15 Easy Parsnip Side Dish Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do parsnips pair well with? ›

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.

Parsnips are a classic ingredient in some chicken broths and soups, and can also be baked, sauteed, steamed, mashed or pureed, roasted, used in stews and fried. The parsnip is a root vegetable related to both carrots and parsley (and, come to think of it, don't the tops of carrots look a lot like parsley?).

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.

Parsnips often contain a group of natural toxins called furocoumarins. These are probably produced to protect the plant when it has been stressed. The toxin is mostly found in the peel and the surface layer of the plant, as well as around any damaged areas. One of the toxins can cause stomach ache.

Flavour winter vegetables with fennel seed, turmeric and ginger. If you're hosting a buffet, these curried parsnip soup shots will make the perfect canapés. Serve with a dainty topping of prosciutto or choose crisp kale for a vegan option.

Acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Helps regulate blood pressure. As a source of vitamin C, parsnips are an immune-defence, helping to fight off infection. May increase levels of serotonin, the brain's feel-good chemical.

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.

Popular around the world, parsnips are undeservedly overlooked in the mainstream American diet. That's simply not fair, because parsnips are loaded with vitamins, packed with subtle flavors, and are a healthy alternative to potatoes for those limiting their carbohydrate macros.

Unless you have older parsnips, you should not have to remove the core. If they have been left in the ground too long they can develop a woody core that is too pithy. You will notice it as you try to cut the tops off. If this is the case, quarter them lengthwise then remove the cores with a sharp chef's knife.

If you plan to serve parsnips whole and don't want to cut them on the bias, they're much more pleasant to eat if you remove the tough, chewy cores before cooking. HARD CORE: Tough parsnip cores should be removed before roasting but aren't noticeable in pureed applications.

Is it safe to eat a raw parsnip? ›

Yes, you can eat parsnips raw. In fact, they make a delightful alternative to raw carrot sticks for dunking into homemade houmous. Raw grated parsnip is also a tasty addition to salads. Just make sure you wash your parsnips well before chopping them and slice off any bits of skin that might look bruised or blackened.

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.

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.

Re: Bitter parsnips

If that still doesn't help, then you can simply trim the outside and discard the woody core before cooking (that's the bitter part). Or you can add a few pinches of sugar to the cooking water and that eliminates the bitterness.

Parsnips and apples are a great flavor pairing: the apples brighten the earthiness of the parsnips. Don't skip the melted Gruyère toasts in this recipe — you'll want to dunk them in the silky soup. Here, healthy whole grains pair with nutty root vegetables and herbs for a colorful side dish.

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 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.