Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients Vegetables 17 Parsnip Recipes That Will Make You Fall for This Underappreciated Root Vegetable By Marie Viljoen Marie Viljoen Marie is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 9, 2020 Trending Videos Photo: Romulo Yanes Get to know the parsnip, a pale and exceptionally interesting root vegetable that should be part of your fall and winter repertoire. It's delicious roasted, mashed, in soups, as part of vegetarian entrées, and even in dessert. Check out these tempting parsnip recipes. 01 of 18 Romulo Yanes The pale parsnip is so much more than a carrot with the color photoshopped out of it. Parsnips are delicious and interesting, and they absolutely deserve our attention. Despite the fact that they're usually eaten just once or twice in winter, or else brought to the Thanksgiving table where they are lost in a cornucopia of side dishes, these hearty root vegetables have serious culinary backbone. That's why we firmly believe that parsnips should feature on our dinner and lunch menus far more often than they do. Parsnips are typically a cold-season root vegetable, and they're ideally harvested after the first frost (a cold snap makes them sweeter). Adaptable and healthy, high in fiber, vitamin C, and minerals (especially potassium), they are versatile enough to carry a vegetarian entrée, diversify a salad, or create a creamily comforting soup. Perhaps one of the reasons that this blond taproot remains underutilized and undervalued is that it is sold naked. Unlike bunched carrots with their tops on, parsnips are displayed without their eye-catching foliage. There is a good reason for this: Exposure to their leafsap can cause a photosensitive contact dermatitis, similar to poison ivy, as anyone who has inadvertently hiked through a feral patch can attest. But removing their leaves before sale keeps everyone safe. So, how do you prep and cook parsnips? They can be peeled before use, but their skins are an additional source of flavor, so scrubbing up a batch to roast is a cinch. Refreshingly crisp when uncooked, they turn mellow and soft after boiling—easy to mash and purée. Roasting emphasizes their sweetness. They can even be used in dessert! We highly suggest trying our Spiced Parsnip Cupcakes. We promise, you'll be glad you did. 02 of 18 Light and Bright Beef Stew Con Poulos Fresh dill and white wine balance the sweetness of parsnips and leeks in this slow-cooked and brothy beef stew. It's just the thing to make when the weather turns cold. View Recipe 03 of 18 Roasted-Squash-and-Parsnip Soup Mikkel Vang Your new favorite soup recipe features winter squash, parsnips, apples, and nutty brown butter. It's spiked with aromatic fresh thyme and musky sage for even more flavor. View Recipe 04 of 18 Shaved Parsnip and Grapefruit Salad Romulo Yanes The assertive flavors of bittersweet grapefruit segments and flat leaf parsley offset the sweet crispness of raw parsnip in this vibrant salad. View Recipe 05 of 18 Parsnip-Pumpkin Seed Fries Linda Pugliese Powdering pumpkin seeds and tossing the parsnips in the nutty coating adds crunch to these caramel-chewy fries. View Recipe 06 of 18 Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Minty Yogurt Sauce Louise Hagger Roasting emphasizes the sweetness of both root vegetables, but their textures are delightfully different: silky (carrots) and chewy (parsnips). Their combined caramels are balanced by refreshing minty yogurt and fresh thyme leaves. View Recipe 07 of 18 Roasted-Parsnip Bread Pudding Brioche, parsnips, cream, eggs, and white wine come together to make this opulent bread pudding. It checks all the boxes for a main course centerpiece. View Recipe 08 of 18 Customizable Vegetable Soup Marcus Nilsson For warming many hungry tummies, our customizable vegetable soup allows you to put whatever is in your pantry and refrigerator to good use, ensuring you make the most of what is on hand. Be sure to choose parsnips! View Recipe 09 of 18 Orecchiette with Sausage, Chard, and Parsnips Romulo Yanes A rewarding bowlful of sweet sausage, tender parsnips, and magnesium-rich Swiss chard is an easy and hearty reward after a long cold-weather hike. View Recipe 10 of 18 Slow-Cooker Root-Vegetable Confit Stephen Kent Johnson If you don't have slow cooker yet, this recipe may convert you: parsnips, beets, carrots, and fennel are poached in a spiced oil and topped with pistachio pesto. Red wine vinegar adds essential acid to the sweet vegetables. View Recipe 11 of 18 Chicken Soup with Dill Spaetzli Sharon Radisch Abundant fresh dill brightens the dumplings in this soothing chicken and parsnip soup. View Recipe 12 of 18 Chorizo, Parsnip, and Olive Bites Bryan Gardner For individualized cocktail snack pair spicy chorizo with warm, roasted parsnips, and salty olives. View Recipe 13 of 18 Spiced Parsnip Cupcakes Romulo Yanes Move over, carrot cake! Parsnips have arrived in cupcake town, and these moist, cardamom-rich confections will be a conversation starter. View Recipe 14 of 18 Winter-Vegetable Red Curry Bryan Gardner The heat of chile is always a fine foil for the sweetness of parsnips. Spicy red curry paste and rich coconut milk pull together this mouthwatering vegetable curry. View Recipe 15 of 18 Spanish Clam Soup Kate Mathis Briny clams, smoky paprika, fresh herbs, and sharp white wine are mellowed by soft-cooked parsnips. View Recipe 16 of 18 Pork with Pears and Parsnip Mash David Malosh A beautifully smooth parsnip and potato mash is the perfect resting place for the delectable gravy for this pan-roasted pork loin. View Recipe 17 of 18 Roasted Parsnips with Rosemary These wedges of parsnip are like chunky fries, their roasted sweetness highlighted by tossing with rosemary before cooking. View Recipe 18 of 18 Roasted-Parsnip Soup with Chorizo Bryan Gardner Roasting parsnips before puréeing them adds a rich layer of flavor to this soup. The bright caper tapenade is genius finishing touch. For a vegan version substitute vegetable broth and skip the chorizo. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit