Parsnips Recipes

Parsnips are so much more than simply a pale carrot. Roast parsnips are a rightful classic, but they also make lovely soups and even breads.

Parsnips are a nourishing root vegetable and member of the carrot family. Don’t be fooled by their white color, the parsnip is significantly higher in many nutrients, including fiber, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, manganese, folic acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, than its orange carrot relative. Parsnips also score high in ‘food energy’ amongst the vegetables, meaning that they have significant amounts of calories and protein. Discover your new favorite parsnip recipe below.

Brussels Sprouts with Parsnips

Brussels sprouts make a lovely pairing with parsnips — both visually and tastefully.

2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
6 medium parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss vegetables with oil, salt and pepper on 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into single layers. Roast, rotating sheets halfway through, until tender and golden, about 20 minutes.

Divide pecans between sheets and roast 10 minutes more. Toss and serve.

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Posted on March 14, 2014

Chickweed Parsnip Soup

Parsnips on a bed of kale 1/2 stick unsalted butter or 3 ounces olive oil
5 medium parsnips, diced
1 large leek, diced
4 cups vegetable stock
2 apples, peeled and diced
1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
4 cups chickweed
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Blanch half the chickweed for about 5 seconds in boiling water and shock in an icebath. Reserve.

Melt butter in a large pot. Saute onions and parsnips until onions are translucent. Cover with stock and apples. Simmer until parsnips are tender, about 15 minutes. Take about 1/2 the mixture out of the pot and blend in a blender with blanched half of chickweed until smooth. Return to pot and add cream and nutmeg. Add the rest of the chickweed and take off heat when it wilts. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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Posted on March 8, 2014

Maple Parsnip Soup

It’s parsnip time!

3 tablespoons butter (or half butter and half olive oil)
1 pound parsnips, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup maple syrup
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt to taste
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot until it begins to brown. Add and sauté the chopped parsnips, onions and garlic until the onions are translucent but not brown. Then add the broth and nutmeg, bring to a simmer, and cook until parsnips are soft, about 40 minutes. Add the evaporated milk and remove from heat. Pour into a blender/food processor and puree until velvety smooth. You can also leave the soup in the pot and use a hand blender or stick blender to puree. Stir in maple syrup, mustard, and salt. Serve hot with toasted nuts for garnish. Serves 8.

We thank the cookbook Simply in Season for this recipe.

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Posted on March 8, 2014

Parsnip Soup with Corned Beef and Savoy Cabbage

Savoy cabbage is hardy enough to make it through winter, and some roots, like parsnips, are also still available at this time of year. Fortunately, if you combine these with corned beef, you have a fantastic Saint Paddy’s Day dinner.

3 (1/8-inch-thick) slices cooked corned beef (4 ounces), fat trimmed, chopped (3 tablespoons reserved, divided)
2 bay leaves
2 large parsnips (about 13 ounces), peeled, coarsely chopped
2 cups chopped onions
3 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
3 large savoy cabbage leaves, center ribs removed
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Sauté 2 tablespoons corned beef fat and bay leaves in large saucepan over medium-high heat until fat renders, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsnips and onions. Add 3 cups broth. Cover; simmer until parsnips are tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut cabbage and corned beef slices crosswise into very thin strips. Melt 1 tablespoon fat in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and corned beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until cabbage wilts, about 3 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup and cream in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Re-warm soup, thinning with more broth if too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Mound corned beef and cabbage in center.

We thank Epicurious.com for this delicious recipe, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!

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Posted on March 7, 2014

Whole-wheat Parsnip Bread

Make tasty bread with the humble parsnip.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup parsnip puree: boil parsnips until tender, whirl in food processor or blender until pureed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour (Nash’s soft white wheat flour is best!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts; 1/2 cup raisins

Combine sugar, parsnips, oil, water and eggs, and beat well. Add dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Stir in nuts and raisins if desired. Pour into a greased 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees 65-70 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing to a wire rack.

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Posted on February 28, 2014

Breakfast Menu: Parsnip Pancakes and Energy Boost Juice

Parsnips for breakfast? Definitely, especially if they’re in pancakes drizzled with honey yogurt sauce!

Energy Boost Juice

5 large carrots
3 small apples
1 small cylinder beets
1 leaf kale
1 cup parsley
1 cup wheat grass

Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

Breakfast Parsnip Pancakes

1/2 cups Nash’s flour
1 1/2 cups grated parsnips
1-3 teaspoons sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons butter and more for the skillet
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix in all wet ingredients until well incorporated. Heat a large greased skillet over medium heat and place 1/4-cup-size dollops of mixture evenly in skillet. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot off the skillet with maple syrup and butter. Also wonderful after they are cool dipped into honey yogurt sauce.

Honey Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey

Mix well for a wonderful dip for fruit or just about anything.

