Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients Vegetables 21 Parsnip Recipes That Will Make You Fall for This Underappreciated Root Vegetable It's delicious roasted, mashed, braised, in soups, as part of vegetarian entrées, and even in dessert. By Marie Viljoen Marie Viljoen Marie is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 3, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player The pale parsnip is so much more than a carrot without the color. Parsnips are delicious and interesting, and they absolutely deserve our attention. Despite the fact that they're infrequently eaten or lost in a cornucopia of side dishes at the Thanksgiving table, these hearty root vegetables have serious culinary backbone. That's why we firmly believe that parsnips should feature on our tables far more often than they do. Parsnips are typically a cold-season root vegetable, and they're ideally harvested after the first frost (a cold snap makes them sweeter). Adaptable and healthy, high in fiber, vitamin C, and minerals (especially potassium), they are versatile enough to carry a vegetarian entrée, diversify a salad, or create a creamily comforting soup. How do you prep and cook parsnips? They can be peeled before use, but their skins are an additional source of flavor, so scrubbing up a batch to roast is a cinch. They can be used uncooked and are refreshingly crisp in salads. They turn mellow and soft after boiling—and are easy to mash and purée—while roasting emphasizes their sweetness. They can even be used in dessert! Explore the delicious world of the parsnip with our best recipes. We promise you'll be glad you did. 27 Fall Salad Recipes That Are Packed With Autumn Flavor 01 of 21 Parsnip Onion Tarte Tatin An upside-down savory tart that shows off the sweet side of parsnips and onions. The vegetables are cooked gently on the stovetop, then topped with store-bought puff pastry and baked—just like a tarte tatin. View Recipe 02 of 21 Roasted Squash and Parsnip Soup Mikkel Vang Your new favorite soup recipe features winter squash, parsnips, apples, and nutty brown butter. It's spiked with aromatic fresh thyme and musky sage for even more flavor. View Recipe 03 of 21 Carrot and Parsnip Soufflé Martyn Thompson Parsnips get fancy in this sublime root vegetable soufflé. Combined with their better-known, brighter-colored cousin, the carrot, they bring elegance and sweet vegetal flavor to an airy soufflé. View Recipe 04 of 21 Light and Bright Beef Stew Con Poulos Fresh dill and white wine balance the sweetness of parsnips and leeks in this slow-cooked and brothy beef stew. It's just the thing to make when the weather turns cold. View Recipe 05 of 21 Parsnip Rosemary Muffins Yunhee Kim Start the day with parsnips—in these delicate and not-too-sweet muffins. They're made with yogurt to keep them light, fresh rosemary makes them fragrant, and grated parsnip adds moisture and a subtle flavor. View Recipe 06 of 21 Shaved Parsnip and Grapefruit Salad Romulo Yanes The assertive flavors of bittersweet grapefruit segments and flat leaf parsley offset the sweet crispness of raw parsnip in this vibrant salad. View Recipe 07 of 21 Creamy Braised Parsnips With Sage Romulo Yanes If you already know and love roasted parsnips, you're ready for braised. Parsnips are cooked in chicken stock flavored with sage until tender, then finished with cream for serving. View Recipe 08 of 21 Parsnip and Pumpkin Seed Fries Linda Pugliese Powdering pumpkin seeds and tossing the parsnips in the nutty coating adds crunch to these caramel-chewy fries. View Recipe 09 of 21 Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Minty Yogurt Sauce Louise Hagger Roasting emphasizes the sweetness of both root vegetables, but their textures are delightfully different: silky (carrots) and chewy (parsnips). Their combined caramels are balanced by refreshing minty yogurt and fresh thyme leaves. View Recipe 10 of 21 Roasted Parsnip Bread Pudding Brioche, parsnips, cream, eggs, and white wine come together to make this opulent bread pudding. It checks all the boxes for a main course centerpiece. View Recipe 11 of 21 Customizable Vegetable Soup Marcus Nilsson For warming many hungry tummies, our customizable vegetable soup allows you to put whatever is in your pantry and refrigerator to good use, ensuring you make the most of what is on hand. Be sure to choose parsnips! View Recipe 12 of 21 Orecchiette with Sausage, Chard, and Parsnips Romulo Yanes A rewarding bowlful of sweet sausage, tender parsnips, and magnesium-rich Swiss chard is an easy and hearty reward after a long cold-weather hike. View Recipe 13 of 21 Slow-Cooker Root Vegetable Confit Stephen Kent Johnson If you don't have a slow cooker, this recipe may convert you: parsnips, beets, carrots, and fennel are poached in a spiced oil and topped with pistachio pesto. Red wine vinegar adds essential acid to the sweet vegetables. View Recipe 14 of 21 Chicken Soup with Dill Spaetzle Sharon Radisch Abundant fresh dill brightens the dumplings in this soothing chicken and parsnip soup. View Recipe 15 of 21 Chorizo Parsnip and Olive Bites Bryan Gardner For individualized cocktail snacks, pair spicy chorizo with warm, roasted parsnips, and salty olives. View Recipe 16 of 21 Spiced Parsnip Cupcakes Romulo Yanes Move over, carrot cake! Parsnips have arrived in cupcake town, and these moist, cardamom-rich confections will be a conversation starter. View Recipe 17 of 21 Winter Vegetable Red Curry Bryan Gardner The heat of chile is always a fine foil for the sweetness of parsnips. Spicy red curry paste and rich coconut milk pull together this mouthwatering vegetable curry. View Recipe 18 of 21 Spanish Clam Soup Kate Mathis Briny clams, smoky paprika, fresh herbs, and sharp white wine are mellowed by soft-cooked parsnips. View Recipe 19 of 21 Pork with Pears and Parsnip Mash David Malosh A beautifully smooth parsnip and potato mash is the perfect resting place for the delectable gravy in this pan-roasted pork loin. View Recipe 20 of 21 Roasted Parsnips with Rosemary These wedges of parsnip are like chunky fries, their roasted sweetness highlighted by tossing with rosemary before cooking. View Recipe 21 of 21 Roasted-Parsnip Soup with Chorizo Bryan Gardner Roasting parsnips before puréeing them adds a rich layer of flavor to this soup. The bright caper tapenade is a genius finishing touch. For a vegan version, substitute vegetable broth and skip the chorizo. View Recipe Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years. Was this page helpful? 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