For me, Thanksgiving is all about the side dishes. I love nothing more than seeing an array of vegetables cooked in so many different ways. And this year, I plan to mix things up by adding these roasted turnips into the mix.
The recipe was originally shared with us by Beverly Lynn Bennett, a vegan chef and renowned cookbook author. Beverly has written numerous titles, including the more recent Anti-Inflammatory Foods and Recipes and Vegan for One.
These wonderful slow roasted turnips could be considered a great anti-inflammatory recipe, but they are definitely meant for more than one person! In fact, the recipe makes enough for a gathering.
Recipe Notes: Slow Roasted Turnips
The turnip is an under-loved root vegetable that hits its peak between October and March. It’s off the charts for vitamin K, a key bone-building micronutrient, which is also quite stable when cooked. This vegetable is also a good source of several other vitamins and minerals, and it’s low GI, so it’s suitable for most diets, including paleo.
Smaller turnips will have the firmest texture and sweetest flavor, so in this case, bigger isn’t better. And they should be stored wrapped in the vegetable crisper to maintain their bite.
You might be tempted to skip the boiling step in this recipe, but this does help to keep the turnips from drying out during the slow roasting process. I don’t usually pre-boil roasted vegetables myself, but many people I know swear by the results.
Beverly uses sunflower oil to make these slow roasted turnips, but I know there are varying opinions on oil. So I’ve modified the recipe to just note “oil.” Most oils will work well for roasting, as long as they have a smoke point of at least 350ºF.
Special Diet Notes: Slow Roasted Turnips
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, paleo, and top food allergy-friendly.
- 4 pounds turnips, peeled, and cut into 1-inch wedges
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons coarse-grain brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons oil (your choice of cooking oil)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Put the turnips in a large pot and cover them with water. Place it over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil. Cook the turnips for 5 minutes, or until just softened. Drain and return the turnips to the pot off the heat.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease a large baking dish or jelly roll pan.
- Put the maple syrup, mustard, oils, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk and simmer for about 3 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Transfer the turnips to your prepared baking dish or pan and pour the warm maple-mustard sauce over top. Sprinkle with the thyme and stir to combine.
- Bake for 60 to 90 minutes, stirring every 20 to 30 minutes, or until the turnips are golden brown and very tender.