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Posted on February 28, 2014

Golabki (Cabbage Pork Rolls)

This recipe comes from Karolina Tracz. Karolina was born in Poland where similar recipes that use many of the veggies on the farm today abound. In Polish, these cabbage rolls are called golabki, literally “little pigeons.”

1 whole head of savoy cabbage
1 1/2 pounds cippolini onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound Nash’s ground pork
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (red rice adds texture )
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds sunchokes, scrubbed and roasted
2 pounds parsnips, roasted
1 1/2 pounds carrots, roasted
2 pounds golden turnips, roasted
1 cup beef or vegetable stock
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Roast sunckokes, parsnip, carrots and golden turnips about 30 minutes.

Cook rice, let cool and set aside.

Peel the cabbage, separating the outer leaves to be stuffed.

Chop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a casserole dish or Dutch oven.

Saute the chopped onion in butter in a large frying pan until tender and let cool.

Mix cooled onions with pork, rice, garlic, salt, black pepper and the roasted roots until well combined. Don’t over-mix or the meat will become tough.

Place about 1/4 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll.

Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish or Dutch oven, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour beef or vegetable broth over rolls, cover and place in oven. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked.

Serve with pan juices and a drizzle of sour cream, or mix the pan juices with sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls.

Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking and can be made in a slow cooker.

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Posted on February 28, 2014

Raab & White Bean Soup

Eliza, produce manager of our farm store, shows off a bunch of tender cabbage raab, perfect for this soup.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3/4 cup diced carrot
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cup veggie or chicken broth
2 cup water
1 cup white wine
3 potatoes, diced
1 turnip or parsnip, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 16-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cup finely chopped raab
1 small red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
Ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir in the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot and garlic and cook 5 minutes more.

Pour in the broth, water & wine; stir in the potatoes and parsnip, rosemary, sage and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the beans, raab, chili pepper and black pepper and simmer, covered for 30 minutes more.

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Posted on February 19, 2014

Parsnip and Apple Cider Soup

Let roots and soups warm you this winter.

1 large boiling potato
2 parsnips (about 1/2 pound), peeled and chopped fine
3 shallots, chopped fine (about 1/4 cup)
1 leek, trimmed, washed well, and chopped fine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup apple cider or juice
1/2 cup heavy cream

Peel potato and cut into 1/4-inch dice. In a heavy kettle cook potato, parsnips, shallots, leek and parsley in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until leek is softened, about 12 minutes. Add broth and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft. In a blender purée mixture in batches and transfer to a large saucepan. Stir in cider or juice, cream, and salt and pepper to taste and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until heated.

In a heavy saucepan heat 1″ oil to 360°F on a deep-fat thermometer and fry a parsnip that has been cut into thin strips in batches until golden brown, transferring with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Season with salt. Serve soup topped with fried parsnip.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

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Posted on January 16, 2014

How to Use Nash’s Root Medley

Keep your eyes out for our Root Medley bags — 5 pounds of beets, potatoes, sunchokes, parsnips and carrots, all just the right size for roasting or cooking in any of these tasty ways!

Braised
Saute oil briefly, then add broth and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. A mix of veggies, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces, can be especially tasty. Add fresh herbs, like rosemary, thyme and parsley, at the end.

Grilled
This makes the veggies caramelize and get a little crusty on the outside. Brush them with oil, sprinkle with salt, and cook about 10 minutes per side.

Steamed and Mashed
Steam or boil about 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and put through a ricer or mash with a large fork or masher. Add some milk, butter, salt and pepper if you like.

Roasted
Cut into even-sized pieces and toss with oil, salt and pepper., and some spices like curry or cayenne to taste. Make one layer on a baking sheet and roast in a hot oven (375-425 F) for about 20 minutes. Turn pieces over and roast another 10 minutes. You can also add the raw veggies to a chicken or roast meat about 30 minutes before it’s done.

Baked into Chips
Slice the veggies very thin, rinse and pat dry. Heat oil to about 375 F. Fry chips in small batches until crispy on the edges. Let drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

Deep-Fried
No need to peel! Cut into sticks and soak in cold water for half an hour. Pat dry. Fry in a deep-fryer, let drain and sprinkle with salt.

Au Gratin
Thinly slice, layer in a buttered baking dish with cheese, a little salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Pour in a cup of broth, cream or milk. Top with shredded cheese, chopped nuts or bread crumbs. Bake at 375 F about 45 minutes.

Shredded and Cooked into Hash BrownsShred in a large-hole grater, soak in cold water, drain and dry on paper towels. Heat oil in a frying pan and add shredded veggies in one large handful and sprinkle with salt. Reduce to low and cook until well browned. Flip and cook until tender.

Sliced/Shredded into raw salads, or roasted/boiled and tossed with vinaigrette.

Added to Soups and Stews.

Pickled
Cut into bit-sized pieces, place in a jar with several garlic cloves and cover with apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt, plus some dill or other favorite herbs.

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Posted on December 21, 2013