Parsnips look a lot like bulbous albino carrots. Home cooks often pass them by in the market, unsure about how to approach this pale, primitive-looking relative of both carrot and parsley. That’s a shame, since parsnips are easy to cook by almost any method. They’re simultaneously sweeter and earthier than carrots, with more complex and subtle floral notes, but they are just as versatile in the kitchen. Their flavor, along with their satisfyingly hearty texture, means they can shine in a wide variety of preparations.
Parsnips have been cultivated since ancient times in Europe and Asia, and made their way to America in the 1600s. At least since the Roman era they have been a ubiquitous staple food for everyday people, because they are hardy and easy to grow, they store well, and they offer vitamins and minerals, including plenty of potassium, as well as starch and sugar. In fact, before sugar became widely available in modern times, parsnips were used to sweeten items such as cakes. Their tragic decline in popularity coincided with the rise in popularity of potatoes and the availability of white sugar.
Parsnips do differ from carrots in that they are typically eaten cooked, not raw. Whether oven-roasted or pan-roasted, sautéed, pureed, glazed, or braised, they make for a perfect fuss-free side dish. They can even be cooked in the same skillet as your protein for a quick dinner, as in our recipe for Roasted Chicken with Honey-Glazed Parsnips. Braised Parsnips with Cranberries is a simple but festive stovetop side that begs to be included on your Thanksgiving table. And Sautéed Parsnips with Ginger, Maple, and Fennel Seeds will forever change the way you think about this humble root vegetable.
shopping and storage
The peak season for parsnips is fall through winter, although they are available year-round. They should be rock hard, just like carrots; if they bend, they are past their prime. When shopping, if you find medium-size parsnips—with the bases no larger than 1 inch in diameter at their thickest point—these will be the most tender and do not need to be cored. Larger parsnips (up to about 2½ inches in diameter at their thickest point) are still tasty and sweet, but they need to be cored before cooking. Parsnips larger than that are too tough, even after cooking, and are best avoided. Store parsnips just as you would carrots: wrapped loosely in a paper towel in a plastic produce bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. As with carrots, if your parsnips come with their greens attached, remove them before storage. This will likely only happen if you purchase your parsnips from a farmers’ market, since, unlike carrot greens, parsnip greens aren’t edible.
acidulate your parsnips
Similar to artichokes and apples, parsnips will oxidize and turn brown very quickly after you peel and cut them. So if you aren’t planning to cook parsnips right away after prepping them, submerge them in a bowl of water with a little lemon juice or vinegar. The acid in the juice or vinegar will slow down the browning.
vegetable prep
With their thick bulbous stem and thin tapered end, cutting parsnips into even pieces can stump even the most skilled cook. To get more evenly sized pieces, we often like to cut parsnips on the bias or into matchsticks.
Cutting Parsnips on Bias
1. Cut thin tapered end from bulbous part of parsnip, then quarter bulbous end lengthwise.
2. Holding knife at 45-degree angle to parsnips, cut each piece into desired thickness on bias.
Cutting Parsnips into Matchsticks
1. Cut parsnip crosswise into desired lengths.
2. Cut each piece lengthwise into planks of desired thickness.
3. Cut each plank lengthwise into matchsticks of desired thickness.
1. If parsnips are large, cut them lengthwise into quarters.
2. Lay parsnip quarter flat-side down on cutting board and trim woody core that runs along interior of piece.
SAUTÉED PARSNIPS WITH GINGER, MAPLE, AND FENNEL SEEDS
Serves 4
Total time: 20 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS This delicious and dead-easy one-pan side dish will definitely linger in your mind. It’s simple enough to serve any night of the week but sophisticated enough for company. Cooking the parsnips was a short project: Cutting them into uniform sticks, a smoking-hot pan, and minimal stirring charred, caramelized, and cooked through those parsnips in just minutes. Since parsnips have warm spice and licorice-like notes, we chose glaze ingredients, including fennel seeds and ginger, that would bring out those unique qualities. The glaze achieved the perfect sweet, salty, and tart balance using maple syrup, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. You can substitute anise seeds for fennel. Look for parsnips with tops no larger than 1 inch in diameter for this recipe. If yours are larger, remove their fibrous cores before cooking.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1½ teaspoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1½ pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long by ½-inch-wide matchsticks
1. Stir soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, and fennel seeds together in bowl; set aside. Combine ginger and 1 teaspoon oil in separate bowl; set aside.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add parsnips and cook, stirring occasionally, until well charred and crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Push parsnips to sides of skillet. Add ginger mixture to center and cook, mashing mixture into pan, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir ginger into parsnips. Add soy mixture and toss to coat parsnips; cook until liquid is reduced to syrupy glaze, about 15 seconds. Serve immediately.
