Buried Treasures: Our Best Root Vegetable Recipes

By Darcy Lenz
October 13, 2015
Photo: Jose Picayo
Beautifully irregular, amusingly knobby root vegetables are earthy, sweet, and downright delicious. Try these recipes to get you started and keep you hooked.
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Well Rooted

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Roasted Sunchokes

I once bought a rutabaga solely because I felt sorry for it. It was the first time I'd purchased, the first time I'd prepared, and the first time I'd eaten a delightful, lightly sweet, buttery rutabaga. An arguably weird but beautiful bond was formed. From the peppery crunch of raw celery root to the vibrant jewel tones beets bring to the table, there's a whole lot to adore in the root vegetable family beyond carrots and radishes. Appreciating these underground glories' full potential starts with thinking outside the roasting pan.

When crisped in a high-heat oven, paper-thin sunchoke skin is a real treat—just make sure to scrub the knobby roots well before cooking.

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Smoky Sunchoke, Sausage, and Pepper Hash

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Smoky Sunchoke, Sausage, and Pepper Hash

Cherry-pick your 'chokes. Select the least knobby sunchokes for this recipe for easier peeling. Serve with a fresh green salad as an elegant brunch or supper.

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Rutabaga Champ

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Rutabaga Champ

Rutabaga has a luscious buttery quality when cooked, so naturally, this root veggie shines in mash form. We incorporate potatoes as a way to provide the starch that rutabaga lacks, making for an ultrasilky, comforting hearty spin on classic Irish champ.

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Baked Rutabaga with "Red-Eye" Tomato Sauce

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Baked Rutabaga with "Red-Eye" Tomato Sauce

Gently baking rutabaga preserves its subtle vegetal nuance, which would be easily overpowered by caramelization in a roasting scenario.

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Roasted Red and Golden Beet Salad

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Roasted Red and Golden Beet Salad

This composed two-toned beet salad is a showstopping way to highlight the vegetable's natural beauty. We recommended dressing the red beets separately from the golden beets to preserve each one's rich jewel coloring (red beets aren't shy about spreading their natural beauty around).

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Buttermilk-Beet Sherbet with Hazelnut Brittle

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Buttermilk-Beet Sherbet with Hazelnut Brittle

If carrots can go into cake, there's no reason beets can't make their way into ice cream. It's a stunning dessert—absurdly delicious with a gorgeous magenta huge.

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Celery Root Slaw

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Celery Root Slaw

A bistro classic, slaw is among the most widely embraced applications for this peppery root. Like many greats, the dish's appeal is in its simplicity—a tangy dressing matched with crisp veggie, polished with parsley.

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Celery Root Schnitzel with Cabbage-Apple Slaw

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Celery Root Schnitzel with Cabbage-Apple Slaw

Our twist on a classic fried pork or chicken cutlet is inspired by a dish on chef Andrew Carmellini's menu at Little Park in New York.

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Quick-Pickled Baby Turnips

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Quick-Pickled Baby Turnips

Look for baby turnips with the greens on them for an elegant look that will wow. Trim greens to about 1/2 inch from the top of the bulb; then slice turnips vertically.

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Savory Turnip Gratin with Greens

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Savory Turnip Gratin with Greens

Clear a place of honor on the Thanksgiving table for this creamy and exceptionally comforting casserole.

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Glazed Parsnips

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Glazed Parsnips

This side dish comes together in minutes, making it an ideal match for a more labor-intensive entrée.

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Parsnip Ribbons with Miso Vinaigrette

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Parsnip Ribbons with Miso Vinaigrette

A little sweet, a little salty, a bit of toasty, and a touch of tang—the makings of a grade-A salad.

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Whole-Beet Borscht

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Whole-Beet Borscht

We put a new twist on this hearty beet soup, using every part of the signature ingredient. Leafy beet greens take the place of borscht's traditional cabbage. You not only use the whole beet (less waste) but also get the most nutrition for your buck, as beet greens have nearly twice the fiber of other greens.

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Beet Chips

Photo: Teresa Sabga
View Recipe: Beet Chips

If you are a lover of all things crispy and salty, you'll love these beet chips. They're so easy to make and have a great natural flavor from earthy, sweet beets.

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Sunchoke Latkes

Photo: Tina Cornett
View Recipe: Sunchoke Latkes

Use the shredder blade of a food processor to quickly shred the artichokes, potato, and carrot. Cook the latkes soon after combining the ingredients so the mixture does not become watery; if this happens, though, remove the mixture from the liquid using a slotted spoon.

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Celery Root-Arugula Salad

Photo: Kang Kim
View Recipe: Celery Root-Arugula Salad

It's a good idea to take a sharp knife to the gnarly celery root (also called celeriac), and cut it as finely as possible. If you have a mandoline, use it to make quick, even matchstick pieces. Although all celery root will be misshapen and scruffy looking, don't buy roots that are shriveled or that give to the touch.

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Crab and Celery Root Rémoulade

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Crab and Celery Root Rémoulade

Here's an appetizer that will not weigh down you or your meal. A melt-in-your-mouth mixture of crab and other fresh ingredients is tucked into a crispy leaf of Boston lettuce to make this little explosion of flavor. Rémoulade is a classic mayonnaise-based sauce traditionally served with seafood. It's like tartar sauce, but more complexly flavored. We love how the licorice notes of tarragon pair with shellfish like crab and lobster, but you can use parsley, lemon thyme, or basil if you prefer. Lump crabmeat costs a little more than fin meat or other cheaper kinds of packaged crab, but it boasts big chunks and sweet mild flavor.

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Wild Rice and Celery Root Soup

Photo: Ellen Silverman
View Recipe: Wild Rice and Celery Root Soup

The knobby bulb called celeriac or celery root has a celery-like flavor, but one that is more robust and creamy at the same time. Add leftover turkey to make this an entrée.

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Turnip and Leek Mashed Potatoes

Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Turnip and Leek Mashed Potatoes

Using a hand masher on the potatoes turns out a rustic mash with small, telltale "I'm homemade" lumps.

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Cabbage with White Beans, Turnip, and Pecorino

Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Cabbage with White Beans, Turnip, and Pecorino

Pair this quick side with roast pork or chicken.

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Creamy Turnip Soup

Photo: Howard L. Puckett
View Recipe: Creamy Turnip Soup

This soup is warming and comforting and works great as an appetizer to a large meal or as a main course with a winter salad and French bread.

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Carrot-Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Carrot-Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips

Winter root vegetables lend their complementary, slightly sweet flavors to this hearty bowl. Stir in more water or broth if you prefer a thinner consistency.

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Parsnip-Potato Latkes with Horseradish Cream

Photography: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Parsnip-Potato Latkes with Horseradish Cream

The bite of horseradish in the sour cream is a perfect contrast for the sweet carrot and parsnip in this latke variation, but skip it if you prefer a strictly kosher menu that doesn’t mix meat and milk.

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Parsnip and Apple Soup

Photo: Jose Picayo
View Recipe: Parsnip and Apple Soup

Tangy yogurt and smoky bacon provide a nice and unexpected counterpoint to this sweet, creamy soup. Serve with fresh bread or as a starter with a meat-based entrée.

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By Darcy Lenz