This roasted radish salad turns bundles of beautiful red radishes into an absolutely stunning spring salad. Once roasted, the radishes become slightly sweet, with a soft, tender bite. Toss them with roasted pearl onions, toasted pine nuts, feta, parsley, and a tangy Dijon vinaigrette for a palate-pleasing and eye-pleasing salad!
I’ve honestly never experimented much with radishes. I typically enjoy them raw, like in this cucumber radish salad or by adding fresh thin slices to tacos. But since I had leftover radishes from making my salmon salad, I thought, why not try roasting them like I do with all other veggies?
Lo and behold – they turned out so juicy and sweet! It’s a side (or in this case a salad) of radishes I’ve never experienced before, and one I’ll come back to again and again with how delicious it turned out. So next time you’re at the farmer’s market and you see stacks of fresh radishes, grab a few bunches – because this is how you make them shine!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Can we just take a moment to admire how truly beautiful this radish salad is? A vibrant red base is topped with pops of white from the pearl onions and feta, earthy specks of beige from the pine nuts, and dots of green from the freshly chopped parsley. So simple yet so good looking – that’s the beauty of salad layering! Here’s everything you’ll need, plus a few notes on each.
- Radishes: When shopping for radishes, make sure they’re firm when you give each bulb a light squeeze. Also, try to grab bunches with the radishes about the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Pearl Onions: You can buy fresh or frozen ones. I used fresh in this recipe, and walk you through blanching and peeling them before roasting. But for a time savings, you can use frozen pearl onions as well!
- Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper: The basic seasoning mix to roast the radishes and pearl onions.
- Feta Cheese: I’m always a fan of using a fresh block of feta cheese and crumbling it on my own. But, you can always buy the pre-crumbled versions.
- Pine Nuts: Lightly toasted pine nuts always adds such a delicious flavor and crunch to a salad.
- Parsley: I’m using flat leaf parsley for this salad, but curly parsley works as well.
- Dijon Vinaigrette: My homemade Dijon vinaigrette is so easy to whip up and stores well. So feel free to make this a day in advance if you’d like.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Make This Roasted Radish Salad
Roasting vegetables really transforms them into something spectacular. And it’s as easy as tossing them in oil, salt, and pepper (with additional spices for more flavor), then letting the oven do its thing. But before we get to the radishes, the fresh pearl onions need a little prep work. Let’s get started.
Boil the pearl onions. Place the onions in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then drain. This softens them, so you can easily slice off the tops and peel.
Roast the radishes and onions. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Trim the tops and tails from the radishes, then slice into halves or quarters. Spread the radishes and the onions out on a large baking dish, and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring a few times, until both ingredients are softened and slightly golden on top.
Toast the pine nuts. While the radishes are roasting, add the pine nuts to a small skillet over medium-low heat and lightly toast. Set this aside.
Toss everything together. Let the radishes and onions cool for a few minutes. Then add the pine nuts, parsley and Dijon vinaigrette, and toss to combine.
Before serving, top with feta cheese. Transfer the mixture into a large serving bowl, top with feta cheese, and serve. You can serve this immediately while it’s warm, or at room temperature.
Easy Ingredient Swaps
Like with most salads, ingredients are easily swappable! So if you’re not able to find certain things or simply want to use a different ingredient, here’s some options.
- Can’t find pearl onions? You can slice a sweet yellow onion into wedges for roasting instead.
- Don’t want to use pine nuts? Sub it for chopped cashews for an equally delicious nutty touch.
- Not a fan of feta cheese? Grab you favorite goat cheese instead and crumble that onto the salad.
Storage Tips For This Radish Salad
- To store: Store this salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Just note that the radishes will get softer over time, especially when reheated.
- To freeze: If you plan to freeze a portion of this, freeze the radishes and onions on their own without the additional toppings and dressing. You can freeze these for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container or bag.
Keep The Spring Salads Comin’…
With an abundance of fresh produce at the market, there’s really no shortage to what you can make. Here’s some of my favorite spring and summer salads!
If you’re new to radishes, I say give this radish salad a try and let me know what you think in a comment below! It might surprise you.
Roasted Radish Salad
This roasted radish salad with pearl onions, toasted pine nuts, feta, parsley, and a Dijon vinaigrette is the perfect spring salad!
Calories: 250kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 604mg, Potassium: 566mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 422IU, Vitamin C: 34mg, Calcium: 168mg, Iron: 2mg
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Stories
The Impact of Dietary Preferences on Drink Recipes
How to Pair Drinks with Meals Effectively
The Iced Tea, Ideal Drink for Summer