Your New Favorite Summer Topping Might Be This No-Tomato Pico de Gallo

There's little in the food world quite like the crunch of a fresh radish: It has bite, but it gives too, its crisp exterior giving way to a slightly more delicate interior.

It's both peppery and refreshing, making it an incredibly versatile ingredient for any number of salads, sandwiches, and condiments. In fact, one of the best uses of the humble root vegetable may just become the star of your table: Why make a regular tomato pico de gallo when you can make a radish pico de gallo?

Laura Phoenix, executive director of Farm Table Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Wisconsin that supports local food culture through education, training, and research, is a big fan of the radish. It provides an unique look and taste to the reimagined salsa, one where tomatoes have no place. But, says Phoenix, "the other components of the pico de gallo are really traditional … cilantro and lime and salt and then a little bit of garlic and some spicy pepper" come together to form this simple but flavor- and texture-bursting recipe.

In Wisconsin, radishes start to pop up — and then keep popping up — in the spring, but take a walk around your local greenmarket or grocery store wherever you are, and you'll no doubt encounter the eye-catching deep pink or red radishes. The fact that the vegetable happens to be pretty is a bonus for anyone who doesn't care to spend a lot of time thinking about how to make a dish or plate look good.

The radishes' beauty stands out even in a simple salsa like this. "It's so appealing to the eye — that pinkish, reddish hue that's just beautiful, especially when it's offset by the pops of green coming from cilantro or green garlic in [the recipe]," says Phoenix.

The colors will fade after some time, however, so it's best if you can make the pico de gallo shortly before you plan to serve it, though it can be made several hours or up to a day in advance if you don't mind the colors bleeding together. This do-ahead route will also lead to an extra flavorful pico de gallo, thanks to the time the ingredients spend together.

For the pico de gallo, you'll need two cups of match-sticked radishes (two to three bunches), and match-sticked is just what it sounds like, so instead of cutting the vegetables in rounds, aim for stick-like pieces.

Place the cut radishes in a medium-sized bowl, and add ½ cup of fine-diced red onion and one teaspoon of minced garlic. To this mixture, add ½ cup of packed, minced fresh cilantro. Finally, squeeze three tablespoons of lime juice on top of everything, add a ½ teaspoon of salt (or to taste), and give everything a good few tosses.

If you want to add a little kick, Phoenix says you could easily add fresh, diced, hot peppers of your choice (jalapeno, serrano, etc.).

Enjoy with chips, on tacos, or in a burrito bowl. You could also get creative and add a heaping spoonful to a finished omelette, a loaded baked potato, or crostinis.

Oh, and for any cilantro haters out there: While you could omit it or substitute fresh parsley, Phoenix says she wouldn't recommend it.