Roasted Radish Crostoni
A simple French pairing gets a delicious twist in this Roasted Radish Crostoni recipe. Thick slices of fresh sourdough bread are toasted, then spread with creamy butter, sea salt flakes, and fresh dill, and topped with tender-crisp roasted radishes. The roasting brings out a mellow sweetness in the radishes while keeping their signature peppery bite, creating a tasty rustic appetizer or light snack.
This is a fresh take on the classic French combination of radishes, butter, and herbs — made even better with crisp, tangy sourdough. To learn how to make this radish toast recipe, see the printable recipe card below or take a look at the recipe video. To learn about the French and Italian roots of this recipe, as well as the difference between crostini and crostoni, and for other recipe variations (including vegan, dairy free, and gluten free), please visit the Pimp My Recipe section in my Blog Comments & Tips below.
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RECIPE
(Printable recipe card below.)
ROASTED RADISH CROSTINI
This Roasted Radish Crostoni recipe is a fresh take on the classic French combination of radishes, butter, and herbs — made even better with crisp, tangy sourdough bread. The roasting brings out a mellow sweetness in the radishes while keeping their signature peppery bite, creating a tasty rustic appetizer or light snack. Can easily be made vegan, dairy free, and gluten free!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the boule of sourdough bread cut-side down on a cutting board. Using a serrated bread knife, cut sourdough bread into ½-inch-thick slices (into 8 slices). Using a toaster oven, toast bread until lightly golden brown, and set aside to cool.
- Cut and discard stem and root from radishes, then thinly slice into paper thin slices. Remove leaves from stem, and chop dill, and set radishes and dill aside.
- Preheat toaster oven to high broil - about 500°F.
- Spread a generous amount of softened butter onto the top of each slice of toasted bread. Over the buttered toast, sprinkle coarse light grey Celtic sea salt (or Maldon’s sea salt flakes), chopped dill, then layer slices of radishes arranging them evenly in a single layer (but slightly overlapping).
- Arrange the sourdough toasts (crostoni) on a small baking sheet or a piece of aluminum foil, and broil for about 5 minutes (about halfway through, gently brush melted butter onto radishes), and continue to broil/roast until lightly roasted and tender-crisp. Radishes will be hot and steamy.
- Finish with a sprinkling of sea salt flakes and a sprig of fresh dill. Serve immediately while the bread is crisp.
Notes
- For a gluten free option, simply swap out regular sourdough for a gluten free sourdough artisan bread.
- For more recipe variations (including vegan and dairy free), visit the Pimp My Recipe section for this recipe in my Blog Comments & Tips on the website.
- Makes 4 servings (2 slices each serving).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
277Fat (grams)
15 gSat. Fat (grams)
9 gCarbs (grams)
29 gFiber (grams)
2 gNet carbs
27 gSugar (grams)
1 gProtein (grams)
5 gSodium (milligrams)
690 mgCholesterol (grams)
38 mgNutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Nutritional calculations do not include optional garnishes or ingredients to taste.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Serve immediately while bread is warm and crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Note: Find out how to make this recipe dairy free, vegan, or gluten free by visiting the Pimp My Recipe Section in my Blog Comments & Tips below.
VIDEO
How to Make this Quick and Easy Snack - Roasted Radish Crostoni!
Blog Comments & Tips
Crostini versus Crostoni: A French-Inspired Radish & Butter Pairing
My Roasted Radish Crostoni is a fresh take on the classic French combination of radishes, butter, and herbs — made even better with crisp, tangy sourdough. For this recipe, I used my homemade Classic Sourdough Bread (recipe coming soon).
Crostini versus Crostoni
If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between crostini and crostoni, the answer is simple: it mostly comes down to size. Both are Italian-style toasted bread topped with a variety of savory ingredients, but crostini are typically small, thin slices (usually from a baguette) meant to be eaten in a bite or two, while crostoni are larger, thicker slices of bread with more toppings (in this case, from a sourdough boule). Think of crostini as the petite appetizer and crostoni as the heartier, more generous version.
For this recipe, thick slices of homemade sourdough make the perfect base for my Roasted Radish Crostoni. The sturdy bread can hold a generous layer of creamy butter along with tender roasted radishes and fresh dill, turning a simple combination into something substantial enough to enjoy as a very light lunch, snack, or elegant appetizer.
