Got some turnips and not so sure what to do with them? These turnip recipes are so delicious, easy to make, and will make for amazing meals.
Turnips are the salt of the earth, offering a nutty, slightly sweet, deliciously earthy flavor when roasted.
Not only are they delicious, but they also don’t cost much to buy, and they are also a great alternative for low-carb eaters.
Now, it’s time to dive into the many possible ways you can enjoy this versatile vegetable.
Table of Contents
Do You Have to Peel Turnips?
Much like other root vegetables, the decision to peel your turnips is up to your discretion. The outer turnip peel can taste a little sharp on larger bulbs, so be aware of that when choosing.
What Can I Do with a Turnip?
Anything you can do with a potato, you can do with a turnip. Roast, mash, and put them in a stew; the world is your oyster with these deliciously nutty and earthy vegetables. You can even combine turnips with other root vegetables.
They’re a little harder than the more commonly-used potato, so make sure you give them enough cooking time to get nice and soft.
How Do You Prepare Turnips to Eat?
Turnips are wonderfully versatile, offering you many potential avenues for the preparation of your favorite turnip recipes. As before, you can essentially treat them as potatoes.
Make sure you incorporate a slightly light element like lemon juice or fresh herbs to bring that earthiness up a notch.
Old-Fashioned Turnip Recipes
Turnip has a reputation as a reasonably old-fashioned vegetable, and that’s not a bad thing. There are plenty of tasty old-fashioned recipes out there that can highlight this beautiful piece of produce.
1. Turnip and Apple Casserole
Source: foodmeanderings.com
First on the chopping block is a delicious turnip and apple casserole. The two flavors contrast each other beautifully, creating a robust, earthy sweetness perfect for fall dinnertime.
2. Roasted Turnips with Lemon
Source: honestandtasty.com
As I said at the top, adding a little spritz of lemon to your turnips is guaranteed to brighten it just enough to make the mild flavor extra special. These roasted turnips are the perfect meal companion. Just make sure to have your vegetable peeler on hand.
3. Roasted Turnips with Chive Butter Sauce
Source: runningtothekitchen.com
If you love the idea of roasted turnips but want something a little more elegant, this chive butter sauce is your answer. Generous lashings of this chive butter sauce take the dish to a new level.
4. Roasted Baby Turnips with Mustard Vinaigrette
Source: plantbasedcooking.com
These smaller turnips are coated in a stunning vinaigrette.
Earthy mustard pairs with spiced turnips in a dazzling duo for this vegetable recipe.
This is a great simple side dish or starter dish for your next Sunday dinner party, as it requires almost no effort.
5. Greek Turnip Skordalia
Source: greedygourmet.com
Skordalia is a Greek dinner table staple, bringing the earthiness of root vegetables to the table in smooth dip form. This dip is struck through with gorgeous notes of garlic.
6. Turnip Casserole
Source: healthyseasonalrecipes.com
If you’re looking for a simple, delicious Friday night dinner that will satisfy anyone sitting down to eat, you’ve found it! This only requires twenty minutes of hands-on cooking time!
The caramelized onions and deliciously cheesy, creamy bechamel sauce makes this a luxurious dish you’ll never forget.
7. Traditional Scottish Soup
Source: christinascucina.com
Also known as ‘Scotch Broth,’ this delicious recipe is a soup made from boiling lamb bones and various root vegetables for their flavor. It’s warm and comforting, so it’s perfect for winter nights.
This dish is packed with vegetables, making it super nutritious.
Salad Turnip Recipes
Turnip in a salad is a triumph. Packed with earthy nuttiness, it’s a great way to create a filling, protein-packed salad that will keep you full for a long time.
8. Swiss Chard Hash with Turkey Fennel and Turnips
Source: ohsweetmercy.com
The first of our salad dishes is a warm turnip hash featuring Swiss chard and turkey fennel. This is a one-pan wonder that celebrates a whole collection of winter vegetables.
As a breakfast dish, you really can’t ask for anything better. Flavorful, nutritious, and simple.
