Garlic Butter Roasted Parsnips Recipe - Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish! (2024)

FAQs

What pairs well with parsnips? ›

The flavor of parsnips pairs well with other root vegetables, like beets, sweet potatoes, and carrots. They're also delicious with cauliflower, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Don't be afraid to roast these parsnips with other veggies of choice for a fiber-rich, delicious side dish.

How to prepare parsnips. Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling – just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away.

Parsnips are a classic ingredient in some chicken broths and soups, and can also be baked, sauteed, steamed, mashed or pureed, roasted, used in stews and fried. The parsnip is a root vegetable related to both carrots and parsley (and, come to think of it, don't the tops of carrots look a lot like parsley?).

The trick is to keep the parsnips say 1 inch thick or so, so they have a chance to crisp up. Giving them a blanche in boiling water first also helps to make these crispy during roasting.

Being a rich source of fibre, it's no surprise that parsnips help promote digestive regularity. They may also benefit a number of other gut-related conditions, including reflux and diverticulitis. Rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre, parsnips help promote a greater mix of beneficial gut microbes.

Along with vitamin C, parsnips are rich in potassium, a mineral that helps your heart function, balances your blood pressure, and lowers your risk for kidney stones. One serving of parsnips provides about 10 percent of your DRI of potassium.

Store in the refrigerator in an unsealed bag for 3+ weeks. If a raw parsnip becomes soft and squishy, this is a sign of rot and it should no longer be eaten. For better flavor, cook the parsnip with the skin on—after cooking, you have the option to eat the skin or not!

What sets parsnips apart is their low-calorie content and high fiber, making them an excellent alternative to starchy vegetables like potatoes. In fact, for two centuries, parsnips were the primary source of dietary starch in the US before potatoes took over.

Parboil if you prefer a soft texture.

You can skip straight to roasting, but parboiling the parsnips first will help prevent dry or chewy parsnips. To parboil, put whole or halved parsnips in salted, boiling water and cook for 8 minutes or until slightly tender.

Thick parsnips tend to have bitter, woody cores. Cut them in half length-wise and cut out the core if this is the case. Parsnips taste best during the winter months. They're sweeter when exposed to cold, so keep them in a bag in the fridge.

How do you cook Gordon Ramsay parsnips? ›

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.

If you are going to consume a large amount of parsnips then you should peel them. Parsnips contain a group of natural toxins called furocoumarins which can cause stomach aches if consumed in large quantities. These toxins are concentrated on the surface of the parsnip so peeling them will help reduce the toxin levels.

When they are overcooked, they take on an almost metallic taste that can make you gag, almost. Plus One's pet hate is parsnips. I don't entirely get this - I have always regarded parsnips as, basically, white carrots, but I will concede that they too have a faintly "gaggy" quality to them.

Did you know that parsnips stop growing while they're under the ground? During this time, all the starches get converted to sugar. If they aren't harvested fast enough in the spring, they start to grow again and can become bitter and woody.

However, if parsnips have been allowed to grow too big or remain too long in storage, they tend to get woodier and bitter. Thus, it is recommended that larger parsnips be peeled and that the “woody” core in the middle be cut out before preparing.

parsnips cannot cross with carrots or Queen Anne's Lace – Sustainable Market Farming.

Parsnips have a sweeter, licorice-like taste with a hint of spice to them, as opposed to the carrot's sweetness that is more reminiscent of other types of winter squash. Turnips are another root vegetable that is often compared to parsnips, but the two are from completely different families.

Parsnips often contain a group of natural toxins called furocoumarins. These are probably produced to protect the plant when it has been stressed. The toxin is mostly found in the peel and the surface layer of the plant, as well as around any damaged areas. One of the toxins can cause stomach ache.