24 Parsnip Recipes - Sauteed, Roasted, Mashed, Soup & More - Foodiosity (2024)

FAQs

What pairs well with parsnip? ›

The flavor of parsnips pairs well with other root vegetables, like beets, sweet potatoes, and carrots. They're also delicious with cauliflower, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Don't be afraid to roast these parsnips with other veggies of choice for a fiber-rich, delicious side dish.

How to prepare parsnips. Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling – just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away.

This is the case for carrot root fly and carrot blackhead (Alternaria). Other umbellifers that are not recommended as parsnip companion plants include parsley, fennel and celery (Apium graveolens). Carrot root flies can wreak havoc on carrot and parsnip crops.

To prepare: Very small parsnips don't need peeling, just wash them and top and tail. Medium to large parsnips should be peeled and chopped into even-sized chunks, halves or quarters. To cook: Cook in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender.

If you don't peel them, you'll likely be adding a bitter taste to the soup. Why is my parsnip soup bitter? If you leave the peels on the parsnip, it can cause your soup to taste bitter. Ensure you rinse the parsnips well and prep them before adding them to this recipe.

Cooking instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.

Parboil if you prefer a soft texture.

You can skip straight to roasting, but parboiling the parsnips first will help prevent dry or chewy parsnips. To parboil, put whole or halved parsnips in salted, boiling water and cook for 8 minutes or until slightly tender.

Store in the refrigerator in an unsealed bag for 3+ weeks. If a raw parsnip becomes soft and squishy, this is a sign of rot and it should no longer be eaten.

However, if parsnips have been allowed to grow too big or remain too long in storage, they tend to get woodier and bitter. Thus, it is recommended that larger parsnips be peeled and that the “woody” core in the middle be cut out before preparing.

How do you thicken parsnip soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

What sets parsnips apart is their low-calorie content and high fiber, making them an excellent alternative to starchy vegetables like potatoes. In fact, for two centuries, parsnips were the primary source of dietary starch in the US before potatoes took over.

Scrub the parsnips, then blanch whole in a large pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then drain and steam dry. Tip into a large roasting tray, dot over the butter and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, toss to coat and arrange in a single layer, then roast for 1 hour.

Parsnips have a long root like carrots while turnips are round like radishes. Parsnips are sweeter than turnips, with a hint of licorice taste. Parsnips are in the same family as carrots, while turnips are in the same family as cabbage. That gives you an idea of their taste and how they can be used.

In case you are reading my former, deluded, beliefs, here is the correction: On parsnips, the facts are that parsnips can cross with wild parsnip, but not with carrots or Queen Anne's Lace, as I wrongly claimed. On fennel, the facts are that fennel does not cross with anything except other fennel.

Parsnips have a sweeter, licorice-like taste with a hint of spice to them, as opposed to the carrot's sweetness that is more reminiscent of other types of winter squash. Turnips are another root vegetable that is often compared to parsnips, but the two are from completely different families.

Parsnips may look like white carrots, and both vegetables are part of the parsley family, but the lighter colored, usually larger tubers are often treated more like potatoes due to their starchier texture.

In poor soil use a fertiliser low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus, such as blood and bone, applied at the recommended rate.