Crispy fried parsnips are mashed and cooked into savory patties! Cooking parsnips is easy and these Parsnip Patties taste so good with the garlic dill sour cream sauce! Serve crisp like mashed potato pancakes!
I bought parsnips to make homemade Vegeta seasoning. With plenty of parsnips left, using them up in this way was so incredibly good! Mashed parsnip patties are tender on the inside, crispy on the outside, and bursting with garlicky dill flavor! You will love these as a side dish or main course! Here are more dill-infused recipes like these Boiled Baby Potatoes with Bacon Butter Sauce or Baked Salmon With Garlic Mayo.
What is a Parsnip?
Parsnips is a sweet and starchy root plant similar in shape to a carrot. When ripe the taproot is cream-colored and almost white with parsley-looking green leaves on top. Growing parsnips is so easy as it can easily become an invasive wild parsnip after its second growing season when it produces the (umbel) flowering stem on top creating parsnip seeds. Once it produces the winged seeds the stem can become woody and the roots inedible. It can tolerate dry, high moisture, or wet soils, but does not grow in shaded areas.
What Do Parsnips Taste Like:
A parsnip is an edible vegetable sweet in taste and starchy like a potato. Unlike a cow parsnip with fibrous roots, parsnips can be eaten raw as the cream-colored taproots can grow into bulbous shapes. The flesh of a parsnip resembles carrots only it’s pale in color and sweeter in taste. Parsnip recipes can be roasted, fried, boiled, and baked. Typically, parsnip puree is prepared in soups and sometimes the whole root is added to stocks to thicken the dish. In Europe, it was used as a sweetener before cane sugar got introduced. Also, don’t get confused with the white fleshly taproots of turnips, those are much bitter.
Where To Buy Parsnips?
Parsnips are available year-round and can be kept in the root cellar for a long time. They store great and are in season around the fall or spring. I buy organic parsnips from Azure Standard. Look for fat bulb-shaped parsnips for easier handling, skinny ones can be harder to peel. Always remove any slimy or dark spots. Young parsnips that are about an inch thick on top are best in ripeness.
Pro-Tips for Cutting Parsnips:
The best way to remove the rough outer flesh of a parsnip is to use a potato peeler. If you notice too many fine root hairs, it is likely over-mature and can taste woody. To work around that simply remove the inside cores. Using a sharp knife you’ll want to remove the top and cut the parsnips into 1 to 2-inch chunks. The smaller the chunks the faster the boiling time.
Ingredients for Parsnip Patties:
Creamy sweet parsnips taste so fresh with the dill herb. That along with the tangy sour cream sauce and a spicy kick from the fresh garlic make these incredibly delicious pancakes. These patties have creamy insides and crisp outsides, even children raved about them (score if you’re trying to add in extra nutrition!!) Here is everything you will need to get started in order to make this parsnip recipe!
- Fresh Parsnips- you will need 2 pounds of this root vegetable. Look for fat tops for easier peeling and cutting.
- Onion- dice a sweet Vidalia onion and fry it in coconut oil until translucent. Caramelized onions will enhance this dish with a rich flavor!
- Flour- I used 2 heaping tablespoons of whole wheat flour, use any flour you have on hand. This helps make a thick roux for the mashed parsnips.
- Milk- is added to create a roux. This mixture then gets added to the parsnips to thicken the patties.
- Fresh Dill- or fresh parsley can be chopped and added to the patties. Use fresh dill for the best results.
- Bread crumbs- Italian seasoned bread crumbs create a crispy crust. Use whole wheat bread crumbs for a healthy option.
How To Cook Parsnips:
First, make mashed parsnips. Parsnip mash can be done by peeling and cutting the parsnips into chunks and then boiling them in some water until tender. I like to use enough water to cover the bottom of a small multi-pot by a couple of inches. This way a little water can cook the parsnips and you’re not left with too much excess water (that contains most of its nutrients) by pouring it down the drain.
