This basic Roasted Turnips recipe is a great way to really let the flavor of this delicious root vegetable shine. It’s a tasty side dish to serve with most any fish or meat and can be made in just around 30 minutes.
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If you are new to turnips, roasting them is a great way to really get a taste for this vegetable.
Smaller, younger turnips have a sweeter taste, often described as being similar to that of carrots.
Medium aged turnips, as used in this Roasted Turnips recipe, taste more like potatoes.
This recipe actually tastes very similar to Roasted Rutabaga (which is called a turnip is some countries).
Why This Recipe Works
Roasted Turnips is an easy side dish that you can make to pair with just about any meat or seafood.
Turnips are a low calorie vegetable that’s also much lower in carbohydrates than other root vegetables. One medium turnip has around 8 total carbohydrates.
This makes turnips a great choice to swap in for carrots or potatoes especially for those watching their carbohydrate intake.
How to Make Roasted Turnips
Prep!
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Cut both of the ends off of your turnips and peel the outer skin off with a vegetable peeler.
Tip: you don’t have to peel the skin, but it may be more bitter if your turnips are larger or older.
Cut the turnips into 1/2-inch thick slices, then into 1/2-inch cubes.
Place the cubed turnips in a medium bowl with the olive oil.
Toss to coat, then spread them out onto a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
Roast, turning halfway, for about 25-30 minutes or until light brown and fork-tender.
Present!
Serve as is or topped with fresh herbs.
Tips and Techniques for the Best Roasted Turnips
Choose smaller, younger turnips if you prefer a sweeter flavor and medium aged turnips if you prefer a taste more similar to potatoes.
Store raw turnips tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Store leftover cooked turnips in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-5 days.
FAQ’s
What do turnips taste like? Younger, smaller turnips have a sweeter taste to them. As they age, then start to taste more like a potato. If your turnips are older or even sprouting, they will be bitter and should probably be thrown out.
Do you need to peel turnips? No, you don’t need to peel turnips unless you prefer to. Older turnips skin may have a more butter taste to it.
More Low Carb Side Dish Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this recipe, then you will most likely enjoy Roasted Rutabaga. They have a very similar flavor.
Some other low carb side dish recipes that you might like include this Cauliflower Au Gratin recipe as well as this recipe for Fried Cabbage and Bacon.
This basic Roasted Turnips recipe is a great way to really let the flavor of this delicious root vegetable shine. It makes a great side dish to most any fish or meat dish.
If you want to try a different cooking method, I tend to like turnip boiled and mashed. If the turnip is old (and likely bitter) you can add an apple. I've also read that you can stir in baking soda after the turnips have boiled to remove the bitterness.
A variety of herbs and spices can be added to the mashed turnips. Try a tablespoon of finely chopped sage or rosemary, a clove or two of roasted or sautéed garlic, or a pinch of paprika or ground ginger. If your turnips came with the greens, don't throw them away.
It's not essential to peel turnips before cooking. If this skin appears to be thin enough you can leave it on and cook as is. However if the skin feels thick and leathery, you can peel it off with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Both the roots and leaves, also known as turnip greens, are safe to eat.
Roasting brings out their natural sweetness. Another secret is how you peel them. Bitter notes lie just under the surface of the skin, but you can eliminate this if you go a little deeper when peeling them. I use a paring knife instead of vegetable peeler to remove the thick outer later.
Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.
Place the turnips in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer until the turnips are tender when pierced with a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Step three: Season and serve. Drain the turnips and season with salt and pepper.
Turnips are a vegetable that people can consume raw or cooked. They are a good source of vitamin C, folate, iron, and calcium. Turnips are a creamy white color and a purple top. People often group this popular European staple food with root vegetables, such as potato and beetroot.
If you experience food allergy symptoms like hives, itching or swelling after consuming turnips, discontinue use and consult with your doctor immediately. Cruciferous vegetables like turnips are also considered goitrogenic, which means that they may interfere with the production of thyroid hormones.
Boil or steam turnips and add them to mashed potatoes for extra vitamins and minerals. Grate them raw into salads or slaws. Roast them with other root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, and bring out their natural sweetness.
When are turnips in season? Peak season for baby turnips is June to July. You can buy winter turnips all year round, although peak season is from October to February.
Rutabagas are also generally much larger than turnips. So for a quick rule of thumb, the brownish-yellowish ones are rutabagas, and the smaller white and purple ones are turnips. In terms of their flavor, rutabagas are slightly sweeter-tasting than turnips whereas turnips have a slightly more radishy flavor.
Turnips have a slightly bitter taste to them, so cooking the onions in this recipe will be the key to getting more of a sweet taste out of the dish! The bigger a turnip is, the more bitter it tastes so aim to choose ones from the market that are about the size of a tennis ball.
Dogs can eat turnips as an occasional treat. The root vegetables can benefit your dog's health; feeding your dog turnips can help support their nervous system, kidney function, and heart health.
Sweet ingredients like sugar, honey, fruit juices and maple syrup will balance bitterness. Any dish can also be balanced with a touch of a sour ingredient like lemon or vinegar. Finally, a fatty ingredient like oil, cream. coconut cream or butter will also tame bitterness.
Place the turnips in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer until the turnips are tender when pierced with a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Step three: Season and serve. Drain the turnips and season with salt and pepper.
Experiments 1 and 2 showed that addition of small amounts of sugar and salt each reduced the bitterness (and increased sweetness and saltiness) from all three vegetables without altering other sensory properties (e.g. texture or aroma).
Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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