If you’re a little confused by the long white root vegetable the size of your arm in the Thanksgiving Share Boxes, it’s a radish. Specifically, a daikon radish. Daikon radishes are a Japanese member of the Brassica family. Sweet and mild these radishes are extremely versatile. They don’t need to be peeled, but I usually remove the thin skin before slicing and dicing. Daikon can be prepped in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on your recipe. Cooked or raw, the possibilities are somewhat endless. Let us know if we forgot any!
Noodles. Try shredding daikon into “noodles” and adding to soups, stir-fries, or as the base for pasta sauce. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the long root into thin strips, then quickly cook into stir-fries, etc.
Salad. Peel, then grate, julienne, dice, or slice to add crunch to your favorite salad. I like to sprinkle mine with Ume Plum Vinegar when using raw.
Pickles. Daikon makes great quick pickles. Try our easy recipe.
Spring Rolls. Fresh spring rolls are easy to make, and a welcome light meal during the winter months. Grate daikon radish and your favorite roots, then wrap up in rice paper. Dip in your favorite sauce.
Stew. A somewhat traditional option, try adding big chunks of dakion radish to hearty stews. Try our Beef Stew with Red Wine & Herbs or Beet Bourguignon. If you have a favorite Asian soup recipe, add it to that.
Soup. We’ve already mentioned our Miso Soup, but you can add daikon of any shape to broth based soups. Try small cubes in a vegetable or minestrone soup.
Curry. Along the same lines as stew, daikon is great in a curry. Try our Daikon Curry with Coconut Brown Rice.
Gratin. Thinly slice peeled daikon and add to your favorite gratin, or try our Root Vegetable Gratin with Gruyére.
Roasted. Like any root vegetable, daikon is great roasted. Use our basic recipe, then branch out to Miso Maple Roasted Vegetables or try Roasted Root Vegetable Salad.