- Peel and cook the parsnips like mashed potatoes. I like to cut the parsnips into small chunks for quicker cooking. Keep your eye on the water so it doesn’t evaporate and burn the pot. When tender; drain and transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Mash parsnips using a hand masher.
- Saute onion in coconut oil until translucent. Whisk in the flour then slowly add the milk to make a thick paste. Add this to the mashed parsnips.
- Mix in the dill.
- Make into 6 patties. Dredge each into bread crumbs.
- Fry in olive oil for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Serve with dill sour cream sauce.
Make-Ahead Tip: you can prepare the patties 2 hours in advance and put them in the refrigerator until frying.
What To Serve With Parsnip Patties:
Parsnip pancakes can be a main course dish on its own. However, if serving as a side dish, pair it with the main dish of Roasted chicken, grilled steak, pork chops, and Pot roast. We love this by itself with a garlic dill sour cream sauce! Here are more serving suggestions for parsnips!
- Serve this side dish with the easy and healthy Oven-Baked Creamy Ranch Fish!
- Grilled Chicken or this Restaurant, Honey Mustard Bacon Chicken will be amazing!
- Eat with Chicken Piccata!
- Pair with a Greek Salad and Vinagerttae dressing!
Q&A
Parsnip vs Turnip?
Turnips have a sweet and peppery flavor and can sometimes be bitter depending on the mineral content. Whereas, the parsnip is sweet in flavor. Both are root vegetables that can be interchangeable in this recipe as it’s a savory dish.
Are there Carbs in Parsnips?
Yes! Parsnips are rich in carbs. Generally, Keto is when you consume 20-50 grams of carbs a day, so if you eat 1 cup of sliced parsnips you can stay below the 50 grams as that equals about 24 grams.
Parsnip Substitute?
The best substitute for parsnips is turnips. Sweet potatoes are another way to make parsnip mashed potatoes. A parsnip taste is sweet and once cooked it resembles potatoes. If you have neither, try using waxy and less starchy golden potatoes to make this parsnip puree recipe.
Are Parsnips Healthy?
The health benefits of parsnips are many! One of the many parsnip benefits is that it’s rich in dietary fiber and can boost energy. Parsnips are rich in vitamins and potassium.
BEST Tips To Cook a Parsnip:
- Cook the parsnips in a little water to maintain as many nutrients as possible. By the time the parsnips finish boiling most of the water can evaporate and you’re not going to be pouring the nutritious water down the drain.
- If you do have excess water save it for the roux in place of some of the milk.
- Cutting the parsnips into smaller chunks can make the cooking short and not as long.
- Use different breading to crisp up the crust. A parmesan-crusted panko breading is a way to add more flavor!
- This parsnips recipe can be made with baby parsnips, just leave the ends long when boiling.
- Season patties any way you’d like! Mix and match herbs or use different flavored spices like garlic salt for the salt.
- If prepared and fried, you can freeze the patties and reheat them in a toaster oven later. This kind of food is best frozen when cooked.
- Roast parsnips to make fries! Mashed isn’t the only way to make them!
Do you have good recipes for parsnips? I’d love to make them! Share your favorite way to prepare them down below in the comments!
Parsnip Patties
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 9-inch frying pan
- 1 glass mixing bowl
Ingredients
Sour Cream Dill Sauce:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill
Parsnip Patties:
- 1 lb parsnips (peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 2 Tbsp wheat flour (heaping)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp dill (chopped)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup olive oil (for frying)
Instructions
Directions:
Combine the sour cream dill sauce ingredients and cover and place in the fridge.- Boil cubed parsnips in 2/3 cup water until tender (10-15 minutes.) Drain and transfer to a bowl. Mash using a hand masher and set aside.
- Meanwhile, saute onion in coconut oil until translucent. Add flour and mix. Stir in the milk to make a thick paste. Add to parsnips.
- Mix together the mashed parsnips, onion roux, 2 Tbsp dill, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Form into 6 patties and dredge in breadcrumbs.
- Fry in a hot skillet with olive oil over medium-low heat for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve warm with the sour cream dill sauce.
