parsnip chowder recipe – use real butter (2024)

FAQs

What pairs well with parsnip? ›

The flavor of parsnips pairs well with other root vegetables, like beets, sweet potatoes, and carrots. They're also delicious with cauliflower, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Don't be afraid to roast these parsnips with other veggies of choice for a fiber-rich, delicious side dish.

Steaming parsnips really lets their flavour sing – just make sure you cut out the inner core from older, woodier roots before cooking them.

Parsnips are a classic ingredient in some chicken broths and soups, and can also be baked, sauteed, steamed, mashed or pureed, roasted, used in stews and fried. The parsnip is a root vegetable related to both carrots and parsley (and, come to think of it, don't the tops of carrots look a lot like parsley?).

With their white starchy flesh, regular potatoes can make a great replacement for parsnips in many dishes. While they have a milder taste, potatoes can be a great option for replacing parsnips in soups and roasted dishes.

For those who don't know, PARSNIP refers to taboo issues that shouldn't be addressed in the classroom, namely: politics, alcohol, religion, sex, narcotics, –isms, and… pork. This has been a somewhat flexible rule in the industry, in the classroom, and in materials for a long time.

You'll find them year-round, but their peak season is from fall to spring. They should be blemish-free and firm. Since parsnips are sometimes sold near similar-looking parsley roots, be sure you're purchasing the right item.

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.

Yes, you can eat parsnips raw. In fact, they make a delightful alternative to raw carrot sticks for dunking into homemade houmous. Raw grated parsnip is also a tasty addition to salads. Just make sure you wash your parsnips well before chopping them and slice off any bits of skin that might look bruised or blackened.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the parsnips and simmer for 10–12 minutes until tender. Drain well and leave to stand for 2–3 minutes to dry out.

I like to think of parsnips as carrots “sweeter” cousin. And while they look a little more rustic and less attractive than their orange relative they make up for it in flavor and texture. Parsnips have an amazingly sweet taste with a hint of earthiness.

What flavor does parsnip add? ›

Parsnips have a sweeter, licorice-like taste with a hint of spice to them, as opposed to the carrot's sweetness that is more reminiscent of other types of winter squash. Turnips are another root vegetable that is often compared to parsnips, but the two are from completely different families.

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.

Remember, once you peel them, you'd have to cook them–or the parsnips will start to discolour. If you're cooking with old, large parsnips, you should also discard any very fibrous centres that you find, as those might be bitter and unpleasant to eat.

What sets parsnips apart is their low-calorie content and high fiber, making them an excellent alternative to starchy vegetables like potatoes. In fact, for two centuries, parsnips were the primary source of dietary starch in the US before potatoes took over.

A parsnip is a long, tapered root vegetable. It resembles a carrot in this way, and indeed they are part of the same family. But parsnips don't taste like carrots. They're sweeter—think sweet potatoes—and they have a delicious naturally nutty or earthy flavor.

In case you are reading my former, deluded, beliefs, here is the correction: On parsnips, the facts are that parsnips can cross with wild parsnip, but not with carrots or Queen Anne's Lace, as I wrongly claimed. On fennel, the facts are that fennel does not cross with anything except other fennel.