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

FAQs

What do parsnips taste like when roasted? ›

“What I like about parsnips and what they're prized for is they're sweet like a carrot and when they're cooked they caramelize and have a nutty flavor that comes out,” Glass says. “They get that caramelized crunchy, crispiness or become silky so they do well roasted or in a puree.”

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?).

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.

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.

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.

I recommend peeling parsnips before adding them to recipes like this parsnip soup. 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.

A lot of the parsnip flavor is close to the skin, so I recommend scrubbing your parsnips well instead of peeling them! If you do choose to peel them, try to peel them thinly.

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.

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.

Though they may seem pricey at $2.99 a pound, Tomizza says the seeds are much more expensive than carrots, they're more expensive to grow, harvest and pack and workers have to cut off the leafy tops by hand.

What does parsnip do to your skin? ›

Parsnips contain compounds which may cause skin irritation in some people, and make the skin very sensitive to sunlight. This can lead to severe burning. The rash will usually clear up without treatment if you avoid contact with the plant that caused it.

Avoid parsnips that are soft, shriveled, or have blemishes. Large roots tend to be more fibrous with a tough woody core, while the smaller roots are sweeter and more tender. Like other root vegetables, parsnips have a lengthy shelf life. To store, trim off any green tops and refrigerate the roots for up to three weeks.

Make sure that your parsnips don't overlap each other during the cooking process, as this will steam them, rather than roast them, resulting in a soggy parsnip!

To cut up parsnips, start by peeling away the tough skin and discarding the top and bottom ends. Then feel free to slice them into matchsticks with julienne cuts, cut them into disks on the bias, or core them and divide the more tender parts into small chunks. Bon appétit!

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.

While they're both root vegetables packed with nutrients, parsnips and turnips are not quite the same—parsnips are similar to carrots and have a sweet, candy-like flavor profile. Turnips, on the other hand, are in the Brassica rapa family and are much less sweet.

Parsnips contain many positive health benefits. The high fiber content of parsnips may help maintain regularity and reduce blood cholesterol levels. Parsnips also provide potassium and vitamin C and B6/Folate. They also boast anti-inflammatory properties and anti-fungal properties as well.

Thick parsnips tend to have bitter, woody cores. Cut them in half length-wise and cut out the core if this is the case. Parsnips taste best during the winter months. They're sweeter when exposed to cold, so keep them in a bag in the fridge.