Radish and Tomatillo Salad | Fresh, Crunchy & Bright Summer Side Dish

This is a super light and fresh salad featuring some easy ingredients.

With no cooking required, this raw salad takes a mere 15 minutes to put together. Just like our red currant salad with figs or the best Waldorf salad recipe.

Great for the time poor without sacrificing taste.

The orange vinaigrette is incredibly refreshing, which hones in on spring summer feels. Add a dash of honey to sweeten, a much-needed respite from the acidity of the tomatillos and the spiciness of the radishes.

As always, quick salads at The Sidesmith never equate to boring flavours or presentation.

It is still gorgeous to look at, which is great if you need a second side dish to accompany your meal. With no cooking involved, it won’t even take up space on your cooktop or oven.

What are Tomatillos?

Tomatillos are small round green fruits encased in a thin papery husk, much like a cape gooseberry. They are native to Mexico and while their Spanish name actually means “little tomato”, they are not tomatoes at all.

Tomatillos have been around for a few thousand years and historically, they have been traced back to the days of the Aztecs and the Mayans. The most common use of the tomatillo is to make salsa verde.

While they are not tomatoes, they are botanically speaking related to the humble tomato. They both belong to the same nightshade family and love the warm weather.

Recipe Overview

Flavour/Texture: Tart, peppery, fresh, citrusy and sweet. These are the bases of the flavours of this salad, and like all our recipes, the idea is to have a mouthful of all ingredients to really be able to enjoy the combination of the different flavours.

There is a fair bit of crunch in this salad, from the radish to the cucumbers. The tomatillo bites are also juicy with the mixed leaves softening the overall texture.

Ease: Crazy easy! It’s a bunch of raw ingredients tossed together. Can’t get any easier than that! 

Time: Under 15 minutes only! No excuses for lack of time. Perfect side salad for any meal.

Ingredients for This Radish and Tomatillo Salad

Cucumber: Make sure you get the long continentals as you want to make ribbons out of them. 

The wider they are, the better, too, but if you can’t find continentals, any cucumber will do. Just roll 2-3 strips in continuity to give the effect required.

We love rolling cucumber ribbons as it elevates any salad recipe, such as our sesame avocado cucumber salad or baked tempeh salad.

Tomatillo: You’re looking for 16 smallish tomatillos, which are larger than a cherry tomato but much smaller than a regular tomato. Make sure the outer leafy husk is nice and green and not starting to brown, a sign it may not be as fresh as you need it to be.

Radish: Try looking for a bunch of different coloured radishes which would usually consist of red, white and purple radishes. Cutting them into wedges also helps to showcase the colours.

If you have extra, you can try our roasted radish salad with cauliflower or vegan broccoli salad [no mayo].

Mixed leaves: Avoid getting mixed leaves with peppery leaves like rocket (arugula), radicchio or watercress. The radishes are peppery enough. Try getting spinach, tatsoi, mizuna and/or lettuce.

Orange: Get the sweetest variety you can find. You’ll need it to balance the flavours. Make sure when you juice them that the seeds are discarded. 

Apple cider vinegar: If you have to get a new bottle, opt for an organic version for greater flavour.

Honey: We want to use good quality honey and not the cheap supermarket brands that are filled with nothing but corn starch. We need the sweetness to counteract the peppery radishes and the tartness from the tomatillos.

Variations and Substitutions

Tomatillo substitute: If you are not able to find tomatillos, the best replacement would be green tomatoes or under ripe tomatoes.  As they are much larger, just either slice them or cut them into wedges.

Alternatively, just use cherry tomatoes of your choice.

However, if you love raw tomatillo’s acidity, you can squeeze some lime juice over the tomatoes.

Try different citrus: If oranges aren’t in season, grapefruit or blood orange offers a more intense citrus profile, while lime adds sharper acidity for a brighter finish.

Rainbow radish replacement: If rainbow radishes are not available, try getting a bunch of French breakfast radishes or just regular red radishes. The flavours are exactly the same across the different varieties.

Vegan version: For a vegan recipe, substitute honey with organic rice malt syrup or agave.

The tartness of the tomatillo and peppery raw radishes will need some sweetness to help balance the flavours. You can use maple syrup, although the butterscotch taste may not match perfectly.

No continental cucumbers: If you can’t find continental cucumbers, any other normal cucumber will do. Just roll 2-3 strips in continuity to give the effect required.

Instructions for This Radish and Tomatillo Salad

How To Make This Salad

With a wide or Y peeler, peel the cucumber into long wide strips to make ribbons.

Place each strip on paper towels and pat dry. We want to start with the cucumber first so that you can prepare the rest of the ingredients while it’s drying out.

If you can’t find long continental cucumbers, you can peel normal cucumbers.

Roll the first strip and then place it on the next strip and continue to roll to give you the bulk needed.

Add a third strip if required. When you tuck it between the salad ingredients, it will stop it from unravelling.

Remove the outer leafy husk of the tomatillos.

Give them a good wash to remove that sticky film on the skin.

Cut 8 into half and leave the rest whole.

Using a mandolin set at 2 cm, slice the other 4 radishes.

Cut 4 radishes into 8 thin wedges each.

Make sure you get a good mix of all the colours.

How to Make Orange Vinaigrette

Juice 2 oranges. Make sure the seeds are discarded.

In a small mixing bowl, add the orange juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and honey.

Mix until well combined.

How to Assemble the Salad

In a large mixing bowl, add the mixed leaves, cut tomatillo, radishes and orange vinaigrette.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss until well combined and place on a nice serving platter.

Roll the cucumber strips and tuck between the salads.

Add the whole tomatillo around the salad.

Serve.

How to Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]

Sharp peeler: To make nice and long cucumber slices for rolling, use a sharp peeler. This ensures that you don’t apply too much pressure on the cucumber, causing it to either break or take too much off.

Dry the cucumber ribbons: Patting the ribbons dry helps them hold their shape and prevents excess moisture from watering down the vinaigrette.

Balance the tomatillos: Tomatillos can vary in acidity — taste one before assembling and adjust the honey or vinegar in the dressing accordingly.

Thinly slice radishes: As we’re consuming the radishes raw, it is important to slice them thinly. If you’re not confident with a knife, as the radishes can be a bit fiddly, use a mandoline to get nice and even slices.

Sweet oranges: The sweetness of the oranges plays an important role in this tomatillo salad recipe. Not wanting to only rely on the honey, the oranges will help to counterbalance the tartness of the tomatillos.

Frequently Asked Questions

More No Cook Salad Recipes