Learn how to cook turnips! Roasted with salt and pepper, this underrated veggie becomes sweet, tender, and nutty. It's a delicious, healthy side dish!
Turnips are one of the vegetables I buy most often in the fall. I can never resist them at the farmers market—bright white, pink, or tinged with purple, with lush green tops attached. They often look more humble in the grocery store, but they’re still worth reaching for. Turnips have a lightly sweet, peppery flavor with delicious nutty, mustardy undertones. Why not add them to your root vegetable rotation?
I’m sharing a guide to how to cook turnips below, complete with my favorite roasted turnips recipe. It’s easy to make with 4 ingredients, and it cooks in right around 30 minutes. If you’re new to cooking with this veggie, or if you’ve never done it, I hope you’ll give this healthy side dish a try. It might just win you over to team turnip!
How to Cook Turnips
First, a little background! Turnips are a member of the brassica family, related to cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and rutabaga. You’ll commonly see a few varieties at farmers markets and grocery stores:
- Harukei – Also called Japanese turnips, this variety has a bright white color, small size, sweet flavor, and crisp, juicy texture.
- Scarlet – Similar taste and texture to Harukei, but with spicy red skin.
- Purple top white globe – The most common variety. It has a denser, slightly starchier texture that’s better cooked than raw.
I love to thinly slice Harukei and scarlet turnips and use them raw in salads. They’re also lovely quartered and steamed. All three types are great in soups and stews.
But most often, when I have turnips on hand, I roast them. Here’s how I do it:
Start by trimming the turnips. If they have greens attached, slice them off where the turnip root meets the stems. Don’t toss the greens though! Stash them in the fridge for another use. Just like radish greens, they’re great sautéed or in stir fries. I also love them in miso soup!
Then, prep the bulbs. Scrub them well and peel them, if desired. If the bulbs are small, halve or quarter them. If they’re large, cut the turnips into 1-inch pieces.
To peel or not to peel?
It’s personal preference! I often don’t peel turnips when I roast them, but the skins can be slightly tougher and more bitter than the flesh.
A good rule of thumb is that if you like to peel carrots or sweet potatoes before roasting, you’ll probably want to peel turnips too. Simply use a regular vegetable peeler to remove the skins before chopping.
Next, season the turnips. Place them on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Toss the turnips with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkles of salt, and several grinds of pepper. Spread evenly on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between the pieces.
- Other seasoning options: Garlic powder, hardy fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, or dried thyme or rosemary
Roast at 425°F for 20 to 35 minutes, or until tender and browned around the edges. The timing will depend on the variety—Harukei cook fairly quickly. Other types will take longer.
Season to taste and serve topped with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley. A squeeze of lemon juice doesn’t hurt either. Enjoy!
How to Serve Roasted Turnips
Roasted turnips are a delicious, healthy side dish for any fall or winter meal. I love them with
- Soups and stews like my lentil soup and kale soup
- Comforting pastas like my butternut squash pasta
- And egg dishes like a frittata or crustless quiche
They’re also great in hearty salads. Try tossing a few into this sweet potato salad.
They’re lovely tossed with other roasted veggies too. Try them in this recipe for mixed roasted vegetables or with these roasted root vegetables!
How do you like to serve roasted turnips? Let me know in the comments!
More Simple Vegetable Recipes
If you loved learning how to cook turnips, try one of these simple vegetable recipes next:
Roasted Turnips
Ingredients
- 1 bunch turnips, greens trimmed, bulbs halved or quartered if small, chopped into 1-inch pieces if large
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the turnips on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread evenly on the baking sheet.
- Roast for 20 to 35 minutes, or until tender and browned around the edges. The exact timing will depend on the variety and freshness. Season to taste, garnish with parsley, if using, and serve.
