A Trip to Kroger

I went to Kroger last week looking specifically for radishes to add to my salads. I also have radishes on hand in the fridge lately for a quick low-cal high-fiber snack. Unfortunately the radish section at the store was empty. Such a disappointment.

But luck for me, there was a young woman stocking the produce shelves. I asked if there were any radishes in one of her stacked boxes. She was kind enough to dig through the boxes of produce and she retrieved the most beautiful red radishes. She made my day!

These radishes were your basic Cherry Bell variety found in most grocery stores, But they were so shiny and red, with stems and leaves still attached. These radishes were screaming for me to buy them. So, what did I do? I stocked up, of course.

What Can I do with Radishes?

I left Kroger as the proud owner of three large bundles of the most beautiful freshest radishes ever —a whole lot more than I planned to buy. So now what?

Once I got home I did some hunting around on the internet for radish recipes.

I found a recipe for Radish Salsa (sounds interesting), one recipe for a Peruvian-Style/South American Coleslaw (looks really good and a future try), and this recipe for Peruvian-Style Chopped Salad, also known as Solterito.

Most of the ingredients for the Peruvian-Style Chopped Salad were either in my fridge and pantry, so it was an easy recipe to put together. All I was missing were edamame and/or lima beans. I used white beans instead. I’m not a lima bean fan anyway. No black olives on hand either, so they got left out, and honestly I didn’t miss them either.

The Dressing is So Good

The dressing for this Peruvian-Style Chopped Salad really is good. I never thought to use the combination of mint and cilantro in a vinaigrette, but it works here. And the lime gives the dressing such a fresh flavor.

How to Slice Radishes

Radishes can be a challenge to slice because of their round shape. They like to roll around the cutting board, making knife contact hazardous. So pay attention to what you’re doing.

My preferred method of slicing is using a mandolin. I have to say this handheld mandolin is one of my favorite tools.

Okay I know I have a lot of favorite tools in my gadget drawer, but the mandolin REALLY is on my top 10 favorite gadget list.

The mandolin can be an inexpensive purchase and very handy to have for slicing radishes and lots of other vegetables. Mine gets plenty of use and is still sharp after a couple of years.

If you’re slicing radishes with a knife, make sure your knife is super sharp. Slice super thin slices.

Remember to watch your fingers. If you’re using a mandolin, I find that “food holder” doesn’t work too well with radishes. A lot of the radish stays on the food holder so much goes unsliced.

I have to admit I slice many vegetables without the food holder (and have the scars to prove it). All I can say is do so at your own risk and be really REALLY careful. In other words, don’t try to get “just one more slice” out of your radish. Set them aside and use them for another recipe.

Making the Prep Time Easier

A mandoline is the perfect tool to slice the red onion and the radishes, but a knife works, too.
I used my sharp chef’s knife to the cut the “Sugar Bomb” cherry tomatoes I bought at Aldi in half.
After combining the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, I used my handheld immersion blender to mix it all together.
You can easily chop the ingredients, place them in a bowl, and whisk together to combine.

After making the dressing, I combined it with the salad ingredients and gently mixed to combine.

The salad turned out great.

Print Recipe