Mealtime: Maple-Miso Roasted Radishes

Published February 28, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

Maple-Miso Roasted Radishes - ANDY BRUMBAUGH

Andy Brumbaugh
Maple-Miso Roasted Radishes

If you've only ever eaten radishes raw, you're missing out. Raw radishes have a pleasant, crispy texture and a sharp, peppery, sometimes slightly spicy taste. When roasted, they become milder, more mellow and almost like parsnips. In a word, delightful.

As spring arrives here in Vermont — whether all at once, or, as usual, in fits and starts — so does maple season. Looking to use maple in more unique ways, my mind went to roasted radishes. Combining the sweetness of maple with the salty umami of miso seemed just the thing.

I served these maple-miso radishes alongside some rice and Asian-inspired roasted chicken thighs made with soy, sesame and ginger. Our whole family enjoyed them — even those who normally snub radishes in raw form. I cooked three bags of radishes (a total of 2.25 pounds) and could easily have made at least 3 pounds and still not had any leftovers. This will be a recipe I return to.

Maple-Miso Roasted Radishes

Andy Brumbaugh

Ingredients

2 1/4 pounds radishes (I used three 12-ounce bags of rainbow radishes)
1/4 cup white miso paste
1/2 cup maple syrup (real only, of course)
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1-2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wash radishes, remove stems, then cut into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the radishes, to about 1-inch pieces.
Combine remaining ingredients except for olive oil, butter and salt and mix well. Reserve half the maple-miso mixture and set aside.
Coat radishes with half the maple-miso mixture and the olive oil.
Spread coated radishes in a single layer in a large roasting pan and roast for 25 minutes. Then increase temperature to 450 degrees and roast for an additional 10 minutes to caramelize radishes.
Remove radishes from the oven and toss with remaining maple-miso mixture and melted butter. Season with salt and serve.