Watermelon Radish Salad
Experience a burst of colour and crunch with our Watermelon Radish Salad, featuring a medley of vibrant radishes that will surely impress. Restaurant quality side dish that will no doubt impress.
Why You’ll Love Watermelon Radish Salad
When watermelon radish is in season, it’s a joyous occasion!
The variety of radishes—watermelon, green, purple, and red—along with the bright green cucumbers and watercress create a visually stunning salad. The vivid colours make it an attractive dish that is sure to impress at any meal or gathering. Your guests will love the aesthetics.
By thinly slicing the ingredients, this radish cucumber salad is crisp and light. Flavour wise it has a sophisticated complexity ranging from peppery notes to mild flavours. We’re letting the produce speak for themselves and no salad dressing is required.
We’re also really loving the element of all the vegetables, making it a nutrient-rich recipe.
Despite its gourmet appearance, this salad is easy to prepare. The use of a mandoline makes slicing quick and uniform.
You won’t be disappointed with this medley of radishes.
What is Watermelon Radish?
Watermelon radish is an heirloom variety of the Chinese daikon radish.
Its outer skin is a pale green to creamy white, sometimes with a hint of pink. Its flesh however is a vivid magenta or bright pink, resembling the colour of watermelon flesh, hence its name.
It shares the slight spiciness of daikon radish and it also boasts a juicy, crisp flavour. It is less pungent when compared to the other radishes.
How To Incorporate Watermelon Radish into Your Meals?
The most popular way to enjoy watermelon radish is in salads. Apart from savoury salads, you can also add them to fruit salads for something a little fun!
We also love pickling this vegetable. Make quick pickles by slicing watermelon radish and marinating it in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and spices. Enjoy it as a tangy side dish or a topping for sandwiches. You can do this will all radishes including our Korean pickled radish – chicken-mu (치킨무).
They are also great in sandwiches and wraps. It pairs well with grilled chicken, avocado, and fresh herbs.
If you’re entertaining and starting a bit of grazing, you can arrange watermelon radish rounds on a platter alongside other colourful veggies like carrots, bell peppers, and cucumber. Serve with some of our homemade sauces such as Sriracha aioli, honey garlic yoghurt dressing or basil mint pesto.
And lastly, they are great to use as garnish for sushi rolls, grain bowls, or even cocktails. Its vibrant colour adds visual appeal.
Recipe Overview
Flavour/Texture: The unique flavours of the different radishes, combined with the mild and juicy cucumbers, offer a delightful mix of peppery, slightly sweet, and mild tastes. The watercress adds a hint of bitterness, while the shaved parmesan and toasted pine nuts provide savoury and nutty notes.
Texture wise, it is crisp with a slight crunch and yet ever so refreshing. The leaves provide delicate nuances, while the cheese ends each mouthful with creamy notes.
Ease: Super easy salad to make. Apart from dry toasting the pine nuts for a couple of minutes, the rest of the recipe requires no cooking.
Time: Takes about 15-20 minutes. Usage of a mandoline is the game changing equipment you’ll need to fast track the prep time.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need for watermelon radish salad:
- Radishes: This radish salad showcases all the different radishes that are available. The statement radish is of course the watermelon radish, followed by the gorgeous purple, green and red radishes. Apart from the small red radish, peel and then slice with a mandoline.
- Cucumber: Using 2 types of cucumber here. Mini cucumbers are sliced, and a long continental cucumber is used to create long shavings.
- Watercress leaves: Be sure to select bright green leaves for maximum flavour. For any leftovers you can try our watercress salad with apple and pear or check out our watercress pairings for ideas.
- Lemon: The acidity will help to soften the raw radishes and provide tartness to the radishes.
- Parmesan cheese: Salty, cheesy goodness that will help to elevate the flavour of the watermelon radish salad. Just some lovely shavings throughout the layers will do the trick.
- Pine nuts: To add some smoky flavours, dry toast some pine nuts and sprinkle over the salad before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
Fruit additions: If you love fruit in your savoury salads like we do, you can add orange or grapefruit segments for a juicy, tangy twist. Or sprinkle some pomegranate seeds for added colour and a burst of sweetness. This will make this watermelon radish salad pop!
We have a red radish recipe which we paired with strawberries and it was a flavour bomb! Try out our summer strawberry salad with bocconcini and rocket.
Other greens: Plenty of other options to change up this recipe. Substitute watercress with arugula for a peppery flavour, or use baby spinach for a milder, more tender green. Thinly sliced kale can also add a hearty and nutrient-rich option.
Incorporate herbs: Add chopped fresh mint for a refreshing herbal note, or basil leaves for an aromatic and slightly sweet touch.
Cheese variations: Substitute shaved parmesan with crumbled feta for a tangy and creamy texture or soft goat cheese for a rich and creamy alternative.
Nuts and seeds: Quite a few different things you can do here. Swap pine nuts with sliced almonds, chopped macadamias or pecans for a different crunch. Use toasted sunflower seeds or pepitas for a nut-free option.
Radish replacement: If you can’t get a hold of radish but like the recipe combination, use thinly sliced daikon radish and raw turnips for a similar crunch.
Parmesan alternative: Substitute parmesan with Pecorino Romano for a sharper flavour.
Dairy free option: Use nutritional yeast flakes.
Instructions
Step by step instructions for how to make watermelon radish salad:
Using a mandoline, thinly slice all the radish and mini cucumber.
For the long cucumber, peel and, using a mandoline, shave it lengthways to create long strips.
