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Thursday, June 8, 2017

How to Cook Turnips So They Taste Good

TURNIPS!  Don't turn your nose up at this unfamiliar seasonal vegetable. Trust me, turnips are delicious if you cook them the right way and I will tell you how!



If you belong to a CSA farm or if you shop at a local farmer's market, you may begin to start seeing turnips showing up around now! I received a large bunch along with many other veggies this week from my CSA  farm. 

Lots of Greens 

I have vague memories as a child hearing that turnips are smelly and yucky! But I heard the same about brussels sprouts, broccoli, and other vegetables that taste terrible when they are boiled way too long . 



Turnips- Yuck!!

I honestly have never made turnips before, so I went on a search on Pinterest to find some good recipes.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this low carb and low calorie vegetable can be substituted for potatoes in most recipes. 

AND that turnips have way fewer carbs and calories than potatoes, making them a better choice for dieters ! 

They are also high in fiber which helps regulate the function of the metabolism. They share the health benefits of any cruciferous vegetable like broccoli or cauliflower, making the turnip a great addition to any diet. 


There Are Many Ways To Prepare Turnips

  • Eat them raw by grating them into coleslaws 
  • Pickle them- Egyptian cultures make pickled turnips called  "Lift" 
  • Roast them in the oven either sliced or halved ( I prefer sliced) 
  • Roast or steam till tender then mash them just like mashed potatoes- add butter 
  • Make fries- cut them just like you make french fries, toss in olive oil with seasoning,  and roast on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees- they are not as dense as potato but still good
  • Salad- slice them like a radish
  • Soups- use like you would a potato in soups 
  • Who knew??? I've never made turnips before. 
My Favorite Way to Eat Turnips

Sliced and Roasted Turnips 
I  liked the turnips sliced, tossed in olive oil, seasoned with rosemary, pepper, and Himalayan salt.  Simple but delicious. Since turnips have more liquid than potatoes, I like to slice them which seems to produce a drier product than when I cut them in half and roasted them. 

Turnip Halves uncooked
I then cut in half, toss in olive oil and seasonings of choice, bake at
400 degrees till tender
The turnip halves are juicier halved than when they are sliced, but the slices are crispier. Both ways are good but I like mine better sliced.


Substitute Turnips for Potatoes in Any Soup

Creamy, soothing , and delicious
TURNIP SOUP WITH CARAMELIZED ONION
Follow my recipe for Potato Soup but substitute the turnips

That is why I like to belong to a CSA farm- I am, introduced to many different types of veggies that I am not familiar with and that are nutritious and taste great!

How I Decided to Cook My Turnips.

Since I wanted to make them in the simplest way possible, 
I decided to slice them, toss them in olive oil and seasoning and roast them in the oven. They were absolutely delicious especially when they first came out of the oven.

Do I peel them first? I did not peel mine because they were organic. 
The skin is very thin and tender and not necessary to peel.

 Eat The Turnip Greens Too!!

The turnips are connected to greens. These greens are tender, taste delicious , and extremely healthy. They contain substantial levels of lutein a carotenoid that is especially beneficial for eye health.

The greems taste similar to kale when cooked but are somewhat more tender.  As with most greens, they taste best when not overcooked. I simply sautee them in some olive oil spray with a little garlic and Himalayan salt until well wilted and the stems are soft ( I cut up the stems with the greens)  


uncooked

I cut them up, sauteed them in a skillet sprayed with olive oil, added a little Himalayan salt.

I ate the turnip bulb and the sauteed greens together.  

cooked
You need the right tool to peel hard to peel vegetables


Although you wont need to peel turnips, I received other hard to peel veggies in my CSA basket.


Kohlrabi


Kohlrabi has a tough outer skin which needs to be peeled. It can be a tough job unless you have a really good peeler. The one I love is light, easy to handle, and peels quickly an thoroughly cutting down the struggle on butternut squash, kohlrabi, and other vegetables that a large and need peeling.

Best Vegetable Peeler that I highly recommend

The peeler that I use can slip off the skin of a butternut so fast that it is actually easy to peel.
Using the correct tool really does make a difference.  I own two hand peelers that look almost identical.  One is the OXO Good Grips Y Peeler.and the other looks just like it- but its a different brand.

The OXO Good Grips Y Peeler.is really inexpensive but is a good investment which will take the struggle out of peeling. I used to get so frustrated.

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18 comments:

  1. We LOVE both of these vegetables. Turnip is one of our favorite "veggie fries."

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    1. I have to admit that turnips are new to my this year and kohlrabi was new to me last year. I will have to "veggie fries " a try! thanks for stopping by and thank you for commenting

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  2. What a great idea! I have to admit I had never probably even tasted a turnip before I received them in my weekly CSA box. They are definitely different! Stopping by from the weekly blog hop. Have a great week!

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    1. Amber,
      It was the same for me. I never tasted a turnip before my CSA- but when they give them to you, you have to find a way to use them.

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  3. Turnips are good roasted in the oven. Kahlrabi are delicious raw. They are one of my husband's favorite raw vegetables. They are refreshing.

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    1. I was pleasantly surprised how good the turnips were roasted in the oven. I've eaten kohlrabi roasted and it was good too and fabulous in soup.

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  4. I love turnips so I'll have to try these!! :)

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by and inviting me to share on your Facebook. Interesting that you love turnips , I'm curious how you eat them

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  5. I don't really eat turnips! I do like turnip greens though! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Have a great week!
    Kim

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    1. I never ate turnips either until I got a large bunch from the CSA and felt I had to make them. Surprisingly, I liked them. I do like the greens too..

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  6. I've never tried turnips before but I definitely will have to now that I know there are so many ways to eat them!

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    Replies
    1. As a recent turnip eater myself, I say give them a try . I think you will like them

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  7. Your little guy is adorable. We grow turnips here at the cottage and we just love them. You have some great recipes to try. Thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and come back to see us real soon!
    Miz Helen

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    Replies
    1. Miz Helen,
      You do have a wonderful garden full of so many vegetables. I always enjoy your recipes and Full Plate Thursday!

      Delete
  8. I love roasted turnips! Another tasty option is to use them in Japanese Udon Noodle Soup.

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    Replies
    1. Becca,
      Thanks for the suggestion- I 'll give it a look.

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  9. Best way for me - steam or boil young turnips until tender, toss in butter and chopped parsley. Delicious! #WasteLessWednesday

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    Replies
    1. Rosie,
      Your recipe for eating turnips sounds simple and delicious- just the way I like my veggies

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Your comments are appreciated. I love knowing who is stopping by to read my posts! Have a great day.