The French Love Affair with Radishes and Butter
While the name crostoni is Italian, the inspiration for this topping comes from a beloved French combination: radishes and butter. This pairing is associated with the classic French radis au beurre (radishes served with butter). In France, fresh radishes are traditionally served with good-quality butter, alongside a sprinkle of flaky salt. I grew up eating this several times per week as a snack or an appetizer before dinner.
The contrast is what makes it so appealing. Crisp, peppery radishes meet creamy butter, while a sprinkling of salt enhances both flavors. The butter softens the sharpness of the radish without overwhelming its fresh, slightly spicy character. It is a perfect example of the French approach to food — taking an uncomplicated pairing of simple ingredients and making them exceptional based on quality, balance, and restraint.
A Twist on a Classic
Roasting the radishes gives this traditional combination a new personality. Instead of the crisp texture of raw radishes, roasting brings out their natural sweetness and creates a tender-crisp texture while mellowing some of their peppery bite. Layered over creamy butter and toasted sourdough, the result is rustic, savory, and surprisingly sophisticated.
Fresh dill adds another layer of flavor, bringing a delicate herbal note that complements both the roasted radishes and rich butter. And the tangy character of homemade sourdough provides just enough texture and flavor contrast to keep every bite balanced. Although not traditional, this Roasted Radish Crostoni recipe borrows the best of both Italian and French traditions, resulting in a quick bite that is perfect for snack time or a light lunch.
How do you ensure the best results from this recipe?
My 5 tips to making Roasted Radish Crostoni:
Use fresh homemade sourdough boule for the best flavor (my Classic Sourdough Bread recipe is coming soon!).
Not a bread baker? Just use a good quality, fresh store-bought artisan sourdough instead. The boule shape is best for this recipe.
Use unsalted European-style butter. Traditional French butter is my preference, but this USA made brand, Plugra European-style unsalted butter, is a solid substitute. Other good options are Trader Joe’s European-style butter, and Vermont Creamery unsalted European-style cultured butter. Just soften the butter by leaving it at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Slice the radishes as thin as possible so they roast quickly under the broiler. If the slices are too thick, it will take too long to roast them and your bread will become too hard and crusty to bite easily. If you prefer to roast them in a pan on the stovetop, see the Pimp My Recipe section below for details.
I found coarse light grey Celtic sea salt to add a great texture and flavor to this recipe. You need that salty bite to bring out the flavors in this recipe. If you don’t have Celtic sea salt, Maldon’s sea salt flakes also work well in this recipe.
It’s time to customize and Pimp My Recipe.
Pimp My Recipe:
Make it into a Crostini: Simply swap the thick slices of sourdough bread with thin slices of baguette. Use the same process as noted in the recipe instructions, except don’t toast them too long as they will be hard and difficult to bite. The only difference is the size of the bread, which creates a smaller appetizer bite (boule versus baguette).
Make it Herby & Creamy: Swap out the butter with Boursin garlic & fine herbs cheese. Just toast the bread, cool, spread on some Boursin cheese, sprinkle with dill or tarragon, and layer fresh radishes on top, and finish with sea salt a garnish of dill. The radishes will be raw (no need to roast them), but the creamy cheese will mellow the spiciness of the radishes.
Make it Milder: Cut radishes into ⅛ inch thick slices (or cut in half lengthwise for a thicker bite). Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan on medium heat, add the radish slices in a single layer, and cook until lightly golden, then flip over and cook until golden. Spread softened butter on toasted bread, salt, fresh herbs, then roasted radishes, and finish with sea salt.
Make it Vegan & Dairy Free: Swap out dairy butter for a vegan butter like Miyoko’s Creamery unsalted plant milk butter or Violife unsalted plant butter.
Make it Gluten Free: Swap out wheat flour sourdough boule for an artisan gluten free sourdough boule. Homemade is the best, so if you bake bread, use your own gluten free sourdough boule.
Enjoy and let me know what you think by commenting below, rating my recipes, subscribing, following, and liking Prep My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: For the perfect crunchy bite, remember to cut thick slices of sourdough bread, and very thin slices of radishes.
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