty, sweet, buttery, crunchy and melt-in-your-mouth all at once. Coated with an anchovy herb butter, the radishes are uber savory which is why the entire dish gets finished with a drizzle of honey.
Table of contents
Why I Love This Recipe
I’ve found the key to making really good roasted radishes is to seek out small radishes and roast them whole. When roasted, cut radishes will lose most of their crunch and fail to retain any kind of toothsome texture.
When radishes are whole roasted, the exterior will soften while the interior still retains a snappy crunch, allowing the best quality of a raw radish to still shine.
Additionally, the bitter “bite” of radishes softens slightly but is still present enough to balance the salty anchovy, savory butter and fresh lemon and chive.
Grocery List for This Roasted Radishes Recipe
Produce
- 1 lb. small radishes with greens: some of the greens are used to flavor the herb butter. The remaining greens can be saved and used in salads, soups and egg dishes.
- 1 small bunch chives
- 1 lemon
Dairy
- Unsalted butter
Pantry
- Anchovies packed in oil: I recommend buying them in the jar so you can easily store them in the fridge.
- Kosher salt and flaky sea salt
- Black pepper
- Whole wheat bread: I use sandwich bread here because it’s what you likely already have on hand or frequently buy. For a more elevated dish, grab a loaf of whole wheat or sourdough from your local bakery and use that instead.
- Honey
How to Make These Roasted Radishes
- While the oven preheats, wash and dry the radishes well. The greens tend to be sandy, so make sure you wash them well!
- Make the herb butter in a mini food processor (or blender). A regular food processor will likely be too large and won’t be able to blend the butter mixture adequately. Reserve a bit of the butter mixture for the bread.
- Toss the radishes with the remaining anchovy butter then transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The butter clumps—so you’ll need to get your hands dirty! Arrange the radishes in an even layer then take any large chunks of butter and dollop the butter over the radishes.
- Roast the radishes until they start to soften and brown.
- Spread the reserved anchovy butter over the bread then make room on the baking sheet and add the bread. Continue to roast until the radishes are browned and the bread is evenbly toasted and crunchy.
- Dice the toasted bread into cubes them transfer the bread and radishes to a serving platter. Drizzle with honey and finish with flaky salt, black pepper and chives.
- Serve immediately—this dish is not as good served at room temperature or reheated.
FAQs & Test Kitchen Tips
Anchovies will be sold with all the other tinned fish products—canned tuna, canned salmon, sardines, etc. Look for anchovies packed in oil and in a glass jar. I find it’s just easier because you can store the jar of remaining anchovies in the fridge.
No worries, I would substitute with ¼ cup fresh parsley.
Roasted radishes have an earthy, sweet-bitter flavor.
More Vegetable Recipes to Love…
- Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Frico
- Mashed Root Vegetables
- Comfort Food Cauliflower Au Gratin
- Edamame Hummus with radishes
Roasted Radishes with Anchovy Herb Butter
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 cups (serves 4 as a side) 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Roasting
Description
A simple and savory recipe for roasted radishes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound small radishes with greens
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 anchovies packed in oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives + more for serving
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 slices whole-wheat sandwich or bakery bread
- Honey
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF with rack set in middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse and dry radishes well. Trim and reserve greens. Halve any large radishes, small ones should stay intact.
- In a mini food processor, combine butter, anchovies, ¼ cup packed reserved radish greens, chives, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Process until combined and mostly smooth, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Measure out 1 tablespoon butter mixture and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss radishes with remaining butter mixture.
- Transfer buttered radishes to prepared baking sheet and arrange in an even layer. The butter mixture will clump, so divide it as needed by topping each radish with a dollop.
- Roast until tender and browned, 10–14 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spread reserved butter on one side of both slices of bread. Shimmy radishes around to make room on baking sheet, then add bread, buttered side up, to sheet and continue to roast until bread is golden brown and crunchy, 12–15 minutes.
- Cut toast into cubes then transfer toast cubes and radishes to a serving platter. Drizzle a healthy amount of honey over top then sprinkle with flaky sea salt, black pepper and additional chives. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Small radishes work best here for the cook time and temp. However, if you have large radishes, halve them and roast them cut-side down. Due to being sliced, they will soften faster (lose moisture) so keep an eye on the radishes, you may need to add the bread sooner (around the 10 minute mark).
- It’s essential that you finish the dish with honey, flaky sea salt and pepper. The honey balances all of the savory flavors and brightens the whole dish.
- Gluten-free: use gluten-free bread.
Keywords: roasted radishes, Roasted radishes recipe
