Are you dreaming about food that YOU want to eat for Thanksgiving … healthful foods that you find really delicious? Here is a recipe that fills the bill, discovered through J&A Farm, found locally at the farmers’ market. They sell a wonderful variety of root vegetables, including lots of interesting radishes. We were about to pass over a whitish-looking one, thinking that its light color meant few nutrients, but its intriguing name attracted us: Watermelon Radish.
The farmer explained that it has beautiful bright pink and magenta hues inside – colors that are reminiscent of watermelon. This indicates the presence of health-giving anthocyanins, which inspired us take some home to try.
The watermelon radish is also known as Rooseheart or Red Meat, and is an heirloom Chinese Daikon that is slightly sweet in taste – in contrast to more familiar savory red radishes or white daikons.
We found green beans that were special too — thick skinned that was dappled with purple, a likely heirloom variety.
Lots of you want simple, easy-to-fix recipes, so we had you in mind when we created Watermelon Radish and Green Bean Soup. To accentuate the natural flavors of these veggies, we prepared the soup without spices so the subtle tastes were easy to enjoy.
Try it –
Wash the radishes: clean the skin with a veggie brush or, if you prefer, peel them and cut them into chunks. Wash the green beans, snip the ends, and break the beans to your preferred size. Add enough water to a pot to cover your veggies. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and add the vegetables. Cook for three to five minutes, testing for your doneness preference. You will have a delicious, natural-tasting soup that works well over pearled, hulless, or black barley. Include a few walnuts to enhance flavor and keep healthful fat in the meal.
The broth is most flavorful – almost as if chicken or beef stock had been added.
Leave a Reply