Flavor-Packed Radish Greens Pesto

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If you’re ever grown radishes at home, you know that they produce an abundance of greens. Instead of tossing your radish greens in the compost, try using them in a recipe like this easy, flavor-packed Radish Greens Pesto.

A spoonful of vibrant radish greens pesto straight from the food processor.

Trust me, you're gonna love this super-easy pesto. It’s cheesy, nutty, fresh, and absolutely delicious! 🌱

How to make Radish Pesto, Step-by-step

Prepare your ingredients. That means washing and dry your radish greens (AKA radish tops), peeling the garlic, and measuring out the nuts and parmesan. This recipe comes together really quickly, so it’s helpful to have everything ready to go.

Haul out your food processor and let’s get to it. Start by adding the peeled garlic cloves and the salt to the food processor and pulse to roughly chop the garlic.

A woman pulsing fresh garlic in a food processor.

If your parmesan cheese is in big hunks, you’ll want to add that next and pulse a few times to grind it up. If it’s already grated, keep it to the side for now.

Pre-grated parmesan cheese in a white bowl.

Next is the nuts. Pulse until the nuts are fairly finely ground, but not to the point of nut butter. Now’s the time to add the pre-grated parmesan if that’s what you’re using.

A woman holds a palmful of toasted mixed nuts.

Everything should be processed fairly finely at this point. The mixture should be roughly the texture of coarse sand. Time to add the radish greens all in one go. Just pack them right into the food processor, then pulse until the greens are pulverized along with the nuts, garlic, and cheese.

A woman adds radish greens to a food processor.

A woman grinds pesto in a food processor.

Next, with the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube in the lid. The pesto should be looking really nice and combined by now.

A woman drizzles extra virgin olive oil into a batch of pesto in the food processor.

Taste for seasoning, and enjoy!

Storage instructions

Transfer the pesto to an airtight container. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

For longer storage, freeze the pesto in small portions by dolloping it into blobs on a tray, or by using an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer the blobs (or cubes) to a freezer bag. The frozen pesto will keep for up to 3 months.

Scoops of radish greens pesto, ready to preserve in the freezer.

How to serve this Radish Greens Pesto

This versatile pesto can be used in so many ways:

Toss with hot pasta
Spread on sandwiches or wraps
Mix into salad dressings
Spoon into soups
Use as a dip for veggies

A slice of toast with radish pesto, cottage cheese and sliced radishes with a drizzle of chili oil. — *This dreamy toast is smothered with Radish Greens Pesto, then topped with cottage cheese, sliced radishes, and a drizzle of chili oil. 🌶️ SO GOOD.*

Modifications

If you’re short on radish greens, you can use other greens like spinach or arugula.
You can use any nut you want! I used mixed nuts for this batch, but you can use pine nuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, you name it.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice for a zingier version.
For a dairy-free version, you can replace the parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast.
This pesto comes out quite thick, like a thick paste. To thin it out, add more olive oil, and/or a splash of water.
If you find the radish greens to be a bit too bitter, add a pinch of sugar to the pesto to round out the flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are radish greens safe to eat?

Yes! Radish greens are not only edible but also nutritious. They contain high levels of vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. While they can have a slightly peppery taste like the radish root, cooking them or combining them with other ingredients mellows them out a fair bit.

Can I use the greens from store-bought radishes?

Yes, as long as they are bright green and fresh looking. Radish greens tend to go bad fairly quickly, so avoid any that are discolored, wilted, or slimy.

Are radish greens bitter?

Raw radish greens can have a slightly bitter and peppery flavor. In this pesto recipe the bitterness becomes mild and balanced with the other ingredients.
Hot tip: Younger radish greens tend to be less bitter than older ones.

How do you clean radish greens?

To clean radish greens thoroughly:
Cut the greens from the radish roots
Submerge them in a bowl of cool water
Swish them around to remove dirt and debris
Lift the greens out of the water (leaving dirt behind)
Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or use a salad spinner

I hope you love this radish greens pesto recipe, and that it gives you a rewarding way to use up something that might otherwise get thrown away! Let me know how it comes out, and how you're using it!

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