Turnips are a native root - but one that many of us have lost the habit of eating. Let's hope these tips will help you learn to love the earthy bitterness of the purple-tinged beauties.
We have a bunch of turnip recipes on our website - type "turnip" into the ingredients filter to find more suggestions. And read on for some tips and ideas to get you going.
Prep
Turnips need a rinse and maybe a scrub before cooking. Peeling is a matter of taste - smaller ones are usually tender enough to eat with skins on.
Greens
If they come with leaves, you can eat those too. They work well in soups, stews and stir-fries or try them in your favourite spinach, kale or collard greens recipe.
Japanese stir-fried turnip greens
Roast
Chop the turnips into chunks or leave whole if small. Drizzle with olive oil and mix around to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast the turnips at 200C until they're tender and beginning to brown, about 30-40 minutes. If you like, about halfway through cooking, add garlic cloves (lightly crushed to split them open) and herbs. Rosemary works well.
See this simple roast turnip recipe
Sesame roasted turnip & quinoa
Easy pan-fried miso-glazed turnips
Salad
Shred or finely slice and add to a slaw with - or instead of - cabbage.
Indian-style
Turnip also makes a great ingredient for curry. Veg scheme member Sue Phillips recommended this one:
Lamb with turnips Shalgam Gosht
Punjabi turnip curry - Shalgam di Kurry (vegan)
Pretend they're a potato
You can cook them in most of the ways you would cook a potato: boiled, baked, mashed (we recommend butter and lots of pepper). Or add them to soups and stews.
Pickled
If you're not sure what to do with them, pickle your turnips and this will preserve them for a later meal. Their tart-yet-sweet flavour cuts through full-flavoured and rich dishes.
Middle-Eastern Pickled Turnip recipes
