cook-at-home

the root of the matter

a guide to underground veggies

Healthy, humble, and comforting, root vegetables are a foundational ingredient in many a dish. Think potatoes in a hearty stew, carrots as a colorful addition to slaws, and radishes as a crunchy topper on salads.

Root veggies are a nutritious addition to the diet. They provide the body with phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Once harvested, root vegetables can last a long time when stored in a cool, dark spot.

Crunchy, soft, sweet, mild, or bitter—there’s a root for everyone. Here’s how to shop for and prepare some favorites.

Beets. These are one of the sweetest root vegetables around. Juice, roast, or pickle them. Or enjoy them shredded raw with lime juice, cilantro, and cumin for a tasty side salad. To avoid stained hands when peeling beets, hold them in a paper towel and gently rub off their skins.

Carrots. This colorful root vegetable is best purchased when firm and evenly colored. The versatile carrot can be juiced, grated raw, pickled, roasted, sautéed, or boiled. Baby carrots are actually full-grown ones that were deemed too ugly to sell.

Jicama. This root vegetable is a favorite in Mexican food. Cut jicama into sticks for dipping into hummus, salsa, or guacamole. It can also be grated into slaws and salsas or roasted. You can even juice it or cut it into cubes to add to soups or chilis.

Parsnips. Roast parsnips or add to soups and stews. Slice them into coin shapes and pan-fry, boil, or mash. Try parsnips shredded in their raw form and add to salads. For an interesting homemade hash, substitute half of the potatoes with parsnips.

Note: Parsnips oxidize quickly after being cut and will turn brown. If not using immediately, submerge in a bowl of water with a little lemon juice or vinegar.

Potatoes. Perhaps the most popular and versatile of the roots, potatoes come in many sizes and colors. Potatoes take to just about every method of preparation: roasting, sautéing, boiling, frying, braising, steaming, or mashing. For fluffy baked potatoes, cut an X in the baked potatoes’ tops and squeeze open with your fingers, so the steam can escape.

Turnips. Like beets and carrots, turnips can be purchased with their greens still attached. Sauté the greens with garlic and use them as you would spinach. Enjoy turnips raw—either sliced thin or shredded. They can also be boiled, baked, mashed, sautéed, roasted, or braised. Add cubed turnips to chicken soup. ●

SOURCE Roots: The Complete Guide to the Underground Superfood by Stephanie Pedersen ($14.95, Sterling, 2017)

Perfect Roasted Root Vegetables

From The Side Dish Bible by America’s Test Kitchen ($35, America’s Test Kitchen, 2019)

1 celery root (14 oz), peeled 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2½-inch lengths, halved or quartered lengthwise if necessary to create pieces ½- to 1-inch in diameter 12 oz parsnips, peeled and sliced on bias 1-inch thick 5 oz small shallots, peeled

Kosher salt and pepper 12 oz turnips, peeled, halved horizontally, and each half quartered 3 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, tarragon, or chives

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, place a rimmed baking sheet on a rack, and heat oven to 425°. Cut celery root into ¾-inch-thick rounds. Cut each round into ¾-inch-thick planks about 2½ inches in length. 2. Toss celery root, carrots, parsnips, and shallots with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover bowl and microwave until small pieces of carrot are just pliable enough to bend, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through microwaving. Drain vegetables well. Return vegetables to bowl, add turnips and oil, and toss to coat. 3. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven and carefully transfer vegetables to baking sheet; spread into even layer. Roast for 25 minutes. 4. Using a thin metal spatula, stir vegetables and spread into even layer. Rotate pan and continue to roast until vegetables are golden brown and celery root is tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. Kitchen Note: Roasted root vegetables develop complex flavors with just a quick toss in oil, salt, and pepper and a stint in a hot oven—until you try to roast different vegetables at the same time. The trick is to carefully prep each vegetable according to how long it takes to cook through. With each vegetable cut into the right size and shape, they can be roasted together in one batch for uniformly tender results. To speed up the roasting, the vegetables are briefly microwaved and then placed on a preheated baking sheet to jumpstart the browning. Use turnips that are roughly 2 to 3 inches in diameter.

60 min

prep time serves 6

Per serving: 166 Calories, 3 g Protein, 24 g Carbohydrates, 9 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 6 g Fiber, 7 g Total fat (1 g sat), 295 mg Sodium, ★★★★ Vitamin K, ★★★ Vitamin A, C, ★★ Vitamin B6, ★ Vitamin B1 (thiamine), E, Folate, Phosphorus, Potassium © AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN