Radish Greens Salad
Radish greens are edible and they’re delicious! Save them to make this Radish Greens Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing recipe, a twist on the classic spinach salad! Especially great with tough dishes to pair a side with like Italian Stuffed Peppers or chicken pot pie.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
With food prices constantly increasing, throwing food or any edible parts of vegetables away comes at a real cost.
However, there’s great news on the radish front because radishes are edible from top to bottom! Best of all, radish greens are a nutritional powerhouse rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, vitamin A, potassium and folic acid. Here’s more information on radish greens nutrition at OrganicFacts.net.
Hot Bacon Dressing is perfect over radish greens! This salad has all the elements of the classic spinach salad but with the peppery punch of radish greens. Save the greens from my Radish Salad to make this!
Let’s make it!
How to make Radish Greens Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make a Radish Greens Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions.
- Radish Greens: After you harvest your radishes or bring them home from the farmer’s market and clean them up, separate out the small and more tender ones. These are perfect for salads! Immerse the greens in a sink of water so that any dirt or debris falls to the bottom, then spin-dry in a salad spinner. Radish greens tend to hold onto water, so spill them out onto a clean kitchen towel and let them air dry for 30 minutes or so. Save the larger, coarser leaves to saute or to make a radish greens pesto.
- Bacon: If you don’t consume pork, use beef or turkey bacon.
- Cider Vinegar: Unless I’m pickling something and using a large amount of cider vinegar, I always buy good-quality cider vinegar like Bragg’s for salad dressing and other small-quantity recipes.
- Dijon Mustard: I’ve tried numerous brands of Dijon mustard and you can’t go wrong with Grey Poupon which is widely available at most grocery stores. Maille is also good but it’s pricey. You can also use whole-grain (coarse-grain) mustard if you prefer.
- Olive Oil: Only if needed to get 1/4 cup fat.
- Hard-Cooked Eggs: For the absolute easiest way to make hard-cooked eggs, see the Instant Pot tutorial in my Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs recipe.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients. Wash and dry the radish greens as directed above.
- Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet until crisp. The skillet should be large enough to hold all the radish greens so you don’t have to use two skillets.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Let the bacon fat cool slightly in the skillet, then pour it into a heatproof measuring cup, leaving behind any blackened bits. You should have 1/4 cup. If not, add olive oil to make 1/4 cup.
- Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel to remove any blackened bits.
- Pour the bacon fat back into the skillet and turn the heat to medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook to soften it, then add the garlic and cook briefly.
- Reduce the heat to low, then add the sugar, cider vinegar, mustard and salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Cook briefly to melt the sugar and blend the ingredients.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let the dressing settle down a bit so it’s not still simmering.
- Add the radish greens. Toss with the hot bacon dressing to slightly wilt the greens but do not cook them. You can also do this in a separate bowl so they don’t get overcooked.
- Add the reserved bacon back to the greens.
- Transfer the radish greens salad to a serving bowl or to individual salad bowls. Top with eggs and season generously with black pepper.
That’s it! A Radish Greens Salad to use up those delicious tops! And the hot bacon dressing is also great with spinach!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- When slicing bacon into bits, it’s easier to cut bacon that is super cold or partially frozen. Allowing it to warm up will make it more difficult to slice.
- This hot bacon dressing recipe with radish greens salad is best made shortly before serving. However, the eggs can be cooked two to three days ahead of time, peeled, and refrigerated.
Frequently Asked Questions:
They absolutely are! Radish greens are a nutritional powerhouse! They’re rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, vitamin A, potassium and folic acid.
Although the exact origin is sketchy, wilted salad is believed to have roots in German immigrant communities where a springtime salad of dandelion greens, bacon drippings and vinegar was served with poached or hard-boiled eggs. Over time, dandelion greens were replaced with spinach and a classic was born.
Serve with:
- Lighter Beef Stroganoff
- Mississippi-Style Boneless Short Ribs
- Braised Pork Roast in Dijon Mustard Sauce
- Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken
- Spicy Italian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
More great green salad recipes!
- Massaged Kale Beet and Blueberry Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing
- Italian Kale Antipasto Salad
- Arugula Egg and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
- Autumn Panzanella
Grab all my great salad recipes at: Side Dish Salads – From A Chef’s Kitchen
Radish Greens Salad
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Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon - cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- Olive oil - if needed
- 1/2 red onion - thinly sliced vertically
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 4 handfuls radish greens - thoroughly washed and dried
- 3 large eggs - hard-cooked, peeled and cut into large chunks
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet (large enough to hold all the radish greens) over medium-high heat until crisp, approximately 7-8 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so the bacon doesn't burn and the bacon fat does not smoke.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Let the bacon fat cool slightly then pour it into a heatproof measuring cup, leaving behind any blackened bits. You should have 1/4 cup. If not, add olive oil to make 1/4 cup.
- Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel to remove any blackened bits.
- Pour the bacon fat back into the skillet and place it back on medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes just to soften it. Add the garlic and cook briefly.
- Reduce heat to low. Add the sugar, cider vinegar, mustard and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook briefly to melt the sugar.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let the dressing settle down a bit so that it's not still simmering. Add the radish greens. Toss with the hot bacon dressing just to slightly wilt the greens but not cook them.
- Add the reserved bacon back to the greens in the skillet.
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or to individual salad bowls. Top with eggs and season generously with black pepper.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.