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These Roasted Parsnips are the perfect, healthy side dish to serve alongside any main. Finish with a simple, zesty gremolata to enhance their natural sweetness and earthy, nutty flavor. Vegan, Gluten-free.
Look no further for the Best Roasted Parsnips Recipe! This simple side dish is not only wholesome and delicious, but an easy root vegetable to serve alongside a casual weeknight meal or holiday feast. Serve as is, or top with my herby gremolata for a refreshing pop of flavor. And as an added bonus, cooking parsnips requires just 4 simple ingredients and 25 minutes!
Table of Contents
What are Parsnips?
Parsnips are root vegetables that are closely related to carrots and parsley – and kind of taste like a combination of the two! They also look like white carrots if you ask me 😉
Parsnips are native to Eurasia, but are grown and found in most grocery stores in the US as well. Their harvesting season is from fall to early spring, but they tend to become less flavorful towards the end of their season.
Look for smaller parsnips at your grocery store – the larger parsnips can sometimes have a thick woody core that is not edible and needs to be removed. A lot of the parsnip flavor is close to the skin, so I recommend scrubbing your parsnips well instead of peeling them! But if you do choose to peel them, try to peel them thinly to make the most flavorful roasted parsnips possible. Have an abundance of fresh parsnips to use? Make my Creamy Parsnip Soup and Smoky White Bean Bowls with Roasted Vegetables next!
Ingredients for Roasted Parsnips
This recipe is fairly simple, but don’t mistake that to mean simple flavor. These roasted parsnips are packed with flavor and will make even the biggest veggie skeptics go back for seconds.
And all you need is:
- Fresh parsnips: I used 3-4 medium parsnips, about one pound of parsnips. If you have a couple of pounds of parsnips, don’t be afraid to double the recipe.
- Oil: My favorite cooking oil to use is a quality olive oil, but any neutral cooking oil such as avocado oil, vegetable oil, or refined coconut oil would also be great.
- Sea salt + black pepper: I like to keep the seasonings minimal here to allow the parsnips to pair with virtually any main. You can easily make this recipe your own by adding your favorite seasonings, like garlic powder, curry powder, an Italian seasoning blend, or even warm cinnamon!
- Gremolata (optional): Parsnips taste a little like parsley, so pairing these roasted parsnips with a fresh parsley gremolata loaded with fresh lemon zest really helps their sweet, herby, and earthy flavor shine.
How to Roast Parsnips
- Scrub the parsnips clean, then cut into spears.
- Toss the parsnips with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper, then spread in a single layer on a large sheet pan.
- Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and golden. In the meantime, make the gremolata.
- Serve roasted parsnips while warm and crispy on the edges, topped with gremolata, or as desired.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Invest in a quality olive oil. Developing recipes with budget-friendly, accessible ingredients is a passion of mine, but it’s also important to know when it’s worth it to splurge. Investing in quality oil can make a huge difference in flavor, and is well-worth the higher price tag. When shopping for quality oils, refer to this helpful guide: How to Buy Olive Oil.
- Roast up with your favorite root vegetables. The flavor of parsnips pairs well with other root vegetables, like beets, sweet potatoes, and carrots. They’re also delicious with cauliflower, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Don’t be afraid to roast these parsnips with other veggies of choice for a fiber-rich, delicious side dish.
Serving Suggestions
Roasted parsnips pair well with just about anything. Try serving them up as the perfect side dish alongside hearty mains such as Creamy Coconut & Red Lentil Curry, Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta, or Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup.
Golden parsnips are also a popular side to serve with Christmas dinner. To help plan your holiday menu, make sure to check out these 80+ Vegan Holiday Recipes for Christmas and more!
If you’re looking for more sides where fall produce is the star of the show, you’ll also love these Dijon Garlic Roasted Potatoes, these Roasted Root Vegetables, and this Fall Roasted Vegetable Casserole!
How to Store Roasted Parsnips
Leftover roasted parsnips will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Roasted parsnips can also be frozen for up to 1 month, if necessary.
Reheat leftovers in a preheated oven, toaster oven, or air fryer, until crispy around the edges again.
Recipe FAQs
Parboiling parsnips ahead of time is not necessary. The high oven temperature and longer roasting time makes them tender and crispy on the edges without any additional prep!
I do recommend leaving the skin on as most of the flavor in parsnips is found on the outer edges. Peeling the parsnips can remove a lot of this flavor and yield a lackluster side dish. Simply give the parsnips a good scrub, dry them well with a kitchen towel, cut, and roast!
Larger parsnips tend to have a woody core that is not enjoyable to eat. If you find your parsnips have this, cut that portion out before roasting.
This can happen if the parsnips are too crowded on a baking sheet (keep them in a single layer with plenty of space between), or if the parsnips were wet before coating in oil. For best results, use a large rimmed baking sheet and thoroughly dry the parsnips before tossing in oil and spices.
Parsnips can taste bitter if they were left in the ground too long before harvesting. To mitigate this, avoid older parsnips and choose small to medium-sized parsnips. Additionally, plan on enjoying parsnips earlier in the season (between October and January).
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Perfect Roasted Parsnips with Gremolata
Ingredients
For the Parsnips:
- 3-4 medium parsnips*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Gremolata:
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
- Zest of 1/2-1 lemon start with less
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425F and set a baking sheet pan aside. Cut the end off of each parsnip, and cut into 3-4″ segments. Cut each segment in half or quarters lengthwise, depending on how thick the parsnip is. Larger parsnips may have a woody inner portion that is not enjoyable to eat; if you find yours have this, cut that portion out as well.
- Season the Parsnips: Place the parsnips in a large bowl (or directly on the baking tray) and drizzle with olive oil plus generous amounts of salt and pepper. Toss well, until everything is evenly coated. Transfer to a baking tray if you used a bowl.
- Roast: Bake on the top rack of the oven for 20-30 minutes (larger pieces will need longer), until the parsnips are tender and golden.
- Make the Gremolata: While the parsnips are roasting, combine the parsley, lemon zest, and salt together in a small bowl. Mix well; I recommend starting with the zest of 1/2 a lemon, and adding more after tasting if desired.
- Serve: Transfer the parsnips to a serving dish and top with gremolata. Serve warm; leftovers should be stored separately, and will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Parsnips: I prefer to scrub my parsnips well and then dry them with a kitchen towel. You can peel them if you’d like, but if you do try to peel only a thin layer off – they hold a lot of flavor in their outer portion.
The most delicious side dish ever! A new obsession!
Wow! Thank you, Amanda!
Just a heads up: the skin of parsnips contains a toxin that can cause nausea, so I HIGHLY recommend not leaving the skin on as the recipe suggests (I learned this the hard way).
Thank you for that, Hanna!
Hi Caitlin !
I tried this recipe for dinner last night and it was the best parsnip dish I ever had before ! I loved both texture and taste of it. Such a beautiful idea to combine parsnips with gremolata : it gives it a really bright and fresh flavor that brings some wonderful spring vibes !
Thank you so much for this recipe !
Have a beautiful day and take care <3
You’re so welcome, Alix! Thank you as always for leaving a review. Have a wonderful weekend!
Really enjoyed this recipe. I appreciate the idea as I usually use thyme with roasted parsnips, but this is a bright, fresh flavor!
So happy you enjoyed it, Kristen!