Can you make salsa with…radishes? Absolutely! Throw this zesty lime radish salsa on tacos and it puts them over the top.

Radish salsa

You can never have too many taco recipes, right? Over here, tacos are one of our favorite weeknight dinners because they’re so simple and versatile. We’ve made tacos with just about everything, from lentils to scrambled eggs. Today, we’ve got a phenomenal taco topper: radish salsa! It comes together in just minutes and adds big flavor to all your favorite taco recipes. Here it tops a quick black bean taco recipe that’s an incredibly tasty fast meal!

Related: Black Bean and Corn Salsa | Best Salsa Recipe | Black Bean Salsa

Radish Salsa on Black Bean Tacos

How to make radish salsa

Alex and I harvested our first garden radishes the other day, and I stumbled upon a fish tacos recipe served with a spicy radish salad. Which got us to thinking…can you make radish salsa? We couldn’t resist giving it a try for a dinner with our friend Annie. She was more than happy to try a new taco variation, and we were delighted by the result.

The tangy radish salsa is a refreshing and unique flavor to compliment the black beans and feta. It came together quickly, and was a delightful way to share a meal together. How to make radish salsa? It’s very easy. Here are the main steps (see the recipe below for more):

  • Thinly slice and quarter the radishes. Thinly slice the green onions. Chop the cilantro.
  • Seed and dice the jalapeño pepper. You can use as much pepper as you’d like: half for a mild salsa, or more for a spicier variation. 
  • In a bowl, mix the cilantro with radishes, green onions, jalapeño pepper, lime juice, olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Serve within 10 minutes, or stir together directly before serving!

That’s it! Note that the radish salsa can become watery as it sits, so it’s best served about 10 minutes you mix it together. Use a slotted spoon when serving the salsa to strain out any additional liquid.) Or, you can chop all the ingredients the night before and keep them refrigerated: then add the lime juice and olive oil before serving.

Radishes

Serve with black bean tacos

These black bean tacos use a riff on our favorite way to make black beans. The trick is using the can liquid of the black beans to create a creamy sauce to coat the beans! First, saute some minced garlic in olive oil for a few minutes, then add the black beans and can liquid along with several sprigs of cilantro.

All you have to do is simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid condenses. What results is a seriously flavorful pot of black beans! We’ve been using this method for years, starting with this Tofu Scramble with Black Beans and more recently in our Quick Beans and Eggs.

Combine those black beans with the radish salsa and a bit of feta cheese, and you’ve got one delicious black bean taco! And our last tip for next level tacos: char the tortillas! Place them on an open gas flame on medium for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until they are slightly blackened and warm. This not only heats the tortilla, but gives it an irresistible charred flavor.

More radish recipes

Do you love radishes? Here are a few more easy radish recipes to use up the bunch:

  • Roasted Radishes Throw radishes into a hot oven in this unique easy side dish recipe: they come out vibrant and juicy, with a sweet, mild flavor!
  • Simple Radish Salad Quick, fresh and delicious, pairing chickpeas and herbs with this crunchy veggie!
  • Radish Toasts This radish toast recipe is a simple, yet elegant breakfast or brunch option that takes just 5 minutes to make.
  • Radishes with Butter and Salt Here’s a traditional elegant French snack: radishes with butter and salt. Use the highest quality butter and sea salt to make the radishes shine!

This radish salsa recipe is…

Vegetarian, and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the feta cheese — consider using Cashew Cream or Creamy Cilantro Sauce instead.

Print
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Radish Salsa Recipe


  • Author: a Couple Cooks
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 (12 small tacos) 1x

Description

Can you make salsa with…radishes? Absolutely! Throw this zesty lime radish salsa on tacos and it puts them over the top.


Ingredients

Scale

For the radish salsa

  • 1 bunch radishes (about 12 radishes)
  • 4 green onions
  • ½ to 1 jalapeño pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 4 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

For the black bean tacos

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Torn cilantro leaves, for serving
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 12 small corn tortillas
  • ¾ cup feta cheese crumbles

Instructions

  1. For the radish salsa: Thinly slice and quarter the radishes. Thinly slice the green onions. Seed and dice the jalapeño pepper (taking the necessary precautions to keep the juice away from the eyes). Use ½ pepper for a mild salsa, and more for a spicier variation. Chop the cilantro. Mix the cilantro with radishes, green onions, jalapeño pepper, lime juice, olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. (*Note: The radish salsa can become watery as it sits, so it’s best served about 10 minutes after preparation. Use a slotted spoon when serving the salsa to strain out any additional liquid.)
  2. For the black beans: Mince the garlic. In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and barely starting to brown. Add the black beans along with the can liquid (add ¼ cup water if using beans without liquid), several sprigs of cilantro, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes until the liquid condenses.
  3. Char the tortillas: If desired, char the tortillas by placing them on an open gas flame on medium for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until they are slightly blackened and warm. (See How to Warm Tortillas.)
  4. To serve, place the beans in the middle of a tortilla, top with radish salsa, feta cheese crumbles, and cilantro.
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican Inspired

Keywords: Radish Salsa, Black bean tacos, Taco Recipes, Vegetarian Taco Recipes, Vegetarian Dinner Ideas,

Looking for more vegan & vegetarian tacos?

Outside of these black bean tacos, here are a few of our favorite vegan and vegetarian tacos recipes:

Last updated: January 2020

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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28 Comments

  1. Congrats on the new house! That is so exciting and you get to re-do the kitchen!! Ah I am jealous, sounds so fun!!

    I am also jealous of these tacos! They look awesome!! YUM!

  2. moving!?!?! awesome friends! many congratulations to you. i’m envisioning giant garden, open shelving, lovely porch… can’t wait to see the touch you put on things! let me know if you need me to make a trek and dig a new fire pit for you :)

    1. Thanks! We’re excited to have a little more space (though the big trees complicate my big garden dreams!) We might need your shoveling services… I’m convinced the fire pit at our current house will raise the resale value by about 10K or so :)

  3. Congratz on the new home! I have been wanting to redo my kitchen too, but I am too scared that all the problems that come with it will happen. My sister re did her house and she has one piece of advice to over estimate the amount of money you need, at least you have safety net.
    Such beautiful fresh tacos. Making them at home is so much more cost effective and healthy (so a win win for you right?^_^)

  4. Congrats on the house purchase! Old houses with new kitchen possibilities are the best. My rental is a 1920’s or 30’s, too. Lots of character, aka blue kitchen counters. And the tacos of course look delicious! I’ve been wanting to make tacos with radishes, so thank you for the recipe!

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