Roasted watermelon radishes with lemon and parsley are a bright addition to your winter table. This vegan dish screams sunshine on the short dark days. Simple roasting of the radishes brings out their sweetness and makes for a nice change from the standard pickle or thinly sliced salad. 
We are in the shortest days of the year right now. And all things local and tasty are lovely dark fall colors. But every now and then I need something bright and cheery. I need hope that spring will in fact return someday. This is where watermelon radishes come to my rescue. They look a little plain on the outside but the slightest bit of pink tells us something fabulous is going on the inside. It is like wearing a practical wool coat and then ripping it off to reveal a Diana Ross style glitter bomb dress. The bright pink flesh gives me giggles of happiness.
As for taste, roasting watermelon radishes are much easier for non-radish lovers to handle than pickling or raw which make them the perfect gateway radish. Plus, they are so pretty no picky eater is going to look at them say… ‘oh, no I don’t do radishes’.
How to Make Roasted Watermelon Radishes
Watermelon radish prep is easy to manage. No excessive peeling or scrubbing. A quick rinse, trim the ends and quarter, or cut in 3/4 inch wedges if you have some extra-large specimens.
Unlike most roasted vegetables, radishes are rather forgiving on temperature and cook time. Both can be adjusted to whatever else you may have going in the oven. Which essentially makes this one the easiest side dishes ever.
Ok maybe not as easy as our 10 Minute Sauteed Greens, but close. Very close.
A toss with parsley and lemon zest at the end adds some additional color to the dish so it screams “Winter is NOT coming!”. So, dig in and enjoy! But first let us know in the comments… what is your favorite way to eat watermelon radishes? Raw, pickled or roasted?
If you vote pickled… definitely check out our quick pickled watermelon radishes.
Roasted Watermelon Radishes with Lemon and Herb
Ingredients
- 1 lb watermelon radishes, trimmed and quartered
- 2 T coconut oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zested
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Toss cut radishes with melted oil and salt on a sheet pan.
- Roast 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until slightly browned.
- Toss radishes with pepper, parsley and lemon zest.
Notes
- To quickly melt the oil, scoop onto sheet pan and place in oven 1 minute.
- AIP Compliant: Omit black pepper.
My name is Jen. I believe that food (and life) should be fun. Join me as I create healthy recipes that focus on healing your body through food. Who says healthy has to be boring? 
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