This creamy, hearty Parsnip Purée is a fall and winter time staple! Cooked similarly to mashed potatoes, but with a sweeter taste, boil cubed parsnips with cream and stock, then purée with garlic and shallots until smooth. A decadent, comforting side dish, perfect with a variety of proteins!
What is a parsnip? A parsnip is a root vegetable, closely related to carrots and parsley. While they look like a white carrot, they have an even sweeter taste, more similar to that of a sweet potato. Parsnips can be enjoyed raw, but are more often cooked. We love to roast them, but they’re great with braised with meats (would be a delicious addition to our flanken ribs!), or boiled and mashed, as prepared here.
You’ll love their nutty, earthy flavor, which for this parsnip puree recipe, is perfectly complemented by garlic and fresh herbs.
For another creamy side that isn’t mashed potatoes, our Mashed Butternut Squash is one of my all time favorite side dishes, like ever. And if you love root veggies as much as we do, be sure to try our Roasted Root Vegetables next!
Ingredient Notes
- Neutral oil, such as grapeseed, avocado oil, or canola oil
- Garlic and shallot: A couple of thinly sliced garlic cloves and a shallot add a lot of flavor to the puree.
- Parsnips:
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper:
- Heavy cream: Once blended, the cream will help to give the parsnip puree a smooth, creamy texture!
- Chicken stock: Also used for cooking the parsnips in, but adding a little bit of stock or chicken broth (vegetable broth is fine too!), will help to lighten the overall purée.
- Fresh thyme: Can substitute with fresh rosemary or sage.
- Chives: For serving!
- Unsalted butter: Totally optional, but for an even creamier, buttery taste and texture, you can stir in a couple tablespoons of butter right before serving.
You’ll also need a medium saucepan or a large pot.
How To Make Parsnip Purée
Boil cubed parsnips in liquid, then puréeing until smooth. That’s the core of this recipe.
To add additional flavor, we recommend sautéing garlic and shallots first. Once you add the cubed or diced parsnips, cover with heavy cream and chicken stock (or veggie) stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 15 minutes, then remove and discard any fresh herbs.
Transfer the parsnip mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment or a blender. Blend until you reach your desired consistency (we like it smooth and creamy), then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
If you like, you can stir in a couple tablespoons of butter before serving, but if you already find it rich enough, no need!
Leftovers, Storage, and Freezing
Make ahead of time: Parsnip puree can be made 1 day in advance, then stored in a fridge. To reheat, place in a sauce pan over medium-low to medium heat, stirring as you bring it back up to temperature.
Leftovers and storage: Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Allow to cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe storage containers (for things such as purées or mash, we recommend freezing in silicone molds, such as these, then once frozen, transferring to a freezer-safe bag). Will freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight before reheating or place frozen puree in a sauce pan, then warm slowly over medium-low heat until melted, smooth, and creamy.
How To Serve
Parsnip purée can be served alongside a variety of entrées and side dishes, similar to serving mashed potatoes (shout out to Thanksgiving turkey, this would be such a fun twist on the classic Turkey Day mash!). Our favorite protein to pair it with is seared sea scallops.
It’s also fantastic with steak. Try our Whole Beef Tenderloin or this easy Reverse Seared Filet Mignon with it next!
Substitutions
Use What You’ve Got!
Heavy cream: Can use whole milk instead.
Chicken stock: Vegetable stock is a great substitute, but water will work fine too. We prefer the added flavor that stocks and broth add.
Herbs: Don’t have fresh thyme? Try sage, rosemary, or tarragon instead!
If you make this Parsnip Purée recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More entrées to pair with parsnip purée
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Smooth and Creamy Parsnip Purée
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 medium shallot thinly sliced
- 3 medium parsnips peeled and diced into ½" pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 Tbsp chives thinly sliced, for serving
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter optional, for serving
Instructions
- Add the liquid. Add ¾ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup chicken stock, and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat slightly. Cook until parsnips are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Blend until smooth. Discard the thyme springs, then transfer remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately with chives (and butter, if using).
Notes
- Make ahead of time: Parsnip puree can be made 1 day in advance, then stored in a fridge. To reheat, place in a sauce pan over medium-low to medium heat, stirring as you bring it back up to temperature.
- Leftovers and storage: Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Allow to cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe storage containers (for things such as purées or mash, we recommend freezing in silicone molds, such as these, then once frozen, transferring to a freezer-safe bag). Will freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight before reheating or place frozen puree in a sauce pan, then warm slowly over medium-low heat until melted, smooth, and creamy.
Let us know your thoughts!