BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (2024)

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (1)Helene Dsouza

Low carb mashed turnips served as a side dish.

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

4 servings

4.6 from 12 votes

VIDEO RECIPE

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (2)

Best mashed turnips prepared with whole or frozen turnips, all low carb.

Watch how to make mashed turnips with my short video clip and process shots further below.

This is your holiday side dish if you like a healthy, easy to prepare, low-calorie mash.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (3)

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (4)

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Jump to:
  • 📕 What are turnips?
  • 🔪 How to prepare turnips?
  • 🥄 How to mash it?
  • ❄️ Freezing
  • 🥣 Serving
  • 💭 FAQs
  • 👁️ More side dish ideas
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

📕 What are turnips?

Turnips are round-shaped roots, which average the size of a fist.

Varieties exist, but the most common turnips are white and pink or purple, mainly wherever the roots have grown out of the soil.

Turnips are made of the root and the greens, both can be consumed and used in your cooking.

I like to make a turnip soup greens with the tops, which taste by the way like mustard greens.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (5)

The roots can be prepared like most root vegetables and young baby turnips can be even enjoyed raw uncooked.

The turnip vegetable is sometimes associated with little table radish (aka radi), daikon radish, celery root and kohlrabi (aka german turnip).

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (6)

🔪 How to prepare turnips?

Turnips are harvested with the root and the greens attached.

You can cut off the greens from the roots and use the tops in a soup.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (7)

The root vegetable tends to be covered in mud, especially if it rained just before.

Use a vegetable brush to scrub off mud and impurities.

Then move on to peel and cut your turnips.

How do you peel Turnips

Turnips tend to come in various sizes, from small to large.

I found the easiest way to peel a turnip is to use a regular small knife because the turnip skin can be tough.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (8)

You can try to peel your turnip too with a quality peeler but I personally found it to be cumbersome compared to peeling the root with a regular small knife.

I peel my turnip as a whole, but if you have a monster turnip to work on, then I recommend you cut it into two and peel it when it's in a manageable size.

How to cut Turnips?

Cutting turnips is the easiest part ever!

Turnip root flesh is rather hard (except baby turnips), so you will need a large knife to cut through clean in one go.

After you have peeled your turnip root, cut it into two and then into smaller cubes.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (9)

It's just as you would cut a potato.

To prepare the mash, try to cut the turnip cubes smaller so that they cook faster.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (10)

🥄 How to mash it?

You can prepare your mashed turnips once you have peeled your turnip root and cut it into smaller pieces to cook.

I illustrate the process in 3 straight forward easy to follow steps.

Find the complete recipe with instructions and ingredient details at the bottom of this post in the printable recipe card with the how-to video.

Step 1

Place cut turnip root pieces into a pot and cover with water.

Season with salt so that the turnip mash will have flavor.

Don't skip seasoning with salt or else your mashed turnips will turn out boring and bland.

Bring to a boil and cook your turnips soft.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (11)

Step 2

Take your cooked turnips from the heat and strain.

Place the turnip pieces back into the pot.

Season with ground black pepper and add thick cream to the cooked roots.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (12)

Step 3

Turn the turnip pieces into a mash over medium to low heat with a potato masher or a hand blender.

Root juices tend to come out during the mashing process so that's why you need to mash it over the heat so that the mash gets formed well.

Reduce to the desired mash consistency.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (13)

Prepare to serve up your mash when still hot, garnished with chopped fresh chives and a dollop of butter, ghee or cream.

❄️ Freezing

Yes, you can freeze mashed turnips.

Just prepare the mashed turnips as per recipe instructions.

You may want to create batches because smaller portions are quicker to defrost.

Place in an airtight freezer-friendly container.

You can store the turnip mash for about 6 or more months in the freezer if not defrosted in between.

To defrost simply keep in the fridge overnight or place on a thawing tray to help you defrost your mash equally.

Then you are just left with heating up the mashed turnips again so that you can serve it up as a side dish.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (14)

🥣 Serving

I love my mashed turnips in a rather unconventional way and it's pretty much the same way that I eat my mashed potatoes.

Mashed potatoes and fried or poached eggs with a little green salad at the side are how I serve up my mashed turnip roots.

That's a balanced, wholesome healthier meal.

However, YOU might enjoy these mashed turnips as a side dish with a roasted turkey, gravy and other delicious holiday side dishes.

The turnip mash makes a great side dish with roasted pork, meatloaf, roasted chicken and grilled fish.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (15)

💭 FAQs

How long to boil turnips for mashing?

The cooking time of your turnips depends on the cut size. Turnips peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, take about 20 minutes to cook through.

How to thicken mashed turnips?

This turnip mash is thickened with cream. A low-calorie option to thicken your mashed turnip if it is too watery would be to use a tablespoon of all-purpose flour instead of cream in the cooking process. The flour helps to thicken the turnip puree.

Do mashed turnips taste like potatoes

No mashed turnips don't taste like potatoes but the taste is similar, especially if you chose to season your turnip mash further.

What spices go well with turnips?

Season and enhance your mash by creating variations of mashed turnip recipes. You can pep up your mash with dried oregano, nutmeg or ground caraway. Seasoning blends such as Italian seasoning and Herb de Provence are suitable as well.

👁️ More side dish ideas

  • Basic Mashed Potato
  • Pumpkin Carrot Mash
  • Kohlrabi Potato Mash
  • Mashed Cauliflower by therisingspoon.com
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📖 Recipe

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (18)

Mashed Turnips Recipe

Low carb mashed turnips served as a side dish.

