How to Cook Parsnips- The easiest and tastiest way

The other day I had family over for lunch and served some parsnips as one of the side dishes. I have to admit, everyone went a bit crazy. In a good way though, because they thought the parsnips were so delicious! Much of our discussion over lunch then turned into one about parsnips and how to cook them. I like talking about food, so I thoroughly enjoyed the topic!

Sometimes a recipe doesn’t have to be overly complicated to impress. This recipe is so easy, it’s really just a guide. Parsnips are such a simple, yet overlooked vegetable.

The best way to cook parsnips is to roast them with olive oil and add a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Roasting the parsnips until they are brown and caramelized brings out the subtle sweetness and tastes of fennel or a licorice-like flavor with a hint of cinnamon. Even though parsnips look like their root vegetable cousin the carrot, they taste quite different and are starchier in texture.

Where to Buy Parsnips

You can find parsnips in almost every grocery store. The season for buying and cooking parsnips, is fall through early spring.

Some grocery stores sell loose parsnips in a bin. Other stores sell parsnips in a bag, usually 1 pound bags.

Parsnips that are sold loose in bins at the store are sometimes coated in wax to retain moisture and keep them fresher for longer.

Let’s Cook Parsnips

Before cooking parsnips, you need to wash them thoroughly. If the parsnips you are roasting have a wax coating, you will also need to peel them. If they haven’t been coated in wax, peeling is optional. Personally, I like the rustic look of parsnips that haven’t been peeled and so I always opt to buy unwaxed parsnips.

Trim off the tops and some of the tips if necessary. While trimming the parsnips you may notice a nice fresh smell, like parsley or fennel. I always do.

You can cut parsnips several ways for roasting.

• thick coin shaped pieces
• diagonal pieces
• quartered pieces

How you cut parsnips is a personal preference. I like cutting them into quarters. When you roast them, the thicker sections get soft and brown and the thinner ends caramelize. So delicious! Parsnip sizes vary, so you might have to cut some into quarters and then again to make all of the pieces somewhat similar in length and size. They don’t have to be perfect though.

For roasting 2 pounds of parsnips, I used a 13 x 18 baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Line up the raw parsnips on the pan, drizzle 3 T of olive oil over the top and toss to coat. I also like to sprinkle the parsnips with some granulated garlic. I used 1/4 teaspoon.

The parsnips are roasted at 425 degrees. Check at 20 minutes and use tongs or a spatula to turn over the parsnips so most of the brown sides are up. Put the pan back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. The parsnips will be soft, browned and caramelized. While the parsnips are warm, sprinkle with salt and black or crushed red pepper to taste.

This blog post is about parsnips. Where to buy them, how to cut and trim them, and instructions on how to cook and roast them in the oven.

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