Using radish greens to make pesto is a great way to reduce food waste. Save the green tops from a bunch of radishes and swap them out for basil to make this easy and nutritious pesto.

Radish greens pesto is great tossed with pasta, used as a sauce for chicken, red meat or fish and delicious as a spread!

Radish greens pesto.
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True story: I used to really dislike radishes. But, then I discovered roasted radishes and my mindset gradually began to change.

Slowly but surely I started buying bunches of these little red gems and learning to like them. My favorite way though is pickled as a garnish for tacos!

I’ve since used them in a spring risotto with peas and even as the star of the show in a radish and peach salad (although the crispy prosciutto helps out a bit with that one).

In the normal grocery store, radishes are usually sold in bunches without the greens attached. But, if you shop at a natural foods store, farmers market or even Whole Foods, radishes will often be sold with their lovely greenery attached.

And, as someone who despises wasting food, I was dead set on finding a way to use and enjoy radish greens. I say enjoy because radish greens are quite peppery! They’re similar to arugula in that way, another green delicious as a pesto.

No surprise there really considering that’s the main adjective I’d use to describe the taste of radishes themselves.

Bunch of radishes with greens attached.

WHAT TO DO WITH GREENS FROM RADISHES?

So, the thought experiment commenced of how to use radish greens from my latest purchase.

Sure, I could sauté them like Swiss chard or these sautéed greens that use Swiss chard and beet greens.

But honestly, I do that all the time and wanted to try something new.

A radish greens pesto was then decided on instead and here we are with this lovely vibrant green sauce.

You can also eat radish greens raw if you’re up for that peppery bite.

I suggest mixing the greens in a salad with some other milder greenery like mizuna or just regular romaine, green/red leaf lettuces if you take that approach.

It’s also best to use the smaller, younger and therefore more tender radish greens when consuming them raw.

The older the greens get, the “fuzzier” they become which can be texturally off-putting to some people.

Me?

I’m partial to this pesto using the radish greens only because once made, there are so many ways to use it!

It’s just as perfect tossed in pasta as it is served with a meat of your choosing or spread on some toasted bread.

So if you’ve been one in the past to cut off and discard radish greens, now you know you can indeed use them!

That said, let’s get to this pesto recipe.

Radish greens in a food processor with ingredients to make pesto.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE RADISH GREENS PESTO

To make this pesto recipe you’ll need:

  • radish greens from 1 bunch of radishes
  • 1 cup shoots, sprouts or other mild baby greens – I used pea shoots (see them here on this crepe cake!)
  • 1 small clove of garlic
  • toasted pepitas
  • toasted pine nuts
  • salt and pepper
  • fresh lemon juice
  • extra virgin olive oil

Traditional pesto recipes use basil as their base green. Granted, you can make pesto out of all types of greens, even zucchini!

The radish greens in this pesto recipe replace the traditional basil and the pea shoots (or other green of your choice) help to balance out some of the intense peppery flavor from the radish greens.

Processed radish greens pesto in a food processor.

HOW TO MAKE PESTO WITH RADISH GREENS

To make the pesto, simply add the radish greens and all other ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor and process until very finely chopped.

You may want to pulse the mixture and scrape down the sides a few times during this process.

Then, with the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth consistency results.

If you like your pesto thinner, add more olive oil (or water) to the food processor until you get the desired consistency.

I find 1/4 cup of olive oil to be the perfect amount for creating a pesto that’s thick enough to spread on toast or dollop on top of cooked meat but also “saucy” enough to be tossed with pasta and coat it easily.

How to make pesto using radish greens instead of basil.

WHAT DOES RADISH GREENS PESTO TASTE LIKE?

I truly love the flavor of this pesto. Its taste is almost as vibrant as its bright green color!

With a slightly earthy flavor, fun peppery bite and hints of nuttiness from the pepitas and pine nuts, it’s really a lovely unique version of pesto.

I’ve made a lot of pestos before from split pea pesto to cranberry pesto stuffed in lamb to a pistachio pesto with braised artichokes and I love each and every recipe for it’s originality.

This radish green pesto is another one to add to the list.