PAN-ROASTED PARSNIPS
Serves 6 to 8
Total time: 25 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Here, the sweet caramelized flavor of oven-roasted parsnips is replicated on the stovetop, a streamlined technique that provides great roasted flavor and allows you to use your oven for other dishes. After browning the parsnips in vegetable oil, we added water to the pan before covering—this created a gentle steaming effect that guaranteed perfectly cooked parsnips every time, coaxing out the best flavor and texture. We cut the parsnips into ½-inch-thick pieces on the bias to assure even browning and cooking, as well as an attractive presentation. Look for parsnips no wider than 1 inch at their base, or you may need to discard their fibrous cores. You will need a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut ½ inch thick on bias
½ cup water
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Lemon wedges
1. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add parsnips and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add water and ¾ teaspoon salt and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.
VARIATIONS
Pan-Roasted Cilantro-Lime Parsnips
Add 1 teaspoon chili powder to skillet with parsnips in step 1. Substitute 2 tablespoons cilantro for parsley. Add ¾ teaspoon lime zest plus 1 tablespoon lime juice to parsnips with cilantro in step 2. Serve with lime wedges.
Pan-Roasted Orange Parsnips
Substitute 1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme for parsley. Add ¾ teaspoon orange zest to parsnips with thyme in step 2. Serve with orange wedges.
SIMPLE PUREED PARSNIPS
Serves 4
Total time: 30 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS For a change of pace from mashed potatoes, try this quick and simple puree. Its flavor is pure, sweet, and intense, thanks to the fact that the parsnips are steamed rather than boiled before pureeing. Because parsnips are not as high in starch as potatoes, you can puree them in a food processor without turning them into a gummy mess—unlike potatoes. If you don’t want to take out your food processor, you can puree the parsnips using any of the tools you might use to mash potatoes, though you will get a more rustic consistency.
1½ pounds parsnips, peeled, cut into 2½-inch lengths, and thick ends halved lengthwise
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Salt and pepper
1. Bring 1 inch water to boil in covered Dutch oven over medium-high heat (water should not touch bottom of steamer basket).
2. Arrange parsnips in steamer basket. Set steamer basket inside Dutch oven, cover, and cook until they can be easily pierced with paring knife, about 10 minutes. Reserve cooking liquid.
3. Puree parsnips in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, adding reserved cooking liquid as needed to achieve desired consistency. Return puree to now-empty Dutch oven and reheat over medium low-heat, stirring in butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. (Puree can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen in airtight container for up to 1 month.)
VARIATION
Creamy Parsnip Puree with Shallots
While parsnips are cooking, melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 3 chopped shallots and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Substitute ¼ cup chicken broth and ¼ cup milk for reserved cooking liquid, adding more milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. Top puree with shallots and serve.
BRAISED PARSNIPS WITH CRANBERRIES
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 35 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS The cooking liquid becomes your sauce when braising, so the trick to making a great braised vegetable side dish is to create a sauce that coats the vegetables well and infuses them with flavor without overwhelming them. Parsnips, with their slightly licorice-y sweetness, can stand up to rich sauces—but if not correctly balanced, the finished dish can come off as cloying. For our braising liquid, we found that a mixture of vegetable broth and apple cider gave us a base with depth, fruitiness, and a touch of acidity that complemented the parsnips perfectly. Reducing the cooking liquid slightly before adding the parsnips and finishing with Dijon mustard and butter gave the sauce extra bite, plus silky texture and body. Dried cranberries brought a contrasting tartness, and fresh parsley lent color and bright flavor, bringing this dish into perfect balance. Look for parsnips with bases no larger than 1 inch in diameter for this recipe.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons cut into ½-inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup apple cider
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut ¼ inch thick on bias
½ cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add broth, cider, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper; bring to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add parsnips, stir to combine, and return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 14 minutes.
