Three-Ingredient Quick Pickled Watermelon Radish (糖醋红心萝卜)

Growing up, I was never a big fan of radishes. I did like radish in a stew, when it was cooked until tender and almost sweet. When eaten raw, they are too spicy and peppery for my taste. When I was a kid, I’d always frown when I saw watermelon radishes in my grandma’s shopping basket. Just like other northerners, she’d usually slice the radishes and serve them raw with a plate of salty soy dipping sauce. “It is good for your health.” She’d say. Sometimes I’d grab a piece reluctantly. Most of the time I simply ignored its existence.

But once in awhile, she made this pickled radish I love. The Chinese name of this dish is sweet and sour red radish. The method is extremely simple and exactly like its name suggests. You shred the watermelon radish into thin strips, add plenty of sugar and vinegar, and toss it a few times. Then you let it sit for 5 minutes to soak up the flavor. That’s it! At the end, the radish turns brighter, swimming in a beautiful pink liquid. It tastes sweet with a hint of sour. The peppery flavor will be subdued to a degree that is refreshing but not too spicy. Compared to the savory version, this pickled radish almosts taste like a dessert. I always ate my share of it without complaint.

This recipe is still my favorite whenever I cook with watermelon radish. Most of the time I serve it as an appetizer, just like we did in China. My husband loves topping some pickled radish on his rice, like many Asian restaurants do. He says it makes our dinner fancier. When we’re serving a Western-style dinner, I’ll add the pickled radish into my green salad. You’d be surprised how well it goes with a vinaigrette dressing.

This recipe is intended to be served fresh. After all, it takes only 5 minutes to get ready. What I do is use a whole radish and serve half of it for dinner. Then I store the rest of the radish with the brine in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. If you want to store them for a few more days, you should use properly sanitized jars and make more brining liquid, so it covers the radish.

Next time you see watermelon radishes in the grocery store, I hope you grab one and make this dish. I believe its beautiful color and sweet taste will bring joy to your dinner table 🙂

If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.

More healthy Chinese appetizers

• Chinese Style Potato Salad
• Green Onion Tofu Salad
• Chinese Cucumber Salad
• Chinese Spinach Salad with Peanuts

Three-Ingredient Quick Pickled Watermelon Radish (糖醋红心萝卜)

By Maggie Zhu

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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This pickled watermelon radish is sweet and slightly sour, with a hint of spiciness. It takes only 5 minutes to put together and another 5 minutes to marinate. It works as a fun appetizer by itself and is a great ingredient to add to your salad. {Gluten-Free, Vegan} The traditional Chinese method always uses rice vinegar and sugar. But if you prefer a natural sweetener, I recommend the combination of apple cider vinegar and maple syrup. It gives the dish a fruity taste and works just as well as the traditional method. I enjoy processing the radish with a knife. But feel free to use a peeler to shred it, or use a spiralizer to make it into veggie noodles.

Ingredients 

• 1 watermelon radish , peeled and shredded
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or maple syrup)

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Instructions

• Combine apple cider vinegar and maple syrup in a large bowl. Mix well. Add radish and toss. Let sit for 10 minutes in the fridge.
• Add a pinch of salt onto the radish and toss again right before serving.
• Store the rest of the radish in an airtight jar for up to a week.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

The nutrition information is an estimate because most of the sugar used in this recipe will be left in the brine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of the 4 servings, Calories: 10kcal, Carbohydrates: 2.1g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 5mg, Sugar: 2g

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