![]() ![]() Easy Parsnip and Carrot Bake – This savory dish is bursting with flavor and rich enough to satisfy those comfort food cravings without sacrificing nutrition.Here are a few of our favorites: Photo credit: Full of Plants Whether you are team parsnip or team turnip, there is no shortage of excellent recipes out there to get you more familiar with these lesser-used root veggies. ![]() The greens are excellent sauteed with some onions and garlic, but can also be enjoyed steamed or added to soups. Because of their cabbage-like flavor, they can even be shredded and used in coleslaw or salads. They can be boiled and mashed, baked, or steamed. In the culinary world, the turnip is often used in the same way as potatoes. They can be slightly bitter or sweet depending on the variety. Turnips taste similar to cabbage with some spicy undertones like a radish but not as intense. ![]() Unlike carrots, most of the flavor of a young, small parsnip is in the skin, so avoid peeling these veggies before use. They are good roasted, sauteed, or boiled and can even be blended to add some creaminess to baked goods. While both parsnips and carrots have an oddly sweet taste to them, the parsnip has a touch of spice with its candy-like qualities (think allspice or nutmeg). These round roots may also have antidiabetic benefits and have been found to reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin production in type 2 patients. While they don’t pack quite the fiber or antioxidant load of their elongated cousin, they do have plenty of glucosinolates, which act to reduce oxidative stress and may even fight cancer. Turnips have about ⅓ the calories of parsnips, cup for cup, and have even more vitamin C. Plus, all that soluble and insoluble fiber is great for improving digestion. These important antioxidants aid in immune function, weight loss, and overall health. In addition to fiber, this veggie is packed with folate, vitamin K, and vitamin C. The sweet parsnip is a little more calorie-heavy than other veggies, but those extra carbs come with plenty of nutrients. Both are harvested during the cool weather before the heat turns the root woody and unusable. The greens of the plant are also often eaten. Turnips are native to Northern Europe but have been cultivated far and wide. Also like the parsnip, turnips are mostly white in color, though many varieties have a purplish-pink crown. Like the parsnip, this plant also forms a thick taproot, but instead of an elongated form, this one takes on a rounded look, similar to a radish. Turnips are part of the Brassicaceae family which includes the very similar rutabaga, as well as mustard greens and cabbage. It was also used as an early sweetener before sugarcane came into the picture. ![]() The plant is native to Eurasia and was a favorite of the Greeks and Romans (who thought it was just another variety of carrot). But unlike the flashy carrot, which can come in a variety of colors from orange to yellow to red, the humble parsnip is resigned to a pale shade of white. Like carrots, the plant forms a thick taproot that is harvested in the fall or spring. The parsnip is part of the Apiaceae family and is a close cousin to carrots and parsley. Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay Parsnip The Details: Plant Type and Origin A basket of parsnips. So, before you make a colossal cooking mistake by swapping the sweet parsnip with the bitter turnip, keep reading to learn all the differences between these distant cousins and how each is used in the culinary world. They are both pale root veggies that aren’t exactly common in most modern cooking.īut that doesn’t mean these two vegetables are interchangeable. If you’re not a professional chef or gardener, odds are you probably struggle to keep parsnips and turnips straight in your head. ![]()
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