Skip to Main Content
Recipe

Terrific Turnips Are Pick of the Month for February

By Ian Rollins

Root vegetables are in season. Turnips are a great root vegetable, loaded with nutrients, so they are our Pick of the Month!

Turnips add a lot of flavor, as well as a lot of calcium and potassium to stews and roasted vegetable dishes. Try mashing them with your white potatoes, or roasting them with your sweet potatoes.

Pick up some fresh turnips today from your local grocery store or farm stand. 

What’s so great about turnips?

  • Turnips are fat-free.
  • They’re a good source of calcium and potassium, and they’re low in calories and sodium.
  • Grocery stores carry them year-round, but the best time to find them is from October to March.

What’s the best way to eat turnips?

  • Cook them for a sweeter flavor.
  • Most popular methods are pickling, boiling, roasting and mashing.
  • Mix with other vegetables in a hearty stew.
  • Mix with mashed potatoes for an exciting new twist.
 

Selection & Preparation

  1. Tightly wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
  2. Cut off green tops and rinse under cold water to remove any dirt from the surface.
  3. Peel with a vegetable peeler. The turnip skin can be tough, with an unpleasant taste.
  4. Choose any cooking method you’d like, including roasting, baking, boiling, mashing, stewing or sautéing.
Background image: Pick-of-the-month-turnips-308-BGC

Roasted Turnips and Sweet Potatoes

Recipe adapted from SparkPeople-Roasted, Turnips, Sweet Potatoes, Apples and Dried Cranberries

Ingredients

2 medium turnips, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Place vegetables, apple and cranberries onto a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Makes five one-cup servings.

Nutritional information per serving

  • Carbohydrates: 20g
  • Fat: 3g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Sodium: 270mg
  • Protein: 1g