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    Home » Recipes » Side Dish Recipes

    Mashed Parsnips Recipe

    Published: February 5, 2020 Updated: February 5, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 26 Comments

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    Dish of garnished mashed parsnips next to some uncooked parsnips and chives.

    With just 6 ingredients and less than 30 minutes you could be enjoying this savoury mashed parsnips recipe! Made with cream, butter, and chives it makes for a delicious root vegetable side dish. Topped with chopped pistachios, what’s not to love?

    Dish of garnished mashed parsnips next to some uncooked parsnips and chives.

    If you’re looking to mix things up in the vegetable side dish department, you’ve come to the right place!

    These mashed parsnips are a wonderful alternative to potatoes!

    Growing up in rural Newfoundland, root veggies (including parsnips) were a regular part of my diet.

    They’d be included with every Sunday supper, usually in “Jiggs Dinner” (boiled veg with salt meat).

    These days, I leave the Jiggs Dinner to my mom (so good) and usually simply roast or mash veggies when I’m preparing myself.

    If you are a parsnip fan, great (and you’ll probably enjoy this parsnip apple soup!

    If not, maybe this isn’t for you.

    Or maybe you will be when you taste this delicious parsnip mash!

    Unpeeled, uncooked parsnips on a wooden board.

    How To Cook Parsnips and Make the Mash

    Cooking parsnips is easy. Basically, they’re prepared much like you would prepare regular mash.

    Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

    1. Clean parsnips and peel.
    2. Cut into chunks.
    3. Place in a large pot of water and bring to boil. Cook until tender.
    4. Drain them.
    5. Place cooked parsnip chunks into a bowl and mash.
    6. Add melted butter, cream, salt, and chives.
    7. Give another little mash.
    8. Transfer the parsnip mash to a serving dish, garnish and serve!
    Collage of steps to peel, chop and cook parsnips.
    Collage of steps to make a root vegetable mash with parsnips.

    How Do Mashed Parsnips Compare to Mashed Potatoes?

    Of course, parsnip mash is going to taste totally different than mashed potatoes.

    However, if you are a fan of parsnips, you will love this root vegetable side dish!

    Texture-wise, it’s a lot rougher than mashed potatoes, but it’s a great alternative if you’re trying to mix things up!

    Dish of garnished mashed parsnips with a serving spoon dunked into the mash.

    Recipe Variations

    • Use half-and-half or whole milk instead of heavy cream to cut back on fat and calories.
    • Don’t have pistachios or prefer not to use? Try chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds instead.
    • Instead of chives, you can use thinly sliced green onion.
    Close-up of a dish of mashed parsnips garnished with chives and pistachios.

    More Delicious Root Vegetable Recipes

    • Roasted Root Vegetables
    • Celery Root Soup
    • Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
    • Brown Mashed Turnip with Roasted Garlic

    If you make this parsnip mash, be sure to leave a comment below!

    Dish of garnished mashed parsnips with a serving spoon dunked into the mash.

    Mashed Parsnips Recipe

    Dawn | Girl Heart Food
    With just 6 ingredients and less than 30 minutes you could be enjoying this savoury mashed parsnips recipe! Made with cream, butter, and chives it makes for a delicious root vegetable side dish. Topped with chopped pistachios, what's not to love?
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Servings 4 servings
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 pounds parsnips
    • ¼ cup heavy cream
    • 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more to taste for optional garnish
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, plus more to taste for optional garnish
    • 1 tablespoon roughly chopped pistachios

    Instructions

    • Clean, peel, and cut parsnips into 2-inch chunks.
    • Place parsnips into a large pot and cover with cold water (there should be an inch or two of water above the parsnips, basically ensuring that it is fully submerged and covered by the water). Bring to a boil (reduce the heat, if necessary, while still maintaining a boil) and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain.
    • Meanwhile, combine cream with butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat just to heat through.
    • Place parsnips back into a pot or bowl and mash.
      Note: Mashed parsnips have a rougher consistency than potatoes. If you want to rice them instead, you can.
    • Pour over warmed cream/butter mixture and mix in chives and salt.
    • Transfer to a serving dish and top with crushed pistachios, more chives and a drizzle of melted butter (if desired). Serve and enjoy!

    A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

    Keyword alternative to potatoes, easy side dish, root vegetable side

    Tried this recipe?

    If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!

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    Hi, I'm Dawn! Welcome to Girl Heart Food, a food blog that's all about easy comfort food recipes (especially cheesy recipes) that'll satisfy your taste buds and make your belly happy. Have a look around and find something that'll inspire you to get into the kitchen and whip up something delicious to enjoy today!

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