Oven-Roasted Carrots, Turnips, And Parsnips Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

Should carrots and parsnips be parboiled before roasting? ›

Roasting Tips

Parboiling skin-on carrots and parsnips lets you soften them without them losing too much moisture.

How to prepare parsnips. Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling – just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away.

Cooking instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.

The perfect temperature– 400 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature for most roasted vegetables. It allows for a crispy, perfectly browned exterior and a fork tender interior. But it will vary based on the types of veggies and oil used. If your veggies are not browning enough, try increasing the temperature.

You can skip straight to roasting, but parboiling the parsnips first will help prevent dry or chewy parsnips. To parboil, put whole or halved parsnips in salted, boiling water and cook for 8 minutes or until slightly tender.

Both turnips and parsnips contain vitamin C, but the former has more of it. Parsnips and turnips both have vitamin K, calcium, and folate, though the exact percentages vary. Both veggies contain fiber, though parsnips are a richer source of it. Turnips contain vitamin A, while parsnips don't.

Turnips come from the Brassicaceae family, which also includes cabbage and mustard greens. They have a much more round, squatty shape and a pinkish-purple crown. In terms of flavor, turnips have a more bitter, spicy flavor as opposed to the sweetness of parsnips.

Avoid parsnips that are soft, shriveled, or have blemishes. Large roots tend to be more fibrous with a tough woody core, while the smaller roots are sweeter and more tender. Like other root vegetables, parsnips have a lengthy shelf life. To store, trim off any green tops and refrigerate the roots for up to three weeks.

Make sure that your parsnips don't overlap each other during the cooking process, as this will steam them, rather than roast them, resulting in a soggy parsnip!

So make sure that the parsnip pieces aren't wet going into the oven, or they will take longer to brown. Dry thoroughly before cutting. Toss in a mixing bowl, not on the sheet pan – Sometimes I see on cooking shows that they'll toss roasted vegetables in the oil, salt, and pepper on the sheet pan instead of a bowl.

Why are my roasted parsnips bitter? ›

However, if parsnips have been allowed to grow too big or remain too long in storage, they tend to get woodier and bitter. Thus, it is recommended that larger parsnips be peeled and that the “woody” core in the middle be cut out before preparing.

Roasting is not a set-it-and-forget-it method of cooking. Forget to flip the vegetables, and they'll end up unevenly cooked, with one side that's deep brown (or burnt), while the other has no color. Follow this tip: At least once, although preferably twice, toss the vegetables around the sheet pan.

Blanching the veggies before roasting them may allow you to have less salt on the vegetables and for them to caramelize a bit nicely without burning. Sometimes I have burned vegetables when roasting them until they were tender. So try this — enjoy the bounty.

Some veg cook faster than others. If you are using 1 inch or smaller pieces, you may not need to parboil, but if you are using larger pieces you may wish to par boil for longer as the pieces get bigger. This lets you cook the interior without burning the exterior when you roast.

Peeled and pared parsnips will turn dark when exposed to the air, so it's important to cook them right away, or hold them in water with a bit of lemon juice added. Parsnips are best when they are roasted in the oven, although many like them steamed and mashed like potatoes.

Peel the carrots and parsnips and cut each in half lengthways, then half again widthways, if large. Drop into a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for about 3-4 minutes.