When you have a large crop of parsnips from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include them in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use them up before they go bad without getting sick of them. You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.
Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple! Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve parsnips.
NOTE: Most uses below refer to parsnip roots unless other parts of the plant are mentioned. Both cultivated and wild parsnip roots are edible. However, only cultivated parsnip above-ground parts are edible. Wild parsnip above-ground parts should not be eaten or even touched with bare skin. See the Ingestibility section of our Growing Parsnip article here for more information.
- Add them to other sautés and stirfry dishes.
- Drizzle them with your favorite oil and spices and bake. Because parsnips have such a subtle taste, they complement almost any other flavor well. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes.
- Bake them with sage and butternut squash or another winter squash.
- Bake them with robust maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Add them to casseroles for a nice crunch and a subtly sweet additional flavor.
- Top a flatbread with them along with sage and winter squash such as butternut or acorn squash.
- Add them to other soups and broths. In addition to the roots, parsnip leaves/tops and seeds can also be added to soups and broths.
- Add the entire plant to egg dishes like omelets and quiches. In other words, parsnip roots, tops, and seeds can all be used in egg dishes.
- Spiralize them and use them as a pasta substitute. Parsnip roots work best as a noodle substitute in baked "pasta" dishes since they are a little on the firm side for stovetop dishes.
- Purée them with rosemary and garlic to make a tasty dip for veggies or a great spread for crackers, toast, crostini, and more.
- Purée them and add them to hummus, store-bought or homemade.
- Make a Simple Salad with parsnips, apples, and a leafy green such as lettuce, endive, or chicory.
- Use them as a Frame in an Interesting Salad. (Wondering why I capitalized those letters? Read more about Interesting Salads here!)
- Add them to other salads.
- Make herbal honey. Though most commonly made with the roots, the entire plant can be used to make parsnip honey. An herbal honey is a delicious way to preserve the herbal properties of your parsnips, extend their shelf life, and get benefits of honey too.
- Make herbal vinegar. The entire plant can be used in an herbal vinegar. Parsnip-infused vinegar makes a great salad dressing. You can also co-infuse your parsnips with other plants such as lemon balm, lemon verbena, spearmint, leeks, parsley, sage, or rosemary.
- Make herbal oil. The entire plant can be infused into oil.
- Make a decoction with the roots and seeds or add them to other decoction blends. See this article to learn how to make a decoction.
- Don't forget the tops! The flavor of parsnip leaves and stems is similar to dill, and they can be used in the same ways as dill.
- Store the roots in a root cellar. Parsnips store well in root cellar conditions.
- Pickle them whole, either alone or with leeks, lovage, nasturtiums, spearmint, and/or lemon balm.
- Dry them for later use. Parsnip roots can be sliced thinly and dehydrated or air dried. Parsnip tops and seeds can be dried in a similar way to other herbs. See our How to Dry Your Herbs articles here for more information.
- Freeze them to save them for later. Roots can be diced first so that they freeze more evenly. Tops can be frozen whole, chopped, or made into herbal ice cubes. Learn how to make herbal ice cubes in our Freezing Overview article here!
Further Reading
Growing parsnips? Check out these quick facts like its best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.
Parsnips are also featured in these articles: