When making a radish dish, cooks usually toss the edible tops, but the leafy greens are delicious and worth cooking. In this easy side dish, radishes are seared until golden brown, then the tops are added and sautéed until wilted. The finishing touch is a spicy miso-butter mixture that’s stirred in to coat the radishes and radish tops with a saucy glaze. Serve this quick weeknight dish alongside seared tuna, or a Chicken and Ginger Clay Pot with steamed rice.

What to buy: Miso is a Japanese culinary staple made by fermenting rice, barley, or, most commonly, soy. The two main types are white (or shiro) miso, which has a sweet, mild flavor, and red (or aka) miso, which is aged and has a salty, umami flavor. You can find miso paste refrigerated at most grocery stores.

Togarashi powder, a Japanese mixture of spices that always contains chiles, can be found in ethnic markets. (It might also be labeled shichimi togarashi.) Or you can make your own.

See more spring recipes.

  • Yields: 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 35 mins

Ingredients (8)

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons red miso paste, at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon togarashi powder
  • 3 bunches medium radishes with their tops
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar

Instructions

  1. Place the butter, miso, and togarashi in a small bowl and mash with the back of a spoon until evenly combined; set aside.
  2. Cut the leafy tops from the radishes. Coarsely chop, wash, and dry the tops; set them aside. Wash the radishes, trim the stem ends, and halve them (quarter them if they’re large) and set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the radishes and arrange them cut-side down in a single layer. Season with salt and sear until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown and the radishes are crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes more.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the radish tops, 1 tablespoon of the water, and salt to taste. Cook, tossing occasionally with tongs, until the tops are completely wilted, about 2 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter-miso mixture and the remaining tablespoon of water and stir until the butter-miso mixture melts and coats the radishes and radish tops. Add the vinegar and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt as needed.