Fresh and crunchy salads are a must in summer, and this Smashed Radish Salad with a tangy Ginger Soy Dressing is perfect for snacking on or sharing. It 's a great side dish for a BBQ or Japanese themed dinner. Inspired by the popular cucumber smashed salad, but even tastier and more refreshing!
QUICK LOOK: TL:DR
Smashed Radish Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Servings: 4
- Calories: 81 cals per serving
- Key Ingredients: Crunchy Fresh Radishes
- Dietary Info: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy Free
- Tasting Notes: Crunchy and refreshing with a tangy Asian inspired dressing.
Why you'll love this recipe!
- Quick and Easy: Easy quick side dish
- Packed with Flavor: crisp radishes and a tangy dressing
- Fun: Smashing the radishes is so satisfying!
- Alternative to Cucumber: Delicious alternative to smashed cucumber salad.
Jump To
- Smashed Radish Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing.
- Why you'll love this recipe!
- Key Ingredients
- 🌶️Substitutions & Variations
- 👩🍳How to make Smashed Radish Salad
- What to serve with Radish Salad:
- Top tip! Make Extra Ginger Soy Dressing
- ❓Radish Salad FAQs
- Here are some of my favourite dishes to serve with radish salad.
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
I have a confession: I don't much like cucumber, I sometimes make this Shaved Cucumber and Carrot Salad and go heavy on the carrots, but I kept on seeing all those cucumber smashed salads that went viral and I wanted to make something similar, but without the cucumber. Radishes fit the bill, they're crisp, slightly peppery and tasty, and crucially, I love to eat them! Also they work beautifully with the tangy ginger, soy dressing that is so popular on cucumber salad. This salad is really delicious as part of a light Japanese inspired dinner, and goes especially well with my favourite Japanese Miso Eggplant.
Key Ingredients
- Radishes: Make sure the radishes are fresh and crispy. If you can, soak them in water for an hour to really plump them up.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger is essential to the dressing. It's tangy and adds a lovely warm heat.
- Soy Sauce: I prefer to use Kikkoman soy sauce. If you wish to make this recipe completely gluten-free, opt for tamari which is soy sauce made without wheat.
- Sesame Oil: Lovely nutty sesame oil rounds out the flavor of the dressing.
- Garlic: A little fresh garlic helps the dressing sing.
- Herbs: I like to garnish the salad with fresh mint or coriander (cilantro) leaves and some toasted sesame seeds.
See recipe card for quantities.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
- Spicy Kick- Add in some sweet chili sauce, sriracha sauce or any of your favourite hot sauces to the dressing to taste.
- Other Fresh Herbs - choose vietnamese coriander, mint, dill or finely chopped spring onion (scallion)
- Other types of vinegar -Rice vinegar is mild and slightly sweet, however you can choose white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if that is what is available. You can also choose lemon juice instead.
- Other oils: If you want to omit the sesame oil, choose a good quality olive oil instead.
👩🍳How to make Smashed Radish Salad
Here is how to easily make this easy radish salad recipe.
- Step 1: Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together. Grate in ginger and garlic and mix in well.
- Step 2: Use a heavy object such as the end of a rolling pin or a bottle to carefully smash the radishes.
- Step 3: Taste the dressing and adjust seasoning as necessary. Pour as much as you would like over the salad and mix to evenly distribute.
- Step 4: Garnish with a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds and mint or coriander leaf (cilantro)
Hint: Cutting the bottom off the radishes gives you a flat surface so the radish won't roll away when you bring the smashing object down on it!
What to serve with Radish Salad:
This radish salad is bright and tangy, so goes particularly well as part of a Japanese inspired menu. Serve with rice and Sticky Miso Tofu and some Sesame Green Beans.
Alternatively this smashed radish salad makes a great side for BBQs as it's tangy flavor cuts through smoky BBQ flavors. Why not try it as a side to these Black Bean Seitan Burgers or topped with this Vegan Tofu Halloumi for a heartier salad side.
Top tip! Make Extra Ginger Soy Dressing
The ginger soy dressing is absolutely delicious on all kinds of vegetables. Make double or triple and keep in a bottle in the fridge to use as a dressing over carrots, green beans and even on a fresh green salad.
❓Radish Salad FAQs
Radishes come in a few different varieties, and if you have access to farmer's markets it can be fun to see all the different varieties! You can eat all kinds of radishes in salad, the most popular are French Breakfast Radish, Cherry Belle Radish (round red radishes) and any of the small round radish. Larger radishes such as daikon and black radish are better grated or sliced thinly.
Radishes are usually crunchy and crispy and often have a peppery taste which can either be very mild and slighty sweet but depending on the type can be tangy and strong.
Keep radish salad for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It is best eaten fresh as the radishes become a little softer when in contact with the salad dressing. If you wish to prepare the salad ahead of time, prepare the dressing up to 5 days in advance, then smash and toss the radishes through the salad just before serving.
Here are some of my favourite dishes to serve with radish salad.
📖 Recipe
Smashed Radish Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing
Equipment
- 1 Vegetable peeler
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 600 g radishes (approx 1 medium-large cucumber)
- 10 g fresh mint (or coriander leaf/cilantro )
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted if you wish.)
For the Dressing
- 30 ml rice wine vinegar
- 15 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml sesame seed oil
- 15 ml sweet chili sauce (or sriracha)
- 1 clove garlic (grated or finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated (about a thumb size piece) )
Instructions
- Top and tail the radishes.600 g radishes
- Finely cut the mint or pick the leaves off the coriander.10 g fresh mint
- Mix together all the dressing ingredients, and taste. Finely chop or grate in the ginger and garlic. Add more soy sauce or sesame oil to taste.30 ml rice wine vinegar, 15 ml soy sauce, 15 ml sesame seed oil
- Smash the radishes so they are in rough pieces.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, and sprinkle over the sesame seeds.1 tbsp sesame seeds
- To serve: Toss the salad and eat immediately.
Video
Notes
- Gluten Free: Choose Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (also known as Tamari) to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Other herbs: Add or substitute in Coriander Leaf/Cilantro or flat-leaved parsley.
- Alliums: Add in chives or spring onions.
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
This salad is so refreshing for summer. It should please anyone who isn't a fan of cucumber!