Carrot And Turnip Mash - A Healthy Mash Recipe Made With Root Vegetables (2024)

A carrot and turnip mash is a perfect side for roast meat dishes of almost any sort as well as stews. This tasty, savoury mash is just as easy to make as it is to enjoy.

You can enjoy it as a vegetarian side dish. For example with a vegetable curry or a spicy tomato sauce. In addition, it is very simple to put your own touch on the carrot and turnip mash, by adding other root vegetables, or seasoning.

Have a look at my roasted sweet potato mash for more inspiration.

carrot and parsnip mash recipe

This carrot and parsnip mash recipe can work with practically any root vegetable! Cooking with carrots is a blast – you can use them in so many different ways.

For example, you can make my cumin roast carrots or my roasted carrot hummus. Even though carrots are in season from the end of the summer to autumn, this carrot and parsnip mash can be enjoyed all year round.

The sweet carrots and the more earthy and bitter parsnips make a wonderful flavour combination.

vegan carrot mash

If you want to make a vegan carrot and turnip mash, you can leave out the butter. Although carrot and turnip mash is a fantastic side dish, you can also enjoy it as a vegetarian lunch. Use the mash as a base and top with other vegetables. For instance steamed broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts.

pairings for carrot and turnip mash

Carrot and turnip mash is an excellent side for meat dishes. A lovely alternative to the rather predictable potato. This mash is a versatile side that can go with light meats such as my chicken ballotine for example.

It can also pair with heavier meat dishes such as a leg of lamb. Furthermore, carrot and turnip mash is excellent as a side for stews.

Try it as an accompaniment for my beef stew with mushrooms and red wine.

There are also lighter proteins that can benefit from this delicious mash. As a matter of fact you can even use it as a side for fish!

The flavour of the mash is lovely combined with a piece of seared cod, blackened cod or any other white fish. Drizzle with lemon juice or a burnt butter sauce for the full experience.

how to cook turnips

Turnips are a very traditional root vegetable not only here in the UK but also on the continent and in the US. That said, the turnip lives a bit of a forgotten life today. This is a pity because there is lots of flavourful meals to be made with turnips.

The most common turnips are small white and purple ones. Sizes range from slightly less than a tennis ball to that of a small football.

When fresh and in season. the turnip tops are actually also edible and can be prepared in a similar way to mangold. The turnips are also filling for soups and stews.

Next time you come across this humble vegetable while on your grocery shopping, you might want to give them a chance.

An extra tip if you do: Cut the turnips into thin slices with a mandoline and deep fry them into crisps! An impressive yet very easy welcome snack for your next dinner guests.

variations on carrot and turnip mash

Did you ever stop to think that carrots are not simply just carrots? In fact, there are quite a number of sorts you can buy. Have a look at the greengrocer's or in upmarket supermarkets and you will see what I mean.

Apart from the normal orange carrots, you can also get yellow and purple carrots. Try and make the carrot and turnip mash with purple carrots and your mash will look like it was made from beetroot, however without changing the flavour!

If you can't get hold of turnips you can substitute with other, similar root vegetables. Kohlrabi, for example, has a texture and flavour profile much like the turnip.

You can also use parsnips. Bear in mind that parsnips have a slightly different flavour – less bitter and more aromatic, going in the direction of that of celeriac.

The addition of parsnips does not, however, make the mash any less delicious. Actually, you can use a combination of root vegetables. Play around with what is in season and make up your own style.

seasoning the carrot and turnip puree recipe

If you feel like the carrot and turnip mash can do with a little bit extra, feel free to add some seasoning. As always, I love a bit of fresh herbs in my cooking, I find thyme particularly fragrant.

When using fresh thyme in the mash, I recommend that you rip the leaves off the stems and add only the leaves in the mash. Even when chopped up, thyme stems can be quite coarse.

Hence, not so nice to come across in the fluffy mash. Other herbs that you can use are oregano or parsley. Moreover, if you are serving the mash as a side for a dinner party, sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley on top for a lovely presentation.

You can also fire up the carrot and turnip mash with the help of some dry spices. A touch of nutmeg, for example, is excellent if you plan on serving the mash as a side for beef or game.

Alternatively, you can spice up the mash with a bit of chilli powder or paprika.

Another addition you can make to carrot and turnip mash is garlic. I always enjoy cooking with garlic, so if you also can't get enough of it, simply add it to the mash.

A little tip for doing so is to gently cook the garlic in milk and use the milk (and garlic) in the mash. With this method the garlic will have a lovely mild yet distinct taste.

For more side dish inspiration, check out the recipes below:

• roast marrow
• parmentier potatoes
• tobacco onions
• rosemary potatoes

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