2. Remove pot from heat. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves and stir in cranberries. Push vegetable mixture to sides of pot. Add mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to center and whisk into cooking liquid. Stir to coat vegetable mixture with sauce, transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
GLAZED PARSNIPS AND CELERY
Serves 4
Total time: 25 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Parsnips and celery have complementary flavors but contrasting textures, making for an unusual side dish that will keep you coming back bite after bite. To ensure that the parsnips and celery cooked evenly, we cut them into pieces of equal size, ½ inch thick on the bias. Browning the vegetables without stirring created nice caramelization and roasted flavors. Then, to get the parsnips and celery to a tender-but-not-mushy state, we simmered them, covered, in a mixture of broth and seasonings. Once the vegetables were tender, it was easy to create a lightly sweet glaze from the remaining liquid in the skillet. Choose parsnips with bases no larger than 1 inch in diameter for this recipe. If your parsnips are larger, cut away their fibrous cores before cooking. You will need a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut ½ inch thick on bias
3 celery ribs, sliced ½ inch thick on bias, leaves reserved
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat skillet. Add parsnips in even layer and cook, without stirring, until browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
2. Add broth, vinegar, sugar, pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid reduces to syrupy glaze, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until melted and parsnips are well coated. Sprinkle with celery leaves, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
PARSNIP HUMMUS
Makes about 2 cups
Total time: 50 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Hummus is supposed to be all about the chickpeas—right? Well, this version turns that notion on its head, keeping the typical flavorings (tahini, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice) but losing the legumes in favor of earthy, floral parsnips. The ideal cooking method for this recipe turned out to be microwaving, which was easy and resulted in flavor nearly as intense as roasting. Just ¼ cup of tahini was enough to stand up to the parsnips without overwhelming the hummus. To round out the flavors, we added warm spices: paprika, coriander, and cumin. Chipotle chile powder and garlic tempered the sweetness of the parsnips, while lemon juice brought the flavors into focus. Look for tender, thin parsnips for this hummus, as large parsnips can turn bitter. Serve with crackers, chips, or crudités.
1 pound parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch lengths, and thick ends halved lengthwise
¼ cup tahini
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1. Microwave parsnips in covered bowl until tender, about 10 minutes. Combine tahini and oil in small bowl.
2. Process parsnips, water, lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, garlic, paprika, coriander, cumin, and chile powder in food processor until completely smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With processor running, add tahini mixture in steady stream and process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Transfer hummus to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature until flavors meld, about 30 minutes. Drizzle with extra oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve. (Hummus can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; stir in 1 tablespoon warm water to loosen if necessary before serving.)
VEGETABLES REIMAGINED
PARSNIP HUMMUS
Hummus versions abound, but they are almost entirely based on chickpeas. Our new take on this tried-and-true standard uses parsnips instead. We kept the traditional tahini, garlic, and olive oil, and countered the sweetness of the cooked parsnips with warm, savory spices including cumin and chipotle chiles and the acidic punch of lemon juice. Just like its legume-based parent, it’s great as a dip with crackers, but it also works as a salad topping or alongside roasted chicken.
1. Peel the parsnips and cut the thick ends in half lengthwise. Cut the parsnips into 1-inch lengths of even thickness.
2. Place the parsnips in a bowl, cover, and microwave them until they are very tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the tahini and olive oil in a small bowl.
4. Add the parsnips, water, lemon juice, and spices to the food processor and process until the mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. With the food processor running, add the tahini-oil mixture in a steady stream and process until the hummus is completely smooth and creamy.
