When most people hear “root vegetables,” we’re willing to bet that the first things that come to mind are potatoes and carrots. And while those might be the most popular root veggies around, there’s plenty more where they came from.
From turnips and beets to parsnips and rutabaga, there’s a whole underground world of under-used, yet hearty and delicious produce waiting to be roasted, spiralized, and sautéed. Perfect for chilly weather when cold salads don’t feel as appealing, these 19 root vegetable recipes make the most of seasonal eating. Each one is made in a single pot, pan, or skillet, minimizing cleanup. Time to dig in!
1. Beet Hash With Runny Eggs
Take a break from potatoes and make a hash out of diced beets and turnips instead. With the rich egg yolks spilling into the slightly charred veggies, this lower-carb magenta mix is what healthy breakfast dreams are made of.
2. One-Pan Garlic Herb Chicken and Winter Vegetables
Give “chicken and potatoes” night a different spin by swapping out the regular white tuber for a much more interesting mix of sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, and golden beets. Cooked in the same pan as the protein, the veggies soak up the herb-rich sauce, making for a meal that’s as impressive as it is easy.
3. Spiralized Parsnips With Broccolini and Sausage
Anyone watching their gluten or carb intake needs this spaghetti swap in their lives. The sweet, spiralized parsnips and spicy sausage make a perfect combination, and the juice from the meat has so much flavor it does double duty as the simple sauce for the dish.
4. Red Beet Risotto With Goat Cheese and Beet Greens
Tangy from the goat cheese, mildly sweet from the beets, and boasting that show-stopping red color, this vegetarian risotto is the perfect example of how to riff on a traditional dish to make it even better. What’s more, the recipe calls for adding all the liquid at once instead of little by little, making it even easier to whip up in just 30 minutes.
5. Thai Yam and Sweet Potato Yellow Curry
Contrary to popular opinion, yams and sweet potatoes aren’t the same at all—the former is starchier and milder in flavor, while the latter is higher in beta-carotene. Each root lends its distinct taste to this curry, where light coconut milk keeps things lower-fat yet perfectly creamy.
6. Rutabaga Pad Thai With Shrimp
Spiralized carrot and rutabaga take the place of rice noodles to give this Thai-inspired recipe more fiber and color, while adding shrimp to the pan provides extra substance. You will need to use a separate, small bowl to mix up the sweet and zesty peanut sauce, but we promise, it’s totally worth the (minimal) extra dishwashing!
7. One-Pot Root Vegetable Quinoa Stew
From the lentils to the quinoa to the nine whole cups of root vegetables, all the ingredients in this nourishing stew cook up in a single pot, which explains why it takes more than an hour to make (most of it involves you leaving it to cook in the pot). Don’t let that throw you off, though—the recipe makes a huge batch that’s sure to last you a while, and it even freezes beautifully, saving you from cooking on lazy days in the future.
8. Salmon and Roasted Root Vegetable Sheet-Pan Dinner
Made in a single sheet pan with barely five minutes of prep time and ridiculously easy cleanup, this weeknight dinner is about as low maintenance as it gets without compromising nutrition. While the salmon provides protein and good fats, the medley of sweet potatoes, rainbow carrots, and sunchokes offer lots of healthy carbohydrates, vitamins, and fiber.
9. Parsnips Rutabaga Sausage Sheet-Pan Dinner
If eating produce feels like a chore more often than not, here’s a way to make it feel like a treat. Jazzed up with a glug of fruity olive oil, some fragrant herbs, and chunks of sausage, this parsnip and rutabaga mix is a far cry from steamed veggies or limp salads.
10. Beef and Turnip Pot Pie
With a cast-iron skillet and some premade crust, you can totally make a pot pie in a single pan. Instead of peas and carrots, this one opts to use turnips with the ground beef; it’s a great way to enjoy cold-weather comfort food while also taking advantage of seasonal produce.
11. Roasted Root Vegetables
Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness, so you really don’t need much to boost their taste further. This recipe honors the organic flavors of sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips, using only a sprinkle of salt and a dash of oregano to complement their caramelized earthiness.
12. Healthy Root Vegetable Gratin
Because they often call for full cups of heavy cream in addition to gobs of cheese, most gratins don’t get featured on healthy recipe lists. This one makes the cut by letting the baked sweet potato, rutabaga, and butternut squash shine through. The half-cup of cheese and bread crumbs still allow for some decadence and texture, so you’re getting the best of both worlds.
13. Beet Noodles With Yogurt and Dill
These bright and refreshing noodles make for a great alternative to salad alongside heavier proteins, but they work just as well as a light vegetarian meal too. From cooking down the spiralized beets to swirling in the tangy yogurt and dill sauce, everything is done in one pan, making this the ideal quick dish to make on busier days or when you’ve got other, high-maintenance main dishes to think about.
14. Parsnip and Apple Sauté
Featuring sweet, savory, and garlicky flavors, and taking just four ingredients and 20 minutes to make, this smashing side is proof that less is more. It’s perfect to serve alongside meat for dinner, but with apples in the mix, it’s also enjoyable as a breakfast hash.
15. Honey Glazed Turnips
If you never thought turnips could be filed under a list of “addictive foods,” you haven’t tried this recipe. Tossed in a honey butter glaze that brings out their slightly spicy, sweet natural flavor, they’re transformed in just 15 minutes into a side dish you won’t be able to get enough of.
16. Parmesan Garlic Parsnip French Fries
The fact that these are made with parsnips instead of potatoes makes these fries unconventional. The fact that they’re seasoned with grated Parmesan, garlic powder, and paprika makes them exceptional. And then there’s the fact that they’re lower in carbs and higher in fiber than regular fries. You’re so welcome.
17. Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes With Sweet Potato, Onions, and Za’atar
Aside from being packed with gut-healthy prebiotics, Jerusalem artichokes (which really aren’t artichokes at all) lend their starchy texture and savory taste to this simple but satisfying mix of sweet potatoes and chickpeas. The recipe doesn’t call for too much za’atar, but you won’t want to skip the spice; the blend of coriander, caraway, anise, and sumac is what makes the dish so memorable.
18. Ginger Miso Turnips and Sugar Snap Peas
With crisp sugar snap peas joining the turnips, this recipe is just as suitable for a spring menu as it is for a fall table. Tossed in an Asian-inspired sauce of ginger and miso, it’s a welcome departure from plain roasted vegetables without requiring much extra effort.
19. Tempeh, Parsnip, and Sage Stuffing
Parsnips, the nuttier but just-as-sweet cousins of carrots, make a fitting addition to this hearty vegetarian side dish alongside walnuts, fragrant sage, and garlic. Plus, unlike most bread-heavy stuffing recipes, this one adds a boost of plant-based protein with crumbled tempeh.