While it may evoke feelings of spring, since I buy radishes all year round, it’s a recipe I plan to be making regardless of the season.

Check out my guide to radishes for lots of other information on buying, storing and preparing radishes!

Dairy-free radish green pesto tossed with spaghetti.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF RADISH LEAVES?

Besides producing an incredibly tasty pesto, these greens have some impressive health benefits too!

Radish greens are packed with vitamin C. The greens actually contain as much as six times more than the radish bulb itself! (source)

Sulforaphane, an antioxidant compound found in cruciferous vegetables that has been shown to help fight cancer among other detoxifying properties, can also be found in radish greens.

There’s also a good dose of dietary fiber found in the green stems which can be helpful in improving constipation and other gastrointestinal issues.

Other notable vitamins and minerals found in radish greens include magnesium, iron, vitamin B6, calcium and vitamin A.

Spaghetti and radish greens pesto in a bowl.

SUBSTITUTIONS TO THIS PESTO RECIPE

CHEESE

You’ll notice there’s no cheese in this radish pesto making it vegan-friendly. As someone that doesn’t eat dairy any longer, I don’t include cheese when making pesto any more.

For this specific recipe, I prefer it that way as the brightness of the radish greens shines through.

Vegan substitutes like nutritional yeast can be added though if you prefer a “cheesy” touch to your pesto.

Of course, parmesan cheese or pecorino romano can both be used for a more traditional approach.

NUTS

If there’s a nut allergy in your house, use more pepitas or replace the pine nuts with sunflower seeds instead.

Other nuts can also be used if preferred such as walnuts, macadamias, pistachios or almonds instead of the pine nuts.

GREENS

As mentioned earlier, the 1 cup of shoots, sprouts or baby greens is up to you!

If preferred, basil can also be used here which would produce a nice hint of a traditional pesto along with the radish greens.

Bright and peppery pesto using fresh radish greens.

HOW TO USE RADISH GREENS PESTO

My forever favorite will always be to serve pesto with freshly cooked pasta and that holds true for this radish pesto as well.

Pesto pasta was a weekly dinner for me growing up and always evokes a sense of nostalgia.

Outside of pasta though there are many ways to use this pesto:

MORE PESTO RECIPES TO TRY:

Roasted Pesto Potatoes
Creamy Pesto Spaghetti Squash Noodles
Porterhouse Steak Skillet with Spinach Horseradish Pesto
Brown Rice Penne with Lamb and Mint Pesto

5 from 48 votes

Radish Greens Pesto

Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Radish greens pesto.
Save those radish greens and use them to make this bright and peppery pesto. This dairy-free recipe leaves out the cheese for a nutrient-dense flavorful pesto everyone can enjoy!

Ingredients 

  • 1 bunch radish greens, washed and dried (about 6 cups loosely packed)
  • 1 cup loosely packed sprouts, shoots or other baby green(I used pea shoots)
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 3 tablespoons pepitas, toasted (*see note)
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (*see note)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • pinch black pepper
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon, about 2 tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions 

  • Combine all the ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. Process until finely chopped.
  • Remove lid, scrape down the sides as needed.
  • Replace lid and with the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until combined. If you prefer a smoother texture than shown, use a little more olive oil or water until desired consistency is achieved.
  • Season with additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Notes

*To toast pine nuts and pepitas, place in a small skillet over medium-low heat until starting to lightly brown giving the skillet a shake every minute or so while toasting. Let cool for a few minutes before adding to the food processor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 4gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gSodium: 204mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Sauces, Dressings & Spreads
Cuisine: American
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    You know, I am always looking for unique ways to use up my veggie tops. These tops carry so much nutrition, so I hate to throw them away. I love your idea of saving them for a pesto recipe. Made a big batch of this pesto and refrigerated it. It lasted me about 2 weeks and were great as a sandwich spread.

  2. I had an over flowing amount of radishes this year and made this pesto. Everyone loved it! It turned out absolutely delicious!

  3. 5 stars
    I really enjoy making recipes that have low/no waste, and this one is so tasy and creative! I never knew the leaves would be so flavorful, and I really enjoyed it on my wrap for lunch today. Also, I snuck some onto my kids grilled cheeses, and they liked it too!