9. Grilled Hakurei Turnips and Radishes
Source: homemadeandyummy.com
If you’re hosting a barbecue, these grilled turnips are a perfect side dish you can crank out alongside your grilled meat. They’re super delicious, with the char’s smokiness bringing some sweetness.
It’s a super basic recipe, so you don’t have to pay much attention to it to be rewarded with beautiful turnips.
10. Turnip and Dill Salad
Source: prepareandnourish.com
Next up is a delightfully refreshing turnip and dill salad. This salad has a bright flavor thanks to the intersection of the turnip and dill, making it ideal for summer lunches outside.
With such versatile ingredients, this salad is at home, no matter the occasion.
11. Turnip Salad
Source: masalaherb.com
Sometimes, simplicity is best. When served raw, turnips are delightfully sharp and refreshing. This gorgeous turnip salad harnesses that quality, creating an addictively crisp salad your palate will love.
Thanks to the simple dressing and raw turnips, this salad takes almost no time to assemble.
12. Roasted Asparagus Salad
Source: midwesternhomelife.com
A roasted salad is an ultimate appetizer in the cooler months, warming your palate and stomach.
Each element is coasted in a quick vinaigrette, but the natural appeal is in the slightly chaotic way all these delicious ingredients are just strewn together.
Turnip Indian Recipes
Turnip is the perfect root vegetable to hold up against the bold spice palate of Indian cuisine. It’s a great choice to substitute potato in an Indian meal or to provide a boost to a vegetarian dish.
13. Turnip Kurma
Source: vidhyashomecooking.com
Turnip kurma is a delicious green vegetarian curry with bold flavors and an underlying hum of coconut. It cooks in a stovetop pressure cooker, but you can also use an appliance for this dish.
The freshly ground curry base makes the flavors deep and well-considered.
14. Gobi Gajar Shalgam Achar
Source: vegrecipesofindia.com
Hailing from Punjab, this is a stunningly flavorful winter pickle recipe featuring carrots, cauliflower, and the all-important turnip.
This is amazing, served alongside almost any Indian-inspired dish, thanks to a palate of versatile flavors. Who knew so much flavor could reside in such a tiny serving?
15. Mutton Curry with Turnip
Source: whiskaffair.com
Our final Indian turnip recipe celebrates an underappreciated meat: mutton. This curry guaranteed to impress is hearty, earthy, and rich.
The deep and dark red color hints at the sheer amount of flavor hiding in this dish. The turnips soak all that flavor up, releasing it with every bite.
Mashed Turnip Recipes
Mashed turnip, when done right, is deliciously smooth, sweet, and buttery. It’s a fantastic ingredient that pairs well with other elements of a roasted dish.
16. Brussel Sprouts and Mashed Turnips
Source: diethood.com
Brussel sprouts and turnips are two vegetables that often get a bad reputation. When they team up, there’s no doubt that they prove that reputation wrong.
The generous helping of bacon stirred through these mashed turnips certainly goes a long way toward helping that cause!
17. Turnip Hash Brown Cakes
Source: itsavegworldafterall.com
If you love a good hash brown, you’ll love these turnip hash brown cakes. The mixture contains cornmeal, which helps to make these as crispy and texture-filled as possible.
To cap the whole dish off, these cakes are served with an apple chutney that walks the delicious line between sweet and savory.
18. Mashed Turnips
Source: masalaherb.com
If you want a quick and easy way to incorporate turnips into your meal, these mashed turnips are the ideal solution. The mash is simple and buttery and highlights the turnips in all their glory.
You can even prepare the mash using frozen turnips.
19. Roasted Turnip and Garlic Mash
Source: likehotketo.com
Add a rich kick of flavor to your turnip mash with this roasted garlic variation. The mellow undercurrent of garlic promises endless taste, no matter how often you return for more.
This mash is a great way to elevate a simple dish. It offers an anchoring, earthy presence perfect for any savory meal.