4.59 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 177.44kcal

Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

Ingredients

For the mash:

  • 2.2 pounds Turnip peeled and cut
  • Water to boil
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • pinch Black Pepper Ground
  • 4.4 ounces Cream *see Notes

To garnish:

  • Butter
  • Chives chopped fresh

US - Metric

Instructions

  • Place cut turnips into a pot and cover with water. Season with salt.

  • Boil and cook turnips soft.

  • Strain cooked turnips and discard water. Take turnips back to the pot.

  • Season with black pepper and add the cream.

  • Mash or blend your turnips over low to medium heat to the desired consistency.

  • Serve hot with a dollop of butter and freshly chopped chives.

Notes

  1. Use a thick cream in the mash. Liquid cream would make these mashed turnips watery. Use something like Fresh Cream or Sour Cream.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Mashed Turnips Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 177.44Calories from Fat 106

% Daily Value*

Fat 11.79g18%

Saturated Fat 7.21g36%

Cholesterol 42.72mg14%

Sodium 760.37mg32%

Potassium 499.88mg14%

Carbohydrates 16.91g6%

Fiber 4.49g18%

Sugar 9.52g11%

Protein 2.89g6%

Vitamin A 458.41IU9%

Vitamin C 52.39mg64%

Calcium 95.11mg10%

Iron 0.75mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com (2024)

FAQs

BEST Mashed Turnips Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍠 MasalaHerb.com? ›

Add fat – Adding butter and heavy cream to the mashed turnips helps to counteract the bitter flavor from the turnips. If you find your turnip mash still tastes bitter, add more fat. Add sweetness – A tablespoon or two of sweetener will decrease the bitterness from the turnips.

How do you make mashed turnips not bitter? ›

Add fat – Adding butter and heavy cream to the mashed turnips helps to counteract the bitter flavor from the turnips. If you find your turnip mash still tastes bitter, add more fat. Add sweetness – A tablespoon or two of sweetener will decrease the bitterness from the turnips.

Why add baking soda to turnips? ›

One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness. Look for fresh turnips. Avoid the very large, wrinkled and blemished turnips.

What is the best way to cook and eat turnips? ›

Place the turnips in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer until the turnips are tender when pierced with a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Step three: Season and serve. Drain the turnips and season with salt and pepper.

How do you add flavor to turnips? ›

Try a tablespoon of finely chopped sage or rosemary, a clove or two of roasted or sautéed garlic, or a pinch of paprika or ground ginger. If your turnips came with the greens, don't throw them away. Rinse and finely chop them and add them in while mashing. Or turn them into their own turnip green side dish.

What makes turnips taste better? ›

The turnip is a taproot, which is a root vegetable that grows downwards into the earth. Like other taproots, the turnip is a hearty vegetable that can grow in a range of temperature conditions. However, turnips do prefer cool temperatures and taste best after having weathered a touch of frost.

How do you keep turnips from getting soft? ›

Keep them in the vegetable crisper drawer to keep them in a more humid environment, which maintains the root's flesh and texture more effectively. If your fridge has the capability, turn the humidity up to 95 percent and the temperature to 32–40 °F (0–4 °C) to create conditions that let turnips last up to 6 months!

Do turnips need lime? ›

To help your turnips combat club root, you can improve drainage and make the soil more alkaline by adding lime, which club root virus won't thrive in.

What is the healthiest way to eat turnips? ›

Boil or steam turnips and add them to mashed potatoes for extra vitamins and minerals. Grate them raw into salads or slaws. Roast them with other root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, and bring out their natural sweetness.

Are turnips better for you than potatoes? ›

Turnips are a healthy alternative to potatoes; they're lower in calories and have fewer carbs. Smaller, sweeter turnips can be sliced into wedges and eaten raw like an apple.

What takes longer to cook turnips or potatoes? ›

Add the turnips and potatoes to a large stockpot and fill the pot with water, enough to cover the vegetables. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then simmer until the turnips are tender (they may take longer to cook than the potatoes), about 15 minutes.

What is the best season for turnips? ›

The main harvesting seasons are as follows:
  • Early turnips: harvest from May to September when the size of a golf ball for eating raw, or the size of a tennis ball for cooking.
  • Maincrop turnips: harvest from mid-October onwards, when the size of a golf ball.
  • Turnip tops: harvest the leaves from spring onwards.

What's the difference between a turnip and a rutabaga? ›

Rutabagas are also generally much larger than turnips. So for a quick rule of thumb, the brownish-yellowish ones are rutabagas, and the smaller white and purple ones are turnips. In terms of their flavor, rutabagas are slightly sweeter-tasting than turnips whereas turnips have a slightly more radishy flavor.

How to get the bitter taste out of turnip greens? ›

Add baking soda.

Salt is one of my favorite ways to cut the bitterness in turnip greens.

Are turnips meant to be bitter? ›

And yes, some turnips are distinctly less bitter than others. Try to find some "baby" turnips, they tend to be milder.

Why do my mashed potatoes taste bitter? ›

temperatures. Exposure to light means they make chlorophyll, which turns them green. When this happens, an alkaloid called solanine — a bitter toxin — develops.

How do you reduce bitterness in vegetables? ›

Blanching your vegetables is important if you're trying to get the bitterness down. Since glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them get leached out into the water, which leads to a less bitter vegetable.

References

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