Happy first day of spring! If you’re anything like me, you’ve been antsy to shake off the winter chill, break away from the Dutch ovens full of hearty soups and stews, and embrace lighter clothes and lighter foods. And the very first thing I think you should make is . . . radish toast!
Recipes
The Ultimate Vegetable Toast You Need to Make Right Now
Avocado toast is great, but to welcome spring, try pickled radish toast.
By Published Mar. 20, 2023
Radish toast? Yes, radish toast.
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10 ingredients. 45 minutes. Quick, easy, and fresh weeknight recipes.
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What is radish toast? Only the best toast you’ve probably never made before! We all know and love avocado toast. And we all know that toast can be topped with infinite things. So why not radishes?
Some people find the bite of radishes a bit harsh. With this toast, though, the harshness is not an issue because the radishes are pickled. Pickling mellows the radishes’ sharp notes but preserves their crunch more than cooking them would.
To pickle radishes, simply heat lemon juice, water, sugar, and table salt just enough to dissolve the sugar, and then pour this liquid over thinly sliced radishes. Let the radishes sit for 30 minutes, stirring them occasionally, and then drain them. This brief pickling time seasons and flavors the radishes while preventing them from getting too soft.
Recipe
Lemon-Pickled Radish Toast with Basil and Parmesan
Move over, avocado; there’s a new toast in town.Get the Recipe
To assemble the radish toast, start by toasting some thick slices of rustic bread (preferably from a boule). Then make a creamy spread to go on top. After much testing and tasting in the test kitchen, we decided on a mixture of cream cheese, Parmesan, basil, garlic, and lemon zest. This mixture is rich and satisfying, with well-rounded flavor from each of the components.
Next, slather your creamy spread all over the toast, and then shingle the pink pickled radishes on top. (I especially like the way watermelon radishes look on this toast, but the red radishes, known as Cherry Belle, that you can easily find at the supermarket are striking too.)
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To finish the toasts and give them that extra touch of elegance, drizzle them with extra-virgin olive oil, garnish them with basil and grated Parmesan, sprinkle them with flake sea salt, and season them with a nice grind of pepper.
This toast is a great way to usher in springtime, with all its bright, fresh notes! If you cut each slice of toast into four pieces, you’ll get snack-size portions perfect for party apps. Because we’re definitely having a party to celebrate spring’s arrival!