The 4 Best Ways to Cook Parsnips

Feb 24, 2019 · 60 Comments

If you want to learn how to cook parsnips, these four easy, healthy parsnip recipes are a great place to start. They can be made on the stove, in the oven, in your microwave or don’t need any cooking at all! And no special equipment is needed, either.

Tired of cauliflower rice? Parsnip rice is maybe even better. Want to try veggie noodles but don’t want to buy a spiralizer? I’ll show you an easy way to make parsnip noodles without one. Roasted parsnips get all caramelized and sweet. And mashed parsnips are a richer, creamier mashed potato alternative.

Bowls of roasted parsnips, mashed parsnips, parsnip noodles and parsnip rice on a wooden table.

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How to cook parsnips

The parsnip is one of my favorite vegetables and highly underrated. It’s related to carrots but not quite as sweet. They have a little less carbs than potatoes but more fiber, so they’re a great choice when you want healthy, non-grain carbs in your diet that will keep you full for a long time.

They also contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which are good for us.

Plus they’re full of nutrients (vitamin C, vitamin K, folate) and even antioxidants (compounds that delay or prevent cell damage). AND they’re cheap AND they play well with other veggies, like other squashes and tubers, cauliflower, fennel, and more.

I happen to love most root veggies, but parsnips are particularly versatile. These suggestions might seem like unusual parsnip recipes, but once you try them, they’ll become a normal part of your repertoire.

So let’s get to it. Below I provide the 4 best ways to cook parsnips that anyone can make. I mean, I wouldn’t dissuade you from using them in my Parsnip, Pear and Pistachio Soup (ahem, it was featured in iDental.com’s Soft Food for Braces roundup).

But if you’ve never tried them, or are looking for cheap and easy ways to use them, these healthy parsnip recipes are a good place to start. Each recipe will go over how to prepare parsnips and how to serve them.

How to pick parsnips

Look for parsnips that are relatively smooth and unblemished. A few brown spots are fine but they shouldn’t look too withered or dried out.

Some parsnips are thick, some skinny. Either of these are fine.

However, for these recipes it’s best to avoid parsnips that have a very bulbous root end and then sharply taper down to a skinny end. You just won’t be able to get evenly shaped pieces for cooking.

Roasted Parsnips

This is probably the best place to start because who doesn’t love roasted vegetables? Roasting caramelizes all the parsnip’s natural sugars, turning them into addictively sweet little veggie nuggets.

And it’s so easy! Just toss the parsnip chunks in oil and salt directly on the baking sheet and throw them in the oven.

You can serve these as you would any roasted vegetable – with chicken, beef, pork or other veggies. They’re great in a roasted veggie hash topped with eggs.

You can even turn roasted parsnips into a roasted parsnip soup, although I’d add steamed or boiled potato or cauliflower to cut the richness and sweetness.

What to pair with roasted parsnips:

They go great next to a grilled steak.

Pile them next to salmon with crispy skin.

Or use them to soak up the sauce of creamy mustard pork chops.

Add them to this Leftover Chicken Vegetable Soup.

Parsnip Rice

By now, you’ve probably at least heard of cauliflower rice. As a grain-free, low-carb alternative to rice, it’s pretty much swept the internet and has gone from Trend to Established Thing.

You can buy bags of frozen cauliflower in almost any grocery store. It’s so popular that you can also now buy regular or frozen veggie rice of all sorts, like beet, broccoli or sweet potato.

But I’m surprised I’m not seeing more about parsnip rice. It has the same white color as regular and cauliflower rice, plus it’s own fuller flavor.

Use this parsnip rice recipe as you would any kind of rice, especially if you’re serving something with a delicious sauce you don’t want to go to waste.

It’s great topped with stews or chili, mixed into salads as a kind of “grain” salad, or tossed with dried fruits, nuts and herbs for an addictively tasty pilaf.

It’s easy to make in a food processor but you can also use a regular box grater.

What to pair with parsnip rice:

Serve it alongside this Paleo teriyaki chicken.

Or scoop it into a bowl with this white chicken chili.

Serve it with this Spiced Butter Baked Cod with Green Beans to soak up all the buttery juices.

Mashed Parsnips

I mean, I get it. Nothing will top mashed potatoes in American kitchens. And I’m not saying mashed parsnips should.

BUT. If you’re looking to mix it up, this mashed parsnip recipe is a great way to do it.

Just cook the parsnips until soft, add some butter or other fat (use a vegan butter substitute to make it vegan) and mash away.

It’s just as thick and creamy as mashed potatoes without adding a ton of butter or cream (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Or, keep mashing until you have a smooth puree.

Either way, you have a great accompaniment to tons of dishes, like stews, chili, steak, roast chicken or roast pork. And, like parsnip rice, it’s particularly useful if you want to soak up sauces and gravies.

What to pair mashed parsnips with:

Serve it with any chili, like bacon chili or sweet potato and cocoa chili.

It would also be pure comfort food with this Paleo fried chicken.

They’d be great with this spiced pork tenderloin.

Parsnip Noodles

Look, I’m Italian. Just like mashed potatoes will not be replaced in American kitchens, pasta will not be totally replaced in my kitchen.

Yes, my noodles of choice now are gluten-free, and I don’t eat them as much as I used to. But still, they’re there and they’re not going anywhere.

But that doesn’t mean there’s not room for other kinds of noodles, especially if they bring their own flavor and textures to a dish. So parsnip noodles have become one of my go-to lunch and dinner veggies.

They’re so easy to make. You just peel them and then…keep on peeling.

You can cook them right in the same pan as your other ingredients and you have a full-on noodle dinner in no time flat. Sold.

What to pair with parsnip noodles:

They’re perfect with this quick and easy lamb ragu.

They make a great, healthy version of spaghetti and meatballs.

Ready? Go for it.

I kinda feel bad for parsnips. They look like white carrots, so it’s like if a carrot died and all the carrot ghosts were hanging out together in the grocery store.

And everyone walks right past, ignoring those tasty little ghosts. But if you are like the “Sixth Sense” kid with vegetables, maybe you’re lucky enough to see them. Grab a pound or two, bring them home and try one of these easy parsnip recipes!

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