Move over, potatoes—these stars of the cool season add a sweeter dimension to sides, soups, and more
Though mildly sweet like their carrot cousins, parsnips are starchy, like potatoes. Subbing them for spuds, as in this recipe, is a good way to expand your winter repertoire.
Recipe: Roasted Parsnips
This one-pan dinner uses tasty French techniques: Braise the chicken in white wine, then create a sauce by reducing juices and thickening them with egg yolks and crème fraîche. Once it’s cooked, the parsley root is tender yet firm.
Recipe: Chicken Fricassee with Parsley Roots and Chanterelle Mushrooms
Sage adds an earthy flavor to these mashed potatoes, parsnips lend sweetness, and sour cream brings a bit of tang.
We love the play between the delicate, slightly sweet purée of turnips and parsnips and the savory cheese- and herb-enhanced meatballs. Serve this soup as the first course for a cool-season dinner party.
The celery root adds a nice crunch to this seasonal salad. We recommend making the dressing a day before serving to allow the flavors to truly come together.
The rutabaga bits cook up tender and mellow, and the dish works as a quick dinner, a side, or for weekend brunch—it’s especially good with soft poached eggs.
Chef Douglas Keane regularly serves housemade tofu on his tasting menu at Cyrus, a Michelin two-star restaurant in Healdsburg, CA, and uses it in this uncommonly good creation. For her home rendition, cookbook author and teacher Andrea Nguyen likes to roast the parsnips with sesame oil to amplify their sweet earthiness.
If you're not a fan of fruit-based soups, you could easily substitute potatoes or more parsnips for the apples with equally delicious results.
Recipe: Parsnip and Apple Soup
Jerusalem artichokes are nutritionally similar to potatoes. They have a sweet, nutty flavor whether you cook them or eat them raw, making them a great candidate for an unusual slaw.
Recipe: Jerusalem Artichoke Slaw
We love the clever use of parsnip and potato peels as a crispy topping for this creamy mash. There's also a delicious hit of coconut that makes these extra special.
Recipe: Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips with Crisp Root Vegetable Strips
Cook shanks and parsnips until they're succulent and sweet. Then uncover and brown them while you concentrate the pan juices.
These latkes feature sweet potatos, parsnips, and shallots, making them ideal for Hanukkah celebrations. Gingered sour cream complements the latkes perfectly.
Recipe: Sweet Potato-Parsnip Latkes
The clean, bracing flavor comes from celery root―the weird, hairy vegetable that baffles many a cook. Here, we just slice off the hairier end, peel and chop the rest of the root, and boil it with the potatoes.
Recipe: Mashed Celery-Root Potatoes
These electric magenta cupcakes get their color not from the usual food coloring but from puréed roasted beets, which also add a subtle flavor. Don’t use canned or packaged steamed beets—the cupcakes’ color will be drab.
This mixed root smash, more earthy and complex than mashed potatoes alone, was inspired by overflowing winter CSA boxes.
Recipe: Root Vegetable Smash
Mashed potatoes are even better blended with celery root, which has a gentle but penetrating flavor. Don’t be deterred by the root’s hairy exterior; just trim it off with a knife. This recipe is adapted from one in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (1997), by Deborah Madison.
Recipe: Celery Root and Potato Mash
Whether you use peppery purple-top turnips or the sweeter Tokyo variety, this salad is excellent with a bowl of rice, braised short ribs, or even a burger. A handheld slicer makes quick work of the prep.
Pommes Anna, a classic French dish of thinly sliced potatoes, takes on an appealing sharpness in this turnip version. Although you can use any pie pans, metal ones brown the turnips most evenly; you’ll also need a handheld slicer.
Recipes: Turnips Anna
Cooked till they’re sweet and mellow, turnips are less fibrous than the daikon traditionally used in this homestyle stew, and they make a good bridge between the beef and salty-sweet braising liquid.
If you've ever thought humble celery root seemed dull, try its crunchy texture and mellow flavor with the tang of crème fraîche and the zip of horseradish. It's one of the inventive ideas from Malibu Farm Cookbook by Helene Henderson, with recipes from her family farm and restaurant in Malibu, California. Be sure to give the celery root a thorough trim to remove all the fibrous bits.
Recipe: Celery Root and Arugula Salad with Horseradish Dressing
Mild white Japanese turnips are cooked with their greens along with white miso and butter for savory richness; maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness. If you can’t find Japanese turnips, use a mix of small radishes and mustard greens—regular turnips are too strong for this dish.