When I got a call from Bon Appétit magazine asking me to do recipes for a story about parsnips, I’d never heard of parsnips (a fact I neglected to mention to my editor). I agreed to the assignment nevertheless and a few weeks later, I had four delicious recipes and my third Bon Appetit byline. And I’d fallen in love.
If you’re new to parsnips, allow me to explain why they’re worth falling for. (If not, skip ahead and make Parsnip Hazelnut Gratin with Bacon.)
A parsnip is a root vegetable that looks like an anemic carrot. The shape is similar but the color is light tan or cream. And there’s often a bigger difference between fattest part of the parsnip and the skinniest.
You may have seen them at the supermarket near other root vegetables. But more importantly, here’s why you should pick a few up the next time you do.
1. Parsnips are delicious.
A parsnip tastes like a cross between a carrot and a potato—sweet like a carrot but with a slight starchiness like a potato—plus a little nuttiness. It’s a uniquely distinct flavor, and one that’s good on its own or as part of an ensemble.
2. Parsnips are versatile.
Like carrots, potatoes, and other root vegetables, parsnips are great in soups and stews. This Chicken Soup with Rice, for example. Also like other root vegetables, they’re good roasted, as in this Honey-Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Carrots and Parsnips. Or my Parsnip Hazelnut Gratin. You can even cut them into sticks to make parsnip “fries.”
Like potatoes, parsnips can be boiled and mashed—or pureed if you want something super smooth and luxurious.
They can be sauteed, as in this Sauteed Chicken with Parsnip, Apple, and Sherry Pan Sauce.
And like carrots, parsnips can go to the sweet side. This Parsnip Spice Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting, for example.
3. Parsnips are a pleasant surprise.
Let’s face it—the chards, cruciferous vegetables, and more familiar root vegetables of fall and winter can get, well, boring. Parsnips, being a little out of the ordinary, can add welcome pizzazz to your plate.
4. Parsnips are in season now.
While you can get a carrot or a potato year-round, parsnips are more seasonal. Which isn’t to say you can’t find parsnips in the summer, it’s just to say that, like tomatoes in winter, they won’t be worth bothering with. So fall and winter is the time to revel in them and eat so many that once they’re out of season you’ve had your fill and aren’t tempted until they’re in season again.
Fall is the time to fall. :)
Picking a perfect parsnip
Ready to give parsnips a pop? Shop for them a la how you shop for carrots, choosing ones that are firm and relatively smooth and avoiding dark spots, soft spots, and splits. Small- to medium-sized are best—large parsnips can be woody at the core.
Store parsnips in the refrigerator or a root cellar if you have one. When you’re ready to cook, cut, slice, dice, and shred them in any of the ways you would a carrot—and like carrots, peeling is optional. But know that once you cut parsnips, they’ll sometimes brown like potatoes. So plan to cook soon afterwards.
Then prepare to fall in love.
Recipes for appreciating parsnips:
Parsnip Hazelnut Gratin with Bacon
Chicken Soup with Rice
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Arugula, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese
Sauteed Chicken with Parsnip, Apple, and Sherry Pan Sauce
Honey-Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Parsnip and Parmesan Risotto (a variation on Herbed Pumpkin Risotto with Aged Balsamic)
Parsnip Spice Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting