RecipesRadish › Smashed Radish Salad with Soy and Sesame

Smashed Radish Salad with Soy and Sesame

A Chinese-inspired technique where radishes are smashed with the flat of a knife to create craggy, irregular pieces that soak up dressing magnificently. Tossed with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a hit of garlic and chili, this is a snappy, refreshing salad that comes together in under 10 minutes. The smashing technique is genuinely fun and releases flavor compounds from the radish.

10 min (10 min prep, 0 min cook)Serves 4easySaladsvegan · dairy-free

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches radishes, trimmed, smashed flat with the side of a knife and broken into irregular pieces
  • 1½ tbsp soy sauceTamari for gluten-free
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp chili oil or red pepper flakes (optional)
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Contains: cereals gluten, sesame, soya, sulphites.

Method

  1. Place radishes on a cutting board. Using the flat side of a large knife or a meat mallet, smash each radish until it cracks and flattens. Break into 2-3 irregular pieces.About 5 min
  2. Season smashed radishes with a pinch of salt and let sit for 5 minutes. Pat dry.About 5 min
  3. Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, chili oil, and sugar.About 2 min
  4. Toss radishes with dressing, scallions, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.About 2 min

Tips

  • The irregular smashed surface absorbs the dressing far better than neat slices.
  • Salting briefly draws out excess water for a crisper bite.
  • This dressing also works on cucumbers with the same smashing technique.

Ring the changes

  • Add thinly sliced cucumber for a refreshing crunch duo.
  • Top with crispy fried shallots for extra texture.

Keeping it

Best eaten immediately. The radishes will soften and release liquid after 30 minutes.

In the app this recipe finds you

Log what you've picked and GrowMore CookMore matches it to 2,482 more recipes like this one, tells you what's ready before the frost gets it, and keeps the freezer honest. Free to start.

Tony C Smith
Tony C Smith

Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 4 April 2026.