21 Parsnip Recipes That Prove This Root Vegetable Is Anything but Boring

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Whether you are a committed parsnip fan or are only beginning to explore them, there are plenty of ways to bring this autumn and winter root vegetable into your regular meals. Parsnips look like plumper, cream-coloured carrots, yet have a more layered flavour than their slender orange relatives. Cooking brings out their notable sweetness, alongside earthy, nutty and gently peppery notes that lean towards fennel. They are also denser than carrots and, although edible raw, are particularly well suited to roasting, mashing, and simmering in soups and stews. Use them to top a shepherd’s pie, blend them with Jerusalem artichokes for a velvety soup, or slice them finely for an eye-catching root vegetable tian. Read on for these and many more excellent parsnip recipes.

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01 of 21: Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted carrots, parsnips and celeriac become crisp and caramelised, adding deep flavour to this refined, earthy farro salad. Olive oil and red wine vinegar provide a straightforward dressing.

02 of 21: Brown Butter Parsnip Purée

A smooth parsnip purée is made richer with cream and nutty brown butter, then topped with extra brown butter and diced apple. The result is an elegant, earthy side dish ready in only half an hour.

03 of 21: Chunky Snapper and Root Vegetable Chowder

Charleston chef Mike Lata turns winter produce into a filling main meal. Potatoes, turnips, parsnips and celeriac come together with red snapper in a creamy broth flavoured with bacon.

04 of 21: Classic Pot-au-Feu

Parsnips are a customary, widely used component of pot-au-feu, France’s unofficial national dish. Winemaker David Duband braises two beef cuts - shin and rump joint - with marrow bones, while cooking the vegetables separately with additional marrow bones, until all the elements are tender and intensely flavoured.

05 of 21: Roasted Vegetables with Fresh Herbs

Highlight a mixture of autumn and winter vegetables, including parsnips and butternut squash, by coating them in olive oil and fresh herbs before roasting until golden and tender.

06 of 21: Hearty Chicken Stew with Pancetta Gremolata

Tender chicken joins the classic combination of carrots, shallots, new potatoes and delicately sweet parsnips in a comforting dish to return to whenever the weather turns cold. Crisp, vibrant pancetta gremolata scattered over at the end makes the stew especially memorable.

07 of 21: Root Vegetable Tian

For this make-ahead tian, use a mandoline to produce exceptionally thin, uniform slices. The roasted display combines four vegetables - parsnips, beetroot, sweet potatoes and red onions - and makes a striking centrepiece for special occasions.

08 of 21: Parsnip and Carrot Soup

Carrots and parsnips make an ideal match: the carrots’ clean sweetness offsets the earthy, mildly peppery character of parsnips. In this warming soup, thinly sliced leeks join them in chicken stock scented with bay and dotted with tubetti pasta; it is particularly good with garlicky croutons.

09 of 21: Tricolour Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

Make the most of seasonal ingredients in their simplest form. Here, carrots and parsnips are roasted with nothing more than olive oil and butter.

10 of 21: Chicken and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie with Parsnip Mash

Give a familiar shepherd’s pie a new direction by making the filling with chicken instead of beef or lamb, then replacing the potato topping with buttery mashed parsnips. A brief spell under the grill creates a beautifully browned surface.

11 of 21: Creamy Parsnip Soup with Pear and Walnuts

Marcus Samuelsson makes this silky, Indian-spiced soup with a harmonious combination of parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes. “I love that root vegetables are so rustic,” he says of the dish. “I add pear and walnuts for sophistication and crunch.”

12 of 21: Short Rib Farrotto with Carrots and Parsnips

Chef Marco Canora prepares farro in the manner of risotto, creating a dish as creamy as its rice-based equivalent. He turns it into a full meal with cipollini onions, carrots, parsnips and tender pieces of beef short rib, finishing with butter, thyme and freshly grated Parmesan for fresh umami richness.

13 of 21: Pork Chops with Roasted Parsnips, Pears, and Potatoes with Minted Bread Vinaigrette

Jamie Oliver marinates pork chops generously with garlic and rosemary, sears them well, then roasts them over parsnips, pears and potatoes. A fresh mint vinaigrette completes the dish.

14 of 21: Chardonnay-Braised Chicken Thighs with Parsnips

This one-pot dish from former F&W senior test kitchen editor Grace Parisi delivers tender chicken with crisp skin and nutty parsnip batons in an aromatic, rosemary-scented wine sauce - all within 45 minutes.

15 of 21: Mashed Parsnips with Crispy Pancetta

Mashed potatoes are far from the sole option. In this recipe, Alex Guarnaschelli enriches a silky parsnip mash with butter sweetened using brown sugar and maple syrup, then tops it with crumbled crisp pancetta for a pleasing salty contrast.

16 of 21: Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine with Parsley Yoghurt

Chef and television presenter Aida Mollenkamp’s vegetarian tagine combines cauliflower, root vegetables, chickpeas, and an array of spices and aromatics in a flavourful Moroccan meal that can easily be prepared ahead. Her recipe calls for 450 g of parsnips.

17 of 21: Maple Root Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sesame

David Chang stir-fries a selection of vegetables, among them Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips, before placing the entire frying pan in the oven to roast them. A maple-soy glaze brings remarkable flavour, while sesame oil and seeds provide the final flourish.

18 of 21: Nordic Winter Vegetable Soup

Celeriac and parsnips take centre stage alongside onions, leeks and spinach in this cold-weather essential. Fresh thyme, bay leaves and nutmeg perfume the soup, while quick-cooking pearl barley makes it satisfyingly substantial.

19 of 21: Maple-Ginger Roasted Vegetables with Pecans

For this substantial side dish, carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, butternut squash and Brussels sprouts are paired with pecans and ginger in maple syrup, then roasted until tender, golden and deeply flavoured.

20 of 21: Chicken Noodle Soup with Parsnips and Dill

Sweet, nutty parsnips give chicken noodle soup a winter-ready twist. Fresh parsley and dill added at the end bring the flavours together.

21 of 21: Creamed Spinach and Parsnips

Parsnips and shallots are simmered in thyme-infused stock until soft, then mixed with blanched spinach in a rich cream sauce touched with nutmeg for a seasonal side dish.