Parsnips

Tasting Notes of the Curator

Parsnips reveal their best selves through heat and time. Raw, they are firm and lightly earthy with a faint carrot-like aroma, but once cooked, they transform into something far more nuanced. Roasting draws out their natural sugars, producing golden edges and a tender interior with notes of honey, nutmeg, and toasted nuts. There’s a gentle spiciness beneath the sweetness—warm, rounded, and deeply comforting.

When puréed, parsnips become luxuriously smooth, offering a creamy texture without heaviness and a flavor that feels both familiar and elevated. In soups and stews, they add subtle sweetness and body, harmonizing effortlessly with savory stocks and herbs. Unlike carrots, parsnips carry a more mature, wintery character—less bright, more contemplative—making them especially suited to slow cooking and cold-weather menus.

Pairings and Suggestions

Parsnips are remarkably versatile and shine in both simple preparations and composed dishes.

Ways to use them:

Roast with olive oil, sea salt, and thyme until caramelized

Purée with butter and cream as a refined side dish

Add to soups, stews, or gratins for natural sweetness

Pair with roast chicken, pork, or lamb

Shave thinly and roast or fry for crisp vegetable chips

They pair beautifully with warming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and white pepper, as well as herbs such as rosemary and sage.

A Vegetable of Winter Light

Parsnips grow sweeter after frost, their starches slowly converting into sugars as temperatures drop. This natural alchemy gives them a special place in winter cooking—rooted, patient, and quietly radiant. Long valued in European kitchens before sugar was widely available, parsnips were once a primary source of sweetness, lending comfort and sustenance during colder months. They carry that legacy still: a vegetable that nourishes, warms, and softens the edges of winter meals.

Storage Instructions

Store parsnips in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer, ideally unwashed and loosely wrapped. Trim greens if attached. Once peeled or cut, keep refrigerated in an airtight container and use within a few days.