How to Cook Parsnips: the healthy root vegetable

If you've never had the pleasure of eating parsnips, you've been missing out. You've probably seen them in the aisle of your local supermarket – they look like white carrots. With a wonderfully sweet flavor and tender texture, parsnips will make a great addition to the rotation of nutritious side dishes you prepare at home. Parsnips are easy to cook, and with so many excellent ways to prepare them, you'll never get bored.

What are Parsnips?

Like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, parsnips aren't the most popular vegetable. However, they're actually delicious, healthy, and incredibly versatile. Parsnips are a root vegetable and are known for their sweet, nutty taste. They have more fiber but fewer calories than potatoes, making them a tasty alternative to spuds if you're on a diet. Parsnips make fantastic additions to everything from soups, stews, and casseroles, to serve as a side dish for roasts, steak, chicken, or fish.

When you're buying parsnips, look for smaller to medium-sized ones. These have the best flavor and texture.

How to Cook Parsnips

One of the best things about parsnips is not only are they simple to cook but there are also many different, delicious ways to prepare them. Roast parsnips are one of the most popular ways to serve this humble root vegetable, but they also taste wonderful served mashed, made into parsnip fries, or made into a soup. Parsnips are easy to add to your favorite recipes. Use them in casseroles, salads, pasta bakes, stews, savory pies, and more. Because they're quite sweet, you can even use parsnips in dessert recipes!