For Better-Tasting Radishes This Summer, Throw Them On The Grill

Not everyone loves radishes. These crunchy little root vegetables can be surprisingly spicy and peppery, especially if you're relatively new to them and have only eaten them raw. Luckily, grilling them could be all that's needed to fix their reputation. Yes, you can cook radishes, and they actually turn into something quite different on a hot grill — that sharp pepperiness mellows out, the texture turns from crunchy to soft, and the flavor becomes sweet and smoky.

They also couldn't be easier to grill, making them a great addition to your summer vegetable line-up. They are usually small, so they can often be grilled whole, but if you have large ones, just slice them in half, then drizzle them with a little oil, hit them with some salt, and place them on the grill for around 10 minutes (or four to five minutes per side) until the outside starts to char and blister. They should become tender, but don't let them cook until they completely fall apart; they should be similar in consistency to roasted baby potatoes. From there, they fit right into most summer meals easily. You can throw them in tacos, on top of salads, or just serve them alongside grilled meat and seafood. And of course, you can simply eat them on their own, too, topped with something creamy like versatile whipped feta and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Cooking radishes like this might come as a surprise if you're used to how they're typically prepared in the United States — often sliced thin in salads or maybe even on avocado toast, but never really celebrated in their own right. But this isn't some new food trend. Daikon radish is popular in many Asian dishes, where it's simmered or roasted. Grilling radishes achieves the same thing, with a bit of extra smoky depth.

And really, any of the different radish varieties could bring their unique qualities to your cookout. Daikon is well-suited to Asian flavors, so try giving it a brush with a miso marinade, some soy sauce, or spoonfuls of chili crisp. Watermelon radishes are slightly sweeter and would taste wonderful with a little hot honey and salt for a lovely swicy yet savory contrast. And even the supermarket-standard red radish can be grilled until caramelized, then taken in any number of different directions: festooned with fresh dill and sour cream, or topped with za'atar for a Levantine riff. They are inherently crunchy, so they hold their shape well; keeping their stems and leaves on will also make them look quite rustic and striking when they're finished. Those leafy tops shouldn't go to waste either, since you can eat radish greens and they'll take on the same smoky notes as the bulbs.