Root On: 25 Perfect Parsnip Recipes

Never ignore the humble parsnip again, with these fantastic uses for the under-appreciated root.

Published: Jan 6, 2015

These crisp, salty, and smoky vegetable strips are from chef Quinn Hatfield of <a href="http://www.hatfieldsrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Hatfield's</a> in L.A.<br /><br /><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/parsnip-bacon-recipe-fw1110" target="_blank"><b>Parsnip Bacon</b></a>

Sabra Krock

Before the potato became a household name, parsnips were used in much the same way — cooked into savory stews, boiled, mashed, or roasted. Rediscover the delicious potential of this white root vegetable with the following parsnip recipes, including creamy soups, crispy fritters, and fill-you-up pastas. When shopping for parsnips, select ones that are firm and smooth. Smaller parsnips may be more flavorful and tender. Get back to your roots with our definitive collection of the best recipes for root vegetables.

Parsnip Bacon

Sabra Krock

These crisp, salty, and smoky vegetable strips are a great way to enjoy parsnips and all their flavor-filled glory. This fun recipe is from chef Quinn Hatfield of Hatfield's in L.A.

Recipe: Parsnip Bacon

Roasted Maple-Bourbon Carrots and Parsnips

Roasting parsnips with carrots and a maple-bourbon glaze brings out the sweet, nutty flavor the root vegetable.

Recipe: Roasted Maple-Bourbon Carrots and Parsnips

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Pork Medallions with Parsnips and Grapes

<p>This quick recipe is ideal for a solo dinner at home. Thinly sliced pork tenderloin cooks up in just minutes. The side dish is prepared in the same pan. Cooking for two? Just double the recipe. </p>
<p><br/><strong>Recipe: <a href="http://gogonow.org/recipefinder/pork-medallions-parsnips-grapes-recipe-mslo0814%22 target="_blank">Pork Medallions with Parsnips and Grapes</a></strong></p>

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

This quick recipe is ideal for a solo dinner at home. Thinly sliced pork tenderloin cooks up in just minutes. The side dish (read: amazingly flavorful parsnips!) is prepared in the same pan. Cooking for two? Just double the recipe.

Recipe: Pork Medallions with Parsnips and Grapes

Related: Perfect Pork Dishes

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

Con Poulos; Food styling by Anne Disrude; Prop styling by Paige Hicks

Adding sweet parsnips to your usual potato mash is an easy way to reinvigorate a classic side dish.

Recipe: Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

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Mushroom Bolognese

<p>Top Chef finalist Sarah Grueneberg created a vegetarian version of Bolognese that's as rich and delicious as the meat version.</p><p><br/><b>Recipe: </b><a href="/recipefinder/mushroom-bolognese-recipe-fw0413" target="_blank"><b>Mushroom Bolognese</b></a></p>

Christina Holmes

Top Chef finalist Sarah Grueneberg created a vegetarian version of Bolognese that’s as rich and delicious as the meat version. The secret ingredient? Parsnips!

Recipe: Mushroom Bolognese

Crispy Duck with Apricots

Luxurious duck breast is the perfect centerpiece for any special occasion or elegant meal.
<p><br/><strong><a href="http://gogonow.org/recipefinder/crispy-duck-apricots-recipe-ghk0213?click=recipe_sr" target="_blank">Crispy Duck with Apricots</a></strong></p>

James Baigrie

Luxurious duck breast is the perfect centerpiece for any special occasion or elegant meal, serving it over a bed of mashed parsnips is the perfect way the elevate an already sophisticated ingredient.

Crispy Duck with Apricots

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Vegetable Latkes

<p>Fried in oil in recognition of the ancient lamps that held only enough oil for one day but miraculously burned for eight, latkes, or potato pancakes, are a traditional Hanukkah dish.</p>
<p><br/><strong>Recipe:</strong> <a href="../../../recipefinder/vegetable-latkes-recipe-mslo1212" target="_blank"><strong>Vegetable Latkes</strong></a></p>

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Latkes are a traditional Hanukkah dish - fried in oil in recognition of the ancient lamps that held only enough oil for one day but miraculously burned for eight - these latkes are enhanced with parsnips, carrots, and green onions these potato pancakes are good enough to eat year-round.

Recipe: Vegetable Latkes

Smashed Root Vegetables

Con Poulos; Food styling by Vivian Lui; Prop styling by Paige Hicks

For a more creative and flavorful take on traditional mashed potatoes, make a purée using a mix of root vegetables, like parsnips and rutabaga.

Recipe: Smashed Root Vegetables

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Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato and Parsnip Mash

Johnny Miller

Pair simple roasted pork tenderloin with a tantalizing sweet potato and parsnip mash for a comforting winter meal.

Recipe: Chef Meg's Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato and Parsnip Mash

Pear, Parsnip, and Fourme d’Ambert Tartines

<p>Pears and parsnips create an unusual sweet-savory topping for Julianne Jones's French-style, open-face sandwiches called tartines. Toasted briefly under the broiler, the tartines are best eaten hot, while the parsnips are still crisp and the Fourme d'Ambert (a mild blue cheese) is gooey.</p><p><br/><strong>Recipe:</strong> <a href="http://gogonow.org/recipefinder/pear-parsnip-fourme-dambert-tartines-recipe-fw1112%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EPear, Parsnip, and Fourme d'Ambert Tartines</strong></a></p>

Pears and parsnips create an unusual sweet-savory topping for Julianne Jones's French-style, open-face sandwiches called tartines. Toasted briefly under the broiler, the tartines are best eaten hot, while the parsnips are still crisp and the Fourme d'Ambert (a mild blue cheese) is gooey.

