Radish Leaf, Tomato, Mint, and Lime Salsa

Tangy, sweet, sour, savory and fragrant all at once, Radish Leaf, Tomato, Mint, and Lime Salsa is the ideal “little salad,” using edible radish leaves, and adding flavour and flair to whatever else you are eating. 

Radish leaves are a delightful and edible, if often underused, vegetable component that might more commonly end up in the compost than on the table. I often generate a crop of young radish leaves when I thin out my radish seedlings each spring, and that’s usually when I start making this salsa. At other times of the year, I’ve noticed that radish microgreens are increasingly available, which provide the tender, juicy, radish flavoured leaves that makes this little salsa sing.

Ingredients

Replete with a similar peppery zing as the actual radishes themselves, radish leaves are a useful addition to anything from a salad to any dish featuring cooked greens. Young radish leaves have the best texture, whereas more mature and larger radish leaves often have a bit of fuzz on their surface, a texture that can be ameliorated by finely chopping the leaves for raw dishes, or by cooking.

Other than radish leaves, or the substitute greens of your choice, all that's needed for this quick and easy salsa/salad hybrid is olive oil, lime, juice, fresh mint, and salt.

Substitutions for radish leaves

If you don’t have radish leaves or radish microgreens, you could easily use arugula or arugula microgreens, cress or watercress, mustard microgreens, or any other kind of tender leafy green or microgreen with a bit of vim and vigour.

Instructions

This little salad can be whipped up in mere moments. Freshly washed greens, mint leaves, and green onions are finely slivered, tomatoes are finely diced, lime juice, olive oil and salt are added, and … that’s it! A bit of mixing up and your salsa is ready to go.

Ways to eat Radish Leaf, Tomato, Mint, and Lime Salsa

The recipe for Radish Leaf, Tomato, Mint, and Lime Salsa makes a single cupful, perfect as a flavourful addition to whatever else you are eating with no leftovers to store. I like to dollop this salsa on top of beans and rice, I've scooped it up with tortilla chips or rice chips, spooned it on top of Simple Pan Fried Halloumi, and I’ve gilded the lily by layering it on top of Crispy Smashed Garlic Potatoes with Tahini and Za'atar. Wherever you might like a little juicy zing is a great place to try this easy to make salsa.

Storage

This salsa is best used shortly after it is made. As only about a cupful results from the recipe, and the recipe is quick to whip up, this salsa can be made just before meal time and used up in just one meal. I have eaten it after storing it in the fridge for a few hours, and even though the tender greens wilted a bit in the dressing, the salsa was still tasty, if a little less attractive. 

Looking for ways to use radish leaves, or to eat Radish Leaf, Tomato, Mint, and Lime Salsa?

Print Recipe

Radish Leaf, Tomato, Mint, and Lime Salsa

Tangy, sweet, sour, savory and fragrant all at once, Radish Leaf, Tomato, Mint, and Lime Salsa is the ideal “little salad” to add flavour and flair to whatever else you are eating.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings (could be stretched to 4 if just using as a garnish)

Ingredients

• 1 cup tender radish leaves or zingy microgreens or tender greens of your choice, finely chopped
• ½ cup grape tomatoes finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon mint finely chopped
• ½ green onion fine chopped
• ½ lime
• 1 - 2 tbsps olive oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Finely chop the greens, mint, green onion, and tomatoes and add to a small bowl. Squeeze in the lime, add the olive oil, add a pinch of salt and taste. Add more salt or olive oil to taste as needed before a final gentle mix. Enjoy!