Words and Photo by Stephanie Cameron

Serves 4 as a starter

Few vegetables display nature’s beauty more than a bisected watermelon radish. They have a mild, slightly sweet taste, and crisp texture with a subtle peppery bite, making them the perfect canvas for an herb-forward dressing. Named for a sixteenth-century Venetian artist known for his use of red pigments, this Italian antipasto is traditionally served with paper-thin raw meat and a light dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, but the preparation can also be used to showcase a single vegetable—and what better than this red-hued radish?

Print Recipe

Radish Carpaccio

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, packed
  • 1/2 cup mixed other fresh herbs (cilantro, thyme, basil, mint, sage), packed
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
  • 1/4 –1/2 teaspoon salt

Carpaccio

  • 1 –2 watermelon radishes (depends on the size of plate being used)
  • 2 –3 tablespoons dressing

Instructions

  • To make the dressing, combine all ingredients using an immersion blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt, acid, or sweetener if needed.
  • Wash radishes well, trim and top, then slice thinly with a mandolin. Lay each slice carefully, trying to cover just half of each radish slice with the next.
  • Gently spoon dressing over sliced radishes and cover the plate with plastic wrap, avoiding contact with the carpaccio. Refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 3 hours). Serve cold.
  • The dressing can be stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Herbs will settle to the bottom as they sit. Shake well before serving. When the dressing has been stored in the refrigerator for a while, it may thicken. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
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Stephanie Cameron was raised in Albuquerque and earned a degree in fine arts at the University of New Mexico. She is the art director, head photographer, recipe tester, marketing guru, publisher, and owner of edible New Mexico and The Bite.