When you buy organic radishes or harvest them directly from your vegetable garden, don't make the mistake of throwing away the leaves! It would be a waste because young radish leaves are edible and contain many beneficial nutrients for health. For those wondering how to cook them, here's an easy recipe for radish leaf soup.
Ingredients
Here are the necessary ingredients to prepare radish green soup for 4 people:
1 large bunch of radishes
2 medium potatoes
1 small onion
15g of butter
1 pinch of coarse salt
Preparing vegetables.
To cook this radish leaf soup, start by preparing the vegetables. Even though they are edible, it is important to sort and clean the radish leaves well.
1- Peel and wash the potatoes, then cut them into cubes.
2- Retrieve the radish leaves. Remove any damaged or yellowed leaves as well as the thickest and toughest stems.
3- Thoroughly wash these leaves before slicing them into strips with a sharp knife.
4- Peel the onion and chop it with a knife or food processor. Reserve the chopped onion for later in the recipe.
Cooking vegetables
To give more flavor to your radish green soup, I recommend sautéing all the vegetables in a knob of butter.
1- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2- When the butter foams, add the chopped onion and sauté without coloring.
3- Add the diced potatoes, radish leaf strips, and a pinch of coarse salt.
4- The greens will quickly melt in the butter just like young spinach shoots.
Cooking the velouté.
1- After about 5 minutes, when the vegetables are well sautéed, add water until it covers them.
2- Cover the pot and cook the radish green soup for 20 to 25 minutes.
3- Your soup is cooked when the potato cubes are tender.
Finishes
1- Blend the radish green soup using an immersion blender or in a blender.
2- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
3- Serve the soup hot.
Note: If you find the texture too thick, you can add a little light or plant-based cream.
Benefits of radish leaves.
Radish and turnip greens are nutrient-rich. They provide minerals such as calcium, iron, and copper, and are a source of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K.
Their leaves are easy to incorporate into soup recipes or in a quiche instead of spinach.
You can also use them raw in cooking as a condiment. They are usually consumed chopped. You can enjoy their benefits by sprinkling them in a salad like parsley or incorporating them into herb butter or pesto with garlic and good olive oil.