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7 Spring Recipes Featuring the Often Overlooked Parsnip

A plate of parsnip hash browns with fried eggs, a roasted parsnip salad in a wooden bowl, and a pile of roasted parsnips on a plate.

A parsnip is a seriously strange-looking root vegetable that is often overlooked and outshined by other, more popular varieties. This is a real shame, too, because they have so much to offer. To correct this injustice, we’ve hunted down seven recipes that finally give the mighty parsnip its due!

Parsnips look like cream-colored carrots and belong to the parsley family. These off-white root vegetables offer a distinct flavor that’s both subtly sweet and a bit nutty. Some people also use them to add a warm, spicy flavor to a dish. If you’re ready to shake things up on your weekly menu, these seven recipes featuring parsnips won’t disappoint.

Curried Parsnip Soup

Puréed parsnip soup with wheat thins and a spoon.

Let’s put an end to those chilly days and start things off with this warm and earthy Parsnip Soup.  The flavors of onion, parsnip, and curry flawlessly marry into a fantastic natural flavor you’ll love.

This soup is an excellent way to start off a fancy meal, but it also makes the perfect light weeknight dinner. Just serve it with your side salad of choice.

Roasted Parsnips

A stack of roasted parsnips on a plate.

Here’s another easy-to-make recipe that celebrates the subtly sweet, nutty flavor of the parsnip. After tossing your peeled and sliced parsnips in some olive oil, salt, and pepper, your oven will take care of the rest.

After about 20 minutes or so, your baking sheet full of parsnips will reach a slightly caramelized state, and that’s how you know they’re done! They’ll perfectly accompany a tasty steak or roasted chicken dinner.

Garlic Roasted Chicken and Parsnips

Roasted chicken dinner with roasted parsnips and carrots

If you’re looking for a new dinner idea the whole family will enjoy, we’ve got you covered. This roasted chicken dish with carrots and parsnips is so easy to put together, it’s sure to become a weeknight staple.

Oh, yeah, and it tastes fantastic! The chicken and parsnips perfectly complement each other in every bite. It’s super healthy, too.

You simply lay four bone-in split chicken breasts, carrots, parsnips, and garlic cloves on a sheet pan. Then, you rub the chicken breast with some minced garlic and drizzle everything with some olive oil. Finish it all off with some salt, pepper, and thyme.

Parsnip Hash Browns

Two fried eggs, pasrnip hash browns, and a slice of wheat bread on a plate.

If you’re looking for a vegetarian breakfast or brunch option, these parsnip hash browns are perfect. Due to their sweeter flavor, the author of this recipe loves them even more than plain old potato hash browns.

Next time you’re hosting a brunch, this one’s sure to impress. Or, just pamper yourself at Sunday breakfast with an omelet and a side of these.

The secret here is using a cheese grater on your parsnips to get those hash brown pieces. Then, just cook ’em in some canola oil over medium heat for about seven minutes (flipping in the middle), season with salt and pepper, and you’re done.

Garlic Rosemary Parsnip Fries

Garlic rosemary parsnip fries on a round baking pan.

We found one of the very best potato-free renditions of French fries out there. The parsnip’s nutritional value is similar to that of potatoes, but ‘snips are higher in fiber and lower in calories.

To make these delicious parsnip fries, you drizzle them with avocado oil, and then toss in some salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary. Allow plenty of time for your oven to roast these tasty treats to perfection. Then enjoy them for lunch with a veggie burger or your sandwich of choice.

Roasted Parsnip Salad

A roasted parsnip salad in a wooden bowl.

If you’re looking for a truly unique salad, this vibrant, meaty recipe is the perfect way to celebrate warm spring weather. First, you cook up some pancetta for its fat. After you remove the meat, add your peeled and cut parsnip sticks to the fat, along with some olive oil.

Cook them until they’re golden, then into the oven they go to roast for 15-20 minutes. Whisk some lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, and then toss with the arugula, and then again after you add your apple slices.

Top it all off with your roasted parsnips, crispy pancetta, and some grated Parmesan. Yum!

Pork Chops with Roasted Parsnips, Pear, and Potatoes

Marinated and pan-seared pork chops with a side of roasted parsnips and wilted spinach.

This fancy (and time-consuming) pork chop with ‘snips dinner recipe is so worth the effort. First, you make the marinade and let your chops bathe in it for several hours. For the best possible outcome, it’s important not to skip this step, so plan this one for a weekend or your day off.

The parsnips, potatoes, and pears are all roasted together and provide a sweet and savory flair that’ll make your taste buds sing. Make this meal for your next dinner party, and all your guests are sure to be impressed.


It’s high time parsnips found their way to your table. After you try these seven spring recipes featuring this tasty root veggie, you’ll wonder why you waited so long!

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