Beyond Roasting: 10 Must-Try Parsnip Recipes

When root vegetables are heaped up on farmers market tables, we simply can't help ourselves. Roasting beets, carrots, and small colorful potatoes is a simple complement to any evening meal. But we find that parsnips often get the short end of the stick. Here are a few fresh ways to enjoy them.

The reality is: there's so much you can do with parsnips that goes far beyond simply roasting them. And now is the time to start thinking about recipes you'd like to try as parsnips usually start popping up around mid to late fall largely because they require a burst of cold weather to allow their sugars to develop. When shopping for parsnips, choose a bunch that are firm; the smaller ones will have the most flavor.

From The Kitchn Archives:
• Pureed Parsnips
• Parsnip and Crab Soup
• Apple and Parsnip Soup

From Around the Web:
• Creamed Spinach and Parsnips - Food and Wine
• Autumn Potato Salad - 101 Cookbooks
• Parsnip Pierogi with Pickled Red Cabbage and Sauteed Apples - Martha Stewart
• Spiced Parsnip and Tomato Soup - Real Epicurean
• Savory Parsnips Saute - Willie Green's Organic Farm
• Parsnip and Chorizo Cake - Chocolate and Zucchini

(Image: Clay Irving via flickr)

Comments (8)

Oops...mistyped something there. Let's try that again:

Here's one of my favorite parsnip recipes: Parsnip, Fennel, and Cumin Soup. It needs a bit of something extra, like more spices or perhaps a skosh of red pepper flakes, but it's definitely a keeper.

I loooove parsnips, and I'm excited that they're about to be back in season! My absolute favorite thing to do with them is make this curried parsnip soup from the Gluttonous Vegan blog. It's awesome.

parsnips tie for my favorite vegetable with red bell peppers. I roast 2 of them with 2 carrots and 1 onion, then throw them in a stock pot with 4 cups of chicken stock and some lentils and whatever spices I think sound good at the time. Rosemary works well. cook it for about 45 minutes, then add 1/2-1 cup of milk and a tablespoon of butter. Then I take my immersion blender to it. The soup doesn't look pretty, but it tastes amazing.

I just made puree of parsnip & potato from Judith Jones's "Pleasures of Cooking for One". So good! And simple... just cut up one parsnip and one small potato, boil them together, drain, and mash with some cream and butter.

Parmesean parsnips are on the menu for tonight! And I love parsnips. Love, love, love.

Also, how about < a href="http://simplycooked.blogspot.com/2009/11/parsnip-whole-grain-cookies-with-maple.html">parsnip cookies with maple glaze? Carrot works in cake, so why not parsnip in cookies? :)