How To Cook Turnips Perfectly, 3 Ways

Turnips are a purple and white root vegetable that tastes similar to a mild radish. They are a part of the cruciferous family, which also includes vegetables like Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale. Like the other vegetables in this cruciferous family, turnips also have great health benefits. Not only are they great for human consumption but also for cattle. They are low in calories but are packed full of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals like vitamin C, folate, phosphorus, calcium, vitamin K, and provitamin A. These nutrients come from both the turnip and its leaves. If you are ready to cook turnips at home to get the benefits they can offer, here are the three best ways to cook them perfectly.

Roasted

Making oven-roasted turnips is great as a side dish to any meal. It's super simple and only requires a few ingredients. First, peel and cut the turnips into two-inch cubes. Then, season them with your desired seasonings. You can keep it simple with olive oil, salt, and pepper, or you can add other seasonings like oregano or rosemary. Then, place them in an oven-safe dish or a baking sheet and cook in the oven at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes. After this time, check that the turnips are tender. Once complete, remove them from the oven, toss them in butter, and serve.

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Peel and cut turnips into two-inch cubes.
• Season with your choice of seasonings with olive oil.
• Cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until turnips are tender.
• Remove from oven and toss in butter to serve.

Boiled

To boil your turnips, prepare them the same way as if you were roasting them, peel and cut them into two-inch cubes. Add them to a pot and then cover in water and add a teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then lower and simmer the turnips for 30 minutes or until they become tender. Sometimes turnips can be bitter. A trick to make them less bitter is to add baking soda (once the turnips are cooked). It will foam up, which is normal, but stir for a few minutes and then strain the turnips. Rinse the turnips with water to remove any excess baking soda. Then, season the turnips with butter and your choice of seasonings.

• Peel and cut turnips into two-inch cubes.
• Place turnips in a pot and cover with water with a teaspoon of salt.
• Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add half a teaspoon of baking soda and stir for a few minutes.
• Drain and rinse turnips.
• Season and serve.

Pan-Fry

To pan-fry your turnips, peel and cut into two-inch cubes. Place them on a pan in a single layer, and add water until it covers two-thirds of the turnips. Then, add butter, sugar, salt, and pepper. Boil the water, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the turnips simmer for five minutes. Then turn up the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the turnips have browned.

• Peel and cut turnips into two-inch cubes.
• Place in pan and cover two-thirds of turnips with water.
• Add two teaspoons of butter, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Boil the water, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes.
• Turn the heat back up to medium-high and cook for 30 minutes.
• Remove once the water has evaporated and the turnips have browned.

Recipes

If you're ready to integrate more turnips into your everyday diet, here are some great recipes.

Lemon Lentil Turnip Chowder

This creamy and lemony soup is a great recipe to warm and fill you up. Turnips can substitute potatoes in certain dishes. In this case, using turnips instead of potatoes adds a pleasant mild bitterness.

Turnip Fried Rice

This turnip fried rice recipe is paleo and keto. It's made with turnips, ginger, broccoli, coconut aminos, carrots, and eggs. It's a great low-carbohydrate meal and an extremely healthy alternative to traditional fried rice.

Turnip Dhal

Dhal is an Indian dish similar to curry. Although not traditionally made with turnips, they are a great addition to this dish. It's an easy recipe that is delicious and can come together in less than 30 minutes. It is great to serve over rice for a complete and well-rounded meal.

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