Radish greens in a smoothie?
That is what I asked today. I have never made any radish recipes with the tops. It took some convincing on my husband’s part for me to gather enough courage to toss those radish tops into the blender.
Last year, I was in the same green smoothie experimenting boat. I was cutting the tops off of the carrots from the farmer’s market. Tossing the carrot tops into the garbage seemed like such a waste.
I did some research and found out that the root of the carrot actually contains fewer nutrients than its green leafy top. I also found out that radishes are the same way. The tops actually contain 6 times more Vitamin C than the root!
We should always have an open mind to new foods. With green smoothies in mind, I try to use different greens to expand the wide array of nutrients that my family consumes.
My first radish green smoothie had banana and blueberries making the green smoothie purple. While watching the blueberries, bananas, and greens emulsify together, I was completely suspicious of the blended greens that came from a spicy root.
As I took my first sip, I braced for the worst. To my surprise, the spicy taste of the leaves did not transfer into the smoothie as much as I thought that it would.
I actually gave some of the smoothie to my husband and my son and tossed more radish greens into my portion. We drank it all! It was a new experience.
If you have been stuck on spinach and lettuce green smoothies, break the mold. Having a variety of greens will insure that your smoothies are balanced with different health benefits.
A friend of mine gave me a couple dozen radishes with the tops still attached. I washed and striped the leaves off the stem. I then froze the radish tops in one cup (packed) sizes in ziploc bags. Perfect amount for a quick and easy green smoothies.
Make sure to wear gloves when handling the greens for your radish recipes. The gloves will protect your hands from the little thorns on the stems.
Now you know that you can have radish recipes as tasty smoothies. You do not have to toss out those precious greens when cleaning the radishes from the garden.
Rad-Berry Smoothie
6-10 Radish leaves, large
1 1/2 bananas, ripe
1 1/2 cup blueberries, frozen
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, raw
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 cup pure water
Pour the water in the blender. Then add the rest of the ingredients with the frozen berries on top. Blend until smooth. Serves 1-2
Tropical Radish Greens Smoothie
1 cup Radish leaves, packed
1 banana, ripe
1 cup mango, frozen
1 cup pineapple, frozen
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, raw
1 1/2 cup pure water
Pour the water in the blender. Then add the rest of the ingredients with the frozen fruit on top. Blend until smooth. Serves 1-2
Radish Tops Antioxidant Smoothie
1 cup radish greens, packed
1 banana, ripe
1/2 cup pomegranate kernels, frozen
1 cup strawberries, frozen
1/8 teaspoon stevia or other sugar-free sweetener
1 1/4 cup pure water
Pour the water in the blender. Then add the rest of the ingredients with the frozen fruit on top. Blend until smooth. Serves 1-2