Recipe: Pear, Parsnip, and Fourme d’Ambert Tartines

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Chardonnay-Braised Chicken Thighs with Parsnips

<p>In this easy one-pot braise, you get the best possible combination: crisp-skinned chicken and a luscious wine sauce.</p>
<p><br/><strong>Recipe:</strong> <a href="/recipefinder/chardonnay-braised-chicken-thighs-parsnips-recipe-fw1012" target="_blank"><strong>Chardonnay-Braised Chicken Thighs with Parsnips</strong></a></p>

Lucy Schaeffer

In this easy one-pot braise, you get the best possible combination: crisp-skinned chicken, a luscious wine sauce, and tender parsnips.

Recipe: Chardonnay-Braised Chicken Thighs with Parsnips

Parsnip Triangoli with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

"The first time I picked up a rolling pin in front of ladies who've made pasta every day for the past 30 years, I was nervous as hell," says chef Thomas McNaughton.
<p><br/><strong>Recipe: <a href="http://gogonow.org/recipefinder/parsnip-triangoli-aged-balsamic-vinegar-recipe-fw0112?click=recipe_sr" target="_blank">Parsnip Triangoli with Aged Balsamic Vinegar</a></strong></p>

These delicate triangoli are stuffed with a homemade mixture of parsnips, onions, and cheese. Serve this pasta with an aged balsamic vinegar to bring another enticing depth of flavor.

Recipe: Parsnip Triangoli with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

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Sautéed Parsnips with Dates and Spiced Yogurt

Jonny Valiant

Jeff Cerciello says the inspiration to combine parsnips and dates came from Moro, a Moorish restaurant in London. To get the parsnips nicely browned, he cooks them on the stovetop in batches before roasting them with the dates, which caramelize in the oven.

Recipe: Sautéed Parsnips with Dates and Spiced Yogurt

Green Bean Slaw

Fredrika Stjärne

In this salad, tender haricots verts get tossed with crunchy strips of carrot, red pepper, and parsnip. When TV personality Rachael Ray (who is originally from upstate New York) visited the Beekman farm, Lee Woolver made a version of this salad with bacon, but it's just as delicious without.

Recipe: Green Bean Slaw

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Roasted-Parsnip Bread Pudding

Parsnips give an earthy dimension to this bread pudding, which melds cubes of brioche, grated cheese, and thyme. This vegetarian dish is yummy enough to sub for traditional stuffing. Assemble it the night before, and bake it the day of the meal.

Recipe: Roasted-Parsnip Bread Pudding

Maple Root-Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sesame

<p>In Korea, chefs typically create stir-fries with just one kind of vegetable, like lotus root. Tradition is broken here with an assortment of vegetables, including Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips.</p><p><br/><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="http://gogonow.org/recipefinder/maple-root-vegetable-stir-fry-sesame-recipe-fw0311%22%3E%3Cb%3EMaple Root-Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sesame</b></a></p>

Con Poulos

In Korea, chefs typically create stir-fries with just one kind of vegetable, like lotus root. Tradition is broken here with an assortment of vegetables, including Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips.

Recipe: Maple Root-Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sesame

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English-Pea Soup

Quentin Bacon

Fresh green English peas take center stage in this traditional, springtime soup. Full of root vegetables like parsnips and carrots, this vegetarian soup will help you transition from heavier winter fare as warmer weather sets in.

Recipe: English-Pea Soup

Bibb Lettuce with Warm Vegetable Vinaigrette

<p>The fun idea here is to make vegetables part of the dressing. Scott Conant sautés strips and cubes of parsnip, carrot, squash, and celery root with thyme, vinegar, and oil, then uses them to dress the Bibb lettuce.</p><br /><p><b>Recipe: </b><a href="/recipefinder/bibb-lettuce-warm-vegetable-vinaigrette-recipe-fw1210" target="_blank"><b>Bibb Lettuce with Warm Vegetable Vinaigrette</b></a></p>

Petrina Tinslay

The fun idea here is to make vegetables part of the dressing. Scott Conant sautés strips and cubes of parsnip, carrot, squash, and celery root with thyme, vinegar, and oil, then uses them to dress the Bibb lettuce.

Recipe: Bibb Lettuce with Warm Vegetable Vinaigrette

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Scallops and Parsnip Puree

Kate Mathis

Proof that you can never be too rich (creamy parsnip puree) or too thin (low-fat, low-cal scallops). Plus, this easy entrée delivers more than half your daily fiber quota.

Recipe: Scallops and Parsnip Purée

Warm Winter-Vegetable Salad

Jan Baldwin

Winter vegetables like carrots, beets, parsnips, and celery root are still plentiful in March and are terrific when roasted until sweet and blistered. Sophie Dahl loves the vegetables' vibrant colors on dreary days.

Recipe: Warm Winter-Vegetable Salad

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