Turnips
Turnips are a peppery brassica root, typically white with a purple shoulder, eaten raw when young and small, or braised and mashed when more mature. They're a backbone vegetable of French and British root-and-stew cooking.
How to buy
Choose small to medium turnips that feel heavy and firm with smooth, unblemished skin; smaller turnips are milder and sweeter, while larger ones turn sharper and can be woody. Fresh attached greens, if present, are a good sign of recent harvest.
How to store
Remove the greens (which can be cooked separately and spoil faster) and refrigerate the roots in a bag in the crisper drawer, where they keep 2-3 weeks.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Peppery and slightly bitter raw, similar to a sharper radish. Roasting or braising mellows the sharpness considerably and brings out a mild sweetness.
- Texture
- Crisp and crunchy raw, similar to a dense radish. Becomes tender, slightly fibrous, and more yielding once cooked.
- Aroma
- A sharp, mustardy smell raw from sulfur compounds, typical of the brassica family, that softens noticeably with cooking.
How to prepare
- Roasted — Cut into wedges and roasted until the edges caramelize and the sharpness mellows.
- Mashed — Boiled until soft and mashed, often with butter or blended with potato to tame the bite.
- Pickled — Cut into sticks and brined in vinegar, a classic accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats.
- Shaved raw into slaw — Cut into thin matchsticks for a peppery, crunchy raw salad.
- Added to stews and braises — Cubed and simmered alongside meat so it absorbs the braising liquid while softening.
Classic dishes
American
- Roasted turnips with thyme — Turnip wedges roasted with olive oil and fresh thyme until caramelized.
- Turnip greens and pot likker — A Southern soul food dish simmering turnip greens with smoked pork, served with the flavorful cooking liquid.
- Mashed turnips with butter — Boiled turnip mashed simply with butter, salt, and pepper.
- Turnip and root vegetable stew — A hearty stew combining turnip with carrot, potato, and often beef or lamb.
- Turnip and apple slaw — Shredded turnip and apple tossed together for a peppery-sweet raw salad.
French
- Navarin d'agneau — A classic French lamb stew featuring turnips, carrots, and other spring vegetables.
- Navets glacés — Baby turnips braised in butter and a little sugar until glazed and tender.
- Gratin de navets — Sliced turnip baked in cream with a browned cheese topping.
- Braised turnips with duck — Turnips braised in duck fat and stock, absorbing the richness of the meat.
Mediterranean
- Caramelized turnips with honey — Turnip wedges slow-cooked until browned and glazed with honey.
Middle Eastern
- Torshi lift — Bright pink pickled turnips, often colored with beet, served alongside shawarma and falafel.
- Turnip and lamb tagine — Turnips braised with lamb and warm spices until tender and infused with the stew's flavor.
British & Irish
- Neeps and tatties — Mashed turnip (or swede) served alongside mashed potato, traditionally with haggis.
- Turnip soup — A simple pureed soup of turnip simmered with onion and stock.
- Turnip and potato mash — Boiled turnip and potato mashed together with butter for a milder, sweeter result.
Substitutions
- Kohlrabi — Milder and sweeter than turnip but similarly crisp raw; use in equal amounts for slaws and roasting.