Parsnip purée is a delicious side dish that wonderfully pairs with meat. Its sweetness wonderfully complements richer meats, like lamb, game, or liver. This parsnip puree with garlic has a velvety texture and a rich buttery taste.
Parsnips are root vegetables known for their sweet and somewhat nutty flavour. Their sweetness can be even stronger than that of carrots, and this is a feature about these root veggies that makes me adore them. Sometimes you want a sweeter bite in your dinner. And we're not talking dessert.
So to honor the parsnip's sweetness, we are going to add salt little by little. You may need up to a half teaspoon of salt, but maybe you want to stop just before it becomes neutral and want to keep some sweetness. Please notice that I used salted butter as a standard, so that is why I strongly feel like I don't always need to add all of the salt listed in the recipe.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Parsnips - they are kind of the main thing here so I'm not going to tell you what to sub them with. They stay.
- Garlic - it just fits so right. Allergic? Skip it. But if you can eat it, please keep it.
- Milk - this will be the main liquid here. You can use any vegan alternative, some veg milk option may actually enhance the nuttiness so go for it!
- Butter - best if salted, it's what I use.
- Salt - definitely needed, as parsnips are sweet.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed quantities.
How to make parsnip puree
1. Peel the parsnips and roughly chop them into large bits. Add them to a pot, cover with water and set on medium-high heat until the water boils. Lower the heat and simmer until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, peel the garlic cloves and, if present, remove the green shoot if sprouted. Chop each half clove into fours.
3. Add to a saucepan with the milk and set on medium-high heat. When it starts to steam, lower the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes stirring from time to time.
4. When the garlic is soft and the milk has reduced, remove from the stove and add the butter. Stir to melt.
5. Drain the parsnip and add to a tall container suitable for a hand blender. Pour in the milk and garlic. Blend until smooth.
6. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and stir to dissolve. Taste test before you add the rest, in order to not overpower the sweetness.
Parsnip puree recipe tips!
Do not feel intimidated by the garlic milk process. It's simple and will totally elevate the flavour of the parsnip puree. You can actually use it even in other purees, like in mashed potatoes for example. Just set the parsnips to cook and take care of this extra step in the meantime.
If you have old garlic that has sprouted, I recommend to remove the shoot and that will make the flavour milder. No need to buy new. This is northern Italy's best-kept secret, apparently.
When cooking the garlic in milk you need to be very careful the first minutes, then it will require minimum attention. We want to start off at medium-high heat in order to bring the milk temperature up, but as soon as you see visible steam, you need to lower the heat. Otherwise, the milk will reach boiling temperature and might overflow - the quantity is so little that it can happen fast.
As long as you keep it on low heat, you don't need to worry about it overflowing. But you will need to come back to it a couple of times to check on it and give it a stir. A milk skin will develop, and that is perfectly natural. Just ignore it, let it break as you stir. No need to discard, we will blend everything later anyway.
Pairings!!!
Just like a good old potato mash, this parsnip puree is a great accompaniment to meat dishes. So here's some inspiration coming your way, in case you want to make it a meal. Click on the images below to discover more recipes.
If you tried this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you're planning to try it another time, pin this recipe to Pinterest. Please consider subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Instagram and on Pinterest.
Parsnip purée with garlic milk
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Pots
- Hand blender
Ingredients
- 450 g parsnips
- 50 g butter
- 110 ml milk
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt to be added little by little
Instructions
- Peel the parsnips and roughly chop them into large bits. Add them to a pot, cover with water and set on medium-high heat until the water boils. Lower the heat and simmer until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, peel the garlic cloves and, if present, remove the green shoot if sprouted. Chop each half clove into fours. Add to a saucepan with the milk and set on medium-high heat. When it starts to steam, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes stirring from time to time.
- When the garlic is soft and the milk has reduced, remove from the stove and add the butter. Stir to melt.
- Drain the parsnip and add to a tall container suitable for a hand blender. Pour in the milk and garlic. Blend until smooth. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and stir to dissolve. Taste test before you add the rest, in order to not overpower the sweetness by adding all the salt in one go.