20. Carrot Turnip Mash
Source: greedygourmet.com
What’s better than one root vegetable mash? That’s right, two. This carrot and turnip mash pairs the sweetness of carrots with the nuttiness of the turnips, creating the perfect blend.
Imagine drizzling a generous amount of gravy all over this sweet and nutty mash.
21. Keto Mashed Turnips
Source: lowcarbyum.com
Turnips are a fantastic option for anyone on the keto diet, as they offer an easy potato alternative that tastes just as good (if not better).
Packed with butter and seasoned beautifully, these effortless keto mashed turnips will take pride of place on your table.
22. Mashed Turnips with Bacon and Butter
Source: cookingwithmammac.com
Bring out the autumnal essence of these delicious root vegetables with a healthy dose of bacon and butter. This is a fantastic recipe to whip out when the holiday season comes around.
Brown sugar hidden in the mash offers a lovely dark sweetness that perfectly complements your favorite holiday meal.
Best Turnip Recipes
The real question is, what are the best turnip recipes? What recipes will have you sit back, shutting your eyes, and blocking out the world to enjoy every bite of that delicious turnip?
Explore nine beautiful ways to celebrate this humble vegetable in the best way possible.
23. Instant Pot Turnip Cake
Source: pressurecookrecipes.com
We’re kicking off our round of the best turnip recipes with a trip to China. Whip out your Instant Pot and transport your tastebuds with these incredible turnip cakes.
Chinese sausage and cured meat are speckled throughout the soft cakes, creating an addictive taste and texture you’ll love.
24. Creamy Turnip Soup
Source: spendwithpennies.com
Turnip soup is a light, mild, slightly-sweet soup that’s utterly to die for.
It’s quick, it’s easy, and it tastes phenomenal.
Need more inspiration? Check out these easy celery and carrot soup.
25. Parmesan Crusted Crushed Turnips
Source: fromachefskitchen.com
This next dish is luxury on a plate. Smashed mellow sweet turnips coated in salty, crispy Parmesan; is there anything better? These are fantastic side dishes with a whole lot of crunch.
26. Turnip Stir Fry
Source: itsavegworldafterall.com
That’s right; you can even stir-fry your turnips! This stir-fry recipe relies on a stunning honey sauce humming with ginger and garlic notes.
Use this to top a plate of noodles or rice, or serve on its own to enjoy the sticky, mellow, sweet turnips in all their glory.
27. Beef Provencal with Root Vegetables
Source: glutenfreehomestead.com
This Provencal is the ideal recipe to whip out for special occasions. It’s packed with insane amounts of flavor, and the refined, hearty taste is excellent for celebrating.
Turnips are the perfect accompaniment here, as they can absorb all that good flavor.
28. Meat and Veggies Pasties
Source: picklebums.com
Feed the whole family in one swoop with these delicious meat and vegetable pasties. This great recipe incorporates a ton of tasty root vegetables, including the all-important turnip.
This easy side dish makes a great portable meal for picnics or road trips, as the flavor is trapped within that gorgeous pastry shell.
29. Roasted Turnip Hummus
Source: itsavegworldafterall.com
Hummus is beautiful, but it’s even better when you pack it full of roasted turnips’ mellow, earthy, slightly sweet flavor and a little olive oil.
30. Japanese Turnip
Source: wholesomeyum.com
Next up, we’re taking a turn back to Japan to take in these stunning roasted Japanese turnips. Also known as hakurei turnips, these boast an out-of-this-world miso maple sauce.
The combined umami flavor and the sweetness of the maple is one of the best ways to enjoy a turnip.
31. Middle Eastern Turnip Stew
Source: hildaskitchenblog.com
Shalgam is a turnip stew, but it’s also so much more.
Turnips are coated in date molasses and cooked alongside succulent lamb. All to create a bold, punchy but cheap dinner with a flavor you can’t describe as anything other than “divine.”
Are you one of the few home cooks out there who love turnips? Have you been converted by the recipes above? Which one will you be trying? Let me know in the comments below!