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Unlock root-to-leaf revelations that reduce waste and make your taste buds sing.
If you find yourself staring at a bunch of fresh beets or radishes and thinking there must be more to do with them than roasting the roots or slicing them into salads, you’re not wrong. It’s easy to get stuck in a routine, using only the parts we’re most familiar with and tossing the rest into the compost or trash. But every part of these vegetables — from their roots to their stems and leaves — can bring something wonderful and unexpected to a recipe.
In fact, the bits we tend to discard are often the ones that can make a dish truly special. Beet leaves, for instance, have a gentle sweetness that balances out the earthy flavor of the beetroot itself, as in the Stuffed Beet-Leaf Dolmades. Radish leaves, on the other hand, offer a subtle peppery kick that pairs perfectly with crunchy radish slices in simple dishes like the Radish Greens and Sesame Salad With Sliced Radishes.
If you’ve never cooked with beet or radish greens, start small by substituting beet leaves for spinach in your favorite recipes. You’ll be surprised how easily they fit into stir-fries, omelets, or even pasta. Try radish leaves in a salad or sautéed with a little garlic and olive oil for a satisfying side dish.
Adding to the satisfaction is the knowledge that using every part of the plant not only reduces food waste, but also gives you more bang for your buck — all while introducing variety, color, and texture into your meals along with new flavors and nutrients into your diet.
Other vegetables worth mentioning in this context include carrots, leeks, fennel, and bok choy, whose stalks, leaves, and roots have unique characteristics that can add crunch, flavor, and even a hint of sweetness or bitterness, depending on how you prepare them. Try using carrot stems and leaves when making pesto, like in this recipe for Carrot Ribbons With Toasted Walnuts and a Carrot-Top and Lemon Pesto Dressing. The dark rough tops of leeks, which most people throw away, can be saved and used to impart a deep, savory taste into stocks and broths (more on using the whole leek). Fennel bulbs are wonderful roasted (their fronds can then be chopped and added to salads or used as a garnish), and every part of bok choy can be used to add crisp interest to whatever recipe it touches.
To sum up, the next time you’re prepping these vegetables, pause before you toss their leafy tops in the compost. Instead, give them a good rinse, pat dry, and try experimenting with them in your recipes. You might just discover a new favorite using what you already have.
Radish Greens and Sesame Salad With Sliced Radishes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
This radish-forward dish celebrates root-to-leaf cooking, ensuring no part of the radish is left behind while packing every bite with fresh, zesty flavor. Inspired by the vibrant banchan side dishes found in Korean cuisine, this light, refreshing salad combines radish tops — an often-overlooked yet delicious ingredient — with tender radish greens and crisp radish slices. Savory notes of toasted sesame, soy sauce, garlic, and nutritional yeast add depth and umami, while a hint of sugar balances the flavors. Perfect as a side or a light lunch.
Ingredients
- 3 cups radish greens
- 2 cups thinly sliced radishes such as French Breakfast, Watermelon, or Easter Egg varieties
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Wash and dry the radish greens, then slice them into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Place them in a large bowl along with the sliced radishes and scallions.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the garlic, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar until well combined. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well to combine. Serve immediately or within a few hours.
Stuffed Beet-Leaf Dolmades With a Yogurt, Dill, and Olive Oil Dip
- Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
Description
Inspired by Greek dolmades that traditionally use preserved grape leaves to wrap the filling, this variation uses tasty fresh beet leaves, which are softer and taste more like spinach. Look for beet leaves that are free from holes and about the size of your hand. If you only have smaller leaves, you can carefully layer two or three smaller leaves together to create a bigger wrapper.
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsps olive oil, divided
- 3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
- 3/4 cup grated raw beetroot (from 2 large beets)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- 2 tsps kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 tsps freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped dill, divided
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stems
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnut halves
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 30 large beet leaves or 50 smaller beet leaves, washed well
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt or plant-based Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and beetroot and cook, stirring occasionally until they have softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 1 minute, then stir in the rice and season with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir until the rice is coated well in the oil and slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, bring to a simmer, cover, and lower the heat to low. Let cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in 1/4 cup dill, parsley, walnuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and season to taste with more salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Fill a large high-sided skillet with 1-inch of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Spread out the beet leaves so that they are flat and gently add them to the boiling water, a few at a time, making sure they are fully submerged.
- Blanch the leaves until they are slightly more pliable but still vibrant and green, about 1 minute, then transfer them to a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well. Lay the leaves flat on a baking sheet or tray. Repeat this process until all the leaves are blanched.
- On a clean work surface, carefully flatten out 1 or 2 large beetroot leaves or a few smaller leaves, overlapping them and fanning them out with the stem ends facing towards you. Place about 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture about 1 inch from the bottom of the leaves and fold the side edges in. Fold the bottom of the leaves up and around the filling, rolling up and tucking in. Place on a large serving platter seam-side down. The shape of each dolmade will resemble a tiny burrito. Continue until you have about 20 stuffed leaves.
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with the remaining dill, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. Serve the dolmades warm or at room temperature with the yogurt dip.
