Radish Top Pesto
May 12, 2025
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Pesto is a great zero-waste recipe, and this Radish Top Pesto is definitely a favorite. It’s a quick, flavorful condiment that uses the leafy greens from fresh radishes that too often end up in the compost bin. With a little creativity and less than 10 minutes of time, you can turn your radish tops into a surprising sauce for sandwiches, salads or roasted radishes.
Choosing the Best Radishes
If you have the luxury of growing radishes in your own yard, those radish tops will ensure phenomenal success. Local farmers markets or anywhere that sources locally grown radishes work best.
Many big box or chain grocery stores have radishes in a bunch that don’t have the most vibrant radish tops. Skip those for this Radish Top Pesto recipe and go with a more traditional pesto combination instead.
How to Make Radish Top Pesto
This simple recipe comes together in about 10 minutes. Simply gather your ingredients and a food processor to make quick work of it all. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 3 cups radish tops, from 1-2 bunches radishes
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper
To the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S blade, add the cleaned radish tops, fresh parsley, garlic clove, pine nuts, zest and juice of a lemon, salt and pepper.
Pulse a few times and stop to scrape down the sides. Run the food processor on low for about 20 seconds, until things are well combined.
Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the top of the food processor lid while it’s running on low, until the pesto comes together. Store in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Radish Top Pesto on TV
This recipe was featured on Seattle’s New Day Northwest with then-host Margaret Larson. I made it from my home kitchen using radishes I grew in my own garden. It’s served with the roasted radishes I like to make on a regular basis.
Watch the full New Day Northwest segment for tips and tricks.
Whether you’re looking to reduce food waste or just want to switch up your pesto game, this Radish Top Pesto is an easy, versatile staple to make ahead. If you make it, share it on Instagram and tag @pestoandpotatoes. I’d love to see how you use it!
Radish Top Pesto
Ingredients
- 3 cups radish tops, from 1-2 bunches radishes
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Wash radish tops and tear up into the bowl of a food processor. Tear up fresh parsley into the bowl. Add lid and pulse 10 to 12 times to start to break down the greens.
- Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add garlic clove, pine nuts, zest from 1 lemon and juice from ½ the lemon into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Replace lid and run on low, until ingredients are broken up and well combined, about 1 minute.
- With food processor running on low, drizzle olive oil into the top until desired texture is reached. You’ll need between ¼ cup and ½ cup olive oil. Stop to scrape down sides, as needed.
- You want the pesto to still hold some shape when you scoop it with a spoon, ensuring it’s not too liquefied or too much like a thick paste.
- If you happen to add too much oil, pulse in another small handful of parsley to reach desired texture.
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