Roasted Parsnips is a quick simple side dish perfect for winter! Easy roast parsnips seasoned with olive oil, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
Simple, roasted veggie Side Dishes like Roasted Root Vegetables and Roasted Cauliflower are perfect for colder months. They are easy to make and bring warm, earthy flavors to any dinner table.
Table of Contents
- Sabrina’s Roasted Parsnips Recipe
- Chef’s Note: Choosing the best tasting Parsnips
- Ingredients
- Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- How to Make
- Recipe Card
- Can this be made ahead of time?
- Nutritional Facts
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- What to Pair with Roasted Parsnips
- How to Store
- Ideas to Serve Roasted Parsnips
- Frequent Questions
- Variations
- Related Recipes
Sabrina’s Roasted Parsnips Recipe
When the cold weather hits, it’s time for winter vegetables like beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips. If you normally don’t add parsnips to your family meals, you are in for a real treat! Their sweet, earthy flavors are similar to a carrot, making them a perfect side for hearty roast meat dishes.
My Roasted Parsnip recipe comes together in a matter of minutes. This only has two simple ingredients, plus salt and pepper, so that the full flavor of the roasted vegetables shines. You can always play with herbs and spices you have on hand or to match the main dish you are serving them with.
Chef’s Note: Choosing the best tasting Parsnips
The caramelized outside and soft, tender inside makes parsnips taste buttery and decadent. The key to the best parsnips is to use smaller ones, they are sweeter and don’t have a tough core. The larger parsnips have a spicy, earthy flavor. If you do get bigger ones, you can cut the woody core out before roasting them. This is a great vegan side dish full of vitamins and minerals but no one would guess it’s so healthy!
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Parsnips: Parsnips are a root veggie that look like larger beige or white carrots. 2 pounds will give you about 6 servings to enjoy.
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil: Use regular olive oil to coat the parsnips. This will keep the veggies tender and moist. It will also help them brown without burning and without sticking to the pan.
- Seasonings: 2 teaspoons woody, fresh thyme is the perfect compliment to the natural sugars and earthy flavors of parsnips. Fresh herbs bring a lot of flavor so you don’t need more than one or two to season roasted vegetables. Then add the classic combination of 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper to round out the flavors.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Baking Sheet: Use a rimmed baking sheet or cookie sheet to roast your parsnips. Just make sure it is large enough so there is a little space between the pieces of parsnip, or use 2 baking sheets instead.
- Vegetable Peeler: You need to peel parsnips before cooking with them, so use a peeler to peel them the same way you would peel carrots.
- Sharp Knife: Use a sharp knife to cut the fresh parsnips into bite-size pieces.
- Large Mixing Bowl: Grab a large mixing bowl, big enough to toss all the parsnips with the olive oil and seasonings.
How to Make
Time needed: 55 minutes.
- Prep Time
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and get a large enough sheet pan that will fit the veggies without crowding. Use two baking sheets if you need more room. If your pans aren’t non-stick, cover with aluminum foil.
- Cut
Trim the tops of parsnips and peel with a peeler like you would with carrots. Slice them down the center lengthwise then into a few pieces to make it easier to chop into 1-inch chunks.
- Season
In a large mixing bowl, add the parsnips, olive oil, thyme, salt and black pepper and mix well so all the pieces are covered.
- Baking Sheet
Spread seasoned parsnips into an even single layer on a baking sheet. Use two baking pans if needed so they aren’t crowded.
- Cooking Time
Place the pan on the middle rack and roast for 20 minutes. Stir, so they cook on both sides, and return to the oven. Cook for 20-25 more minutes, until parsnips are caramelized on the outside and tender in the middle.
- Serve
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 pounds parsnips
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme , minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Trim the tops of parsnips and peel with a peeler.
- Cut the parsnips into 1-inch chunks, cutting thinner as is gets wider.
- Add the parsnips, olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper to the bowl, mixing well.
- Place the parsnips on a large sheet pan in a single layer.
- Cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir and cook for up to an additional 20-25 minutes until parsnips are roasted and soft.
- Toss with a drizzle extra olive oil if desired when serving.
Nutrition
Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can make Roasted Parsnips ahead of time. You have a couple choices to prep them in advance:
- Advance Prep: You can do all of the preparation a day or two before you want to serve the parsnips. Peel and slice them, then store the raw parsnips in water or with a light squeeze of lemon juice so they don’t turn brown. Then season and roast them the day you want to serve them.
- Full Prep and Reheat: Cut, season, and roast the parsnips, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Heat them on the baking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees until warm.
Nutritional Facts
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Choosing Olive Oil for Roasting
- You want to use regular olive oil instead of extra-virgin olive oil to roast the parsnips because it has a higher smoke point and can stand up to the long roasting time on higher heat. Save the extra-virgin oil for drizzling right before serving.
- Cutting for Even Cooking
- You want the pieces of parsnip pretty much the same size so they cook evenly, so you should cut the thinner end into bigger slices, about 1-inch and the wider end into smaller slices, about 3/4-to-½ inch.
What to Pair with Roasted Parsnips
These earthy vegetables are a fun break from traditional veggie side dishes like Green Beans or Sauteed Carrots. You can serve the healthy side dish with favorite, family-friendly dinners like Roast Chicken or Pork Loin Roast. Elevate a cold weather salad like Winter Pear Salad with leftover parsnips or swap them in for carrots in soup recipes like Beef Stew.
How to Store
- Serve: You can serve Roast Parsnips hot or chilled, just don’t leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Once they have cooled to room temperature, store the parsnips in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Cool vegetables completely before placing in a sealed container so moisture doesn’t collect. Freeze parsnips for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the oven.
Ideas to Serve Roasted Parsnips
Roasted Parsnips are easy enough to make for a weeknight meal, but they also make the perfect side dish for any holiday table. Parsnips are an underrated vegetable so they can be a pleasant surprise if you’re bringing a side to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Prepare the parsnips and put them in a pretty serving dish to share with friends and family. You can also serve the parsnips on a platter surrounding a lovely main dish the same way you would roasted potatoes. One easy way to dress up the golden brown Parsnips is to serve them sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley.
Frequent Questions
Parsnips are a root vegetable that resemble carrots in shape and texture. The flavor is unique and not a whole lot like a carrot. They can be a bit sweet, especially the small ones, but also earthy and nutty. The larger the parsnips, the more they can taste a bit spicy.
It is not required that you peel parsnips, but usually they are peeled before cooking them. You will peel the parsnips the same way you would a carrot before cooking it. Just use a standard vegetable peeler to peel them. If they aren’t peeled, they need to be scrubbed thoroughly.
Variations
- Herbs: Comforting herb flavors pair perfectly with root vegetables. Try different herbs like fresh rosemary, Italian parsley, or sage for different seasonal flavors.
- Seasonings: Toss 1-2 minced garlic cloves with the parsnips for Garlic Roasted Parsnips. The mild earthy flavors also pair well with any spice blends like Greek seasoning, Italian seasoning, or Curry seasoning.
- Cheese: Once the veggies are cooked, toss them in fresh shredded Parmesan cheese before serving for some nutty flavor. To get that Parmesan flavor, but keep it a vegan side dish, sprinkle with some nutritional yeast in the last 5 minutes of roasting.
- Maple Syrup: Bring out the natural sweetness of parsnips with a drizzle of maple syrup. Maple Roasted Parsnips with fresh thyme and salt make a perfect sweet and savory fall side.
Related Recipes
More Roasted Vegetables for Winter