How to Assemble the Salad
Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil onto a large serving platter in a zigzag motion.
Place ½ watercress leaves down the centre.
Place long shaved cucumber on top.
For the first layer, place ½ the watermelon radish, ½ green radish, ½ mini cucumber, ½ purple radish and ½ red radish.
Place ¼ of the watercress leaves down the centre.
Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil on top, salt and pepper to taste, squeeze lemon juice and add ¾ shaved parmesan.
Repeat for the second layer with ½ the watermelon radish, ½ green radish, ½ mini cucumber, ½ purple radish and ½ red radish.
Place the rest of the parmesan cheese.
Place the rest of the watercress leaves down the centre.
Sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top.
Serve
How to Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]
Uniform slicing: Use a mandoline slicer to achieve uniformly thin slices of radishes and cucumbers. Consistent thickness ensures even flavour distribution and a beautiful presentation.
Fresh ingredients: Ensure all your ingredients are fresh, especially the radishes and cucumbers, as they are being consumed raw. Fresh vegetables have better texture, flavour, and nutritional value.
Seasoning: Season the salad with salt and pepper just before serving to enhance the flavours without drawing out too much moisture from the vegetables.
Layering the salad: This recipe works well by layering the ingredients rather than just tossing them in a bowl. This ensures a well-mixed salad with every bite.
Pine nuts: Be sure to sprinkle the pine nuts on the salad just before serving to maintain its crunch.
Great Mains for This Salad
What to serve with watermelon radish salad? Try these delicious main dish recipes:
This refreshing salad is best paired with mains that have strong flavours. The watermelon radish will help to cleanse the palette in between mouthfuls. Can’t go wrong with a whole roasted chicken or a good old fashioned beef stew.
For a meatless meal, this vegetarian wellington recipe is all you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Watermelon radish is delicious when eaten raw. Its crisp texture and mildly spicy flavour make it a great addition to many dishes.
Watermelon radishes are known as watermelon due to the colour of the flesh and not the taste. They are therefore also known as Roseheart radish, red meat radish, Chinese radish, or red daikon.
Watermelon radishes can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
To ensure they last, it helps to select watermelon radishes that are firm and feel heavy for their size. Avoid radishes that have been bruised or are starting to turn brown in colour.
Remove the greens before storing them in the crisper section of the fridge.
Ready to bring some colour and crunch to your table? This watermelon radish salad is easy to prepare and sure to impress. Gather your fresh ingredients, grab your mandoline, and follow the expert tips to create a perfect salad that’s not only nutritious but also a visual delight.
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Watermelon Radish Salad
Ingredients
- 1 watermelon radish, small, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 green radish, small, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 purple radish, small, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 red radish, thinly sliced
- 1 mini cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, continental, shaved
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup watercress, leaves
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- ½ lemon
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shaved
- 1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.
Instructions
Salad
- Using a mandoline, thinly slice all the radish and mini cucumber.
- For the long cucumber, peel it and shave it lengthways using a mandoline to create long strips.
Assembly
- Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil onto a large serving platter in a zigzag motion.
- Place ½ watercress leaves down the centre.
- Place long shaved cucumber on top.
- For the first layer, place ½ the watermelon radish, ½ green radish, ½ mini cucumber, ½ purple radish and ½ red radish.
- Place ¼ of the watercress leaves down the centre.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil on top, salt and pepper to taste, squeeze lemon juice and add ¾ shaved parmesan.
- Repeat for the second layer with ½ the watermelon radish, ½ green radish, ½ mini cucumber, ½ purple radish and ½ red radish.
- Place the rest of the parmesan cheese.
- Place the rest of the watercress leaves down the centre.
- Sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top.
- Serve.
Notes
- If you love fruit in your savoury salads like we do, you can add orange or grapefruit segments for a juicy, tangy twist. Or sprinkle some pomegranate seeds for added colour and a burst of sweetness. This will make this watermelon radish salad pop!
- There are plenty of other greens to substitute for this recipe. Substitute watercress with arugula for a peppery flavour, or use baby spinach for a milder, more tender green. Thinly sliced kale can also add a hearty and nutrient-rich option.
- Add chopped fresh mint for a refreshing herbal note, or basil leaves for an aromatic and slightly sweet touch.
- For softer cheeses, substitute shaved parmesan with crumbled feta for a tangy and creamy texture or soft goat cheese for a rich and creamy alternative.
- Nuts and seeds are great additions; there are quite a few different things you can do here. For a different crunch, swap pine nuts with sliced almonds, chopped macadamias, or pecans. For a nut-free option, use toasted sunflower seeds or pepitas.
- If you can’t get a hold of radish but like the recipe combination, use thinly sliced daikon radish and raw turnips for a similar crunch.
- Substitute parmesan with Pecorino Romano for a sharper flavour.
- For a dairy free option, use nutritional yeast flakes.
Nutrition
*Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.
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I love watermelon radish! I grow it each year in my garden so I cannot wait to make this salad! And a major bonus, it’s pink! 🙂
Watermelon and radish ! Such a delicious combination! Perfect for hot summer days!
So crunch and refreshing! Loved the combination of radish and watermelon – tasty!
I loved making this recipe, it’s my go to! Not only is it super easy to make but it’s also full of flavor!
This stunning salad is so beautiful and delicious with the different flavors and textures! Amazing restaurant quality dish to impress our guests!
such a delightful salad. The addition of radish was lovely and love the added texture. I will be making this again!