6. Drizzle the parsnip hummus generously with olive oil, sprinkle it with sesame seeds, and serve.
CREAMY ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 45 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Classic creamy soups like potato-leek or carrot-ginger tend to focus on a single vegetable or two, letting one root shine. For this recipe, we wanted a mélange of mellow, sweet, earthy root vegetables, while still highlighting one as a standout flavor. So we started with the usual suspects—potatoes, carrots, and celery—but then added parsnips for a gentle, haunting sweetness. For browning the vegetables, tasters definitely preferred the nutty flavor of butter, rather than oil. And, of course, cream is a must in a creamy soup, but too much dairy muted and obscured the vegetable flavors. We settled on ½ cup of heavy cream, supplemented with leeks to add sweet silkiness. A bay leaf added just the right herbal note. This pureed soup is silky smooth, sweetly earthy, and intensely flavorful.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly
1 celery rib, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
Salt and pepper
12 ounces russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
4¼ cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
½ cup heavy cream
1. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add parsnips, carrots, leek, celery, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until starch begins to release and vegetables begin to stick together, about 2 minutes. Add broth and bay leaf and bring to boil.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Return soup to clean pot and stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
ROASTED CHICKEN WITH HONEY-GLAZED PARSNIPS
Serves 4
Total time: 45 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Using quick-cooking bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts for this roasted chicken and parsnips dish, rather than a whole chicken, turned a typically time-intensive preparation into a one-skillet meal that’s quick enough for any night of the week. We started the chicken in a skillet on the stovetop to brown the skin; we then transferred the skillet to the oven to finish cooking the chicken. Roasting the parsnips right in the skillet with the chicken concentrated their flavor, and they also picked up some of the juices released by the chicken. The 20 minutes it took to roast the chicken pieces was the same amount of time it took to almost fully cook the parsnips. Once the chicken was roasted and beautifully bronzed, we set it aside so we could make the glaze on the stovetop and finish cooking the parsnips. The honey and rosemary glaze perfectly complemented the parsnips’ earthy sweetness.
4 (10- to 12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and halved crosswise
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 3-inch-long by ¾-inch-wide matchsticks
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add breasts skin side down and cook until skin is crispy and golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer breasts to plate.
2. Add parsnips to now-empty skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Nestle breasts skin side up among parsnips in skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until chicken registers 160 degrees and parsnips are almost tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Using potholder (skillet handle will be hot), remove skillet from oven. Transfer breasts to serving platter and tent with aluminum foil. Being careful of hot skillet handle, add honey and rosemary to parsnips, and cook over medium heat until liquid has thickened to glaze, about 3 minutes. Transfer glazed parsnips to platter with chicken, drizzle with remaining glaze, and serve.
RED WINE–BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH BACON, PARSNIPS, AND PEARL ONIONS
Serves 6
Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes (plus 2 hours cooling time and 8 hours refrigeration time)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Bone-in braised short ribs are so impressive and a terrific make-ahead option when cooking for company, since it’s best to rest them overnight (at least) before serving. This version tops the stew with parsnips and pearl onions cooked in bacon fat until golden brown—yes, please! We wanted a straightforward option for browning the short ribs, so we browned them all at once in the oven, allowing the ribs to spend more time in the heat and maximizing the amount of fat rendered. We added lots of savory aromatics—garlic, red wine, rosemary, thyme, and tomato paste. Plenty of fat still came out in the braise, so we let the braised ribs rest to allow the fat to separate out and solidify, making it easy to scoop off the top. If you’re braising and serving the ribs on the same day, bypass cooling the ribs in the braising liquid; instead, remove them from the pot straight out of the oven, strain the liquid, then let it settle so that the fat separates to the top. With a wide shallow spoon, skim off as much fat as possible and continue with the recipe. We recommend a full-bodied red wine, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon. You will need to refrigerate the ribs and liquid separately for at least 8 hours or up to three days.
STEW
6 pounds bone-in English-style beef short ribs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
3 cups red wine
3 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
9 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1½ tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon tomato paste
GARNISH
6 slices bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
10 ounces parsnips, peeled and cut ¾ inch thick on bias
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. For the stew Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange short ribs bone side down in single layer in large roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast until meat begins to brown, about 45 minutes; drain off all liquid. Return pan to oven and continue to cook until meat is well browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer ribs to large plate; set aside. Drain off and reserve fat. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Heat roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat; add wine and bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits. Set pan with wine aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons reserved fat in Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour until combined, about 45 seconds. Stir in wine from roasting pan, broth, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and add ribs, completely submerging meat in liquid; return to boil, cover, transfer to oven, and simmer until ribs are tender, 2 to 2½ hours. Transfer pot to wire rack and cool, partially covered, until warm, about 2 hours.
3. Transfer ribs to large plate and discard loose bones. Strain braising liquid into medium bowl, pressing out liquid from solids; discard solids. Cover ribs and liquid separately and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 8 hours). (Ribs and liquid can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
4. For the garnish In Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel–lined plate. Add parsnips, pearl onions, sugar, and salt to now-empty pot and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Spoon off and discard solidified fat from reserved braising liquid. Add defatted liquid and bring to simmer, stirring occasionally; season with salt and pepper to taste. Submerge ribs in liquid, return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, until ribs are heated through and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes; gently stir in bacon. Divide ribs and sauce among individual bowls, sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon parsley, and serve.