As tasty as mashed potatoes and turkey gravy are during the holiday season, it never hurts to step outside the box and try something new.
This perfectly comforting recipe for rich-tasting parsnip puree will be a surefire hit at holiday dinner. The best part? The vegetable gravy is a gravy that everyone can enjoy, regardless of dietary focus.
“Parsnips don’t get the respect they deserve, and I’m not sure why. These cream-cloured tubers add dimension to otherwise boring stews and soups and they make a lovely mashed side dish for roast beef or turkey,” explains Twyla Campbell in the introduction to this recipe in Prairie.
If the parsnips are large, quarter them lengthwise and cut out the woody core, otherwise they will be really tough to mash to a nice consistency. If they’re small, simply peel and cut them into evenly-sized rounds.
Parsnip Potato Purée with Vegetable Gravy
This perfectly comforting recipe for rich-tasting parsnip puree will be a surefire hit at holiday dinner. The best part? The vegetable gravy is a gravy that everyone can enjoy, regardless of dietary focus.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
Vegetable Gravy
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups Roasted Vegetable Broth (see notes)
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Tomato paste
Instructions
Parsnip Potato Purée
- Add the parsnips and potatoes to a large pot of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes or until tender.
- In a separate saucepan, heat buttermilk to just warm, do not let it boil. Add thyme and let it steep in the hot liquid for 10 minutes.
- Drain the parsnips and potato and turn the heat off. Add the parsnips and potato back to the pot, place on the stove and let the residual heat dry up the remaining moisture. Transfer the parsnips and potatoes to a bowl.
- Set a ricer over the used pot on the element and rice parsnips and potato 2 cups at a time. With the heat still turned off, add butter, salt and pepper to the riced parsnip mixture. Remove the thyme from buttermilk, then add half of the milk to the mixture, stirring constantly with a spatula. Add the remaining milk and stir until creamy. Turn the heat to low, cover, and stir once or twice while making the gravy.
Vegetable Gravy
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, add diced onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent.
- Add the flour and whisk to combine. Keep stirring until roux starts to lightly brown. You don’t want it to brown too much, so watch the heat.
- Slowly add the stock and keep stirring. Once everything is combined, incorporate the nutritional yeast, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and tomato paste and whisk for 1 minute or until the sauce is thick enough to caot the back of a spoon.
- If the sauce is to thick, stir 1 Tbsp (15 mL)pf hot water. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.
- Keep sauce in the pot, covered and over low heat. When ready to serve, transfer to gravy boat, place alongside the bowl of pureéd parsnip and potatoes, and let guests help themselves.
Notes
Note: If parsnips are large, quarter them lengthwise and cut out the woody core, otherwise they will be difficult to mash to a nice consistency. If they’re small, simply peel and cut them into evenly sized-rounds.
To Make Roasted Vegetable Broth:
3 cloves garlic, skin on
2 leeks, split and washed, or 1 cup green parts or white ends
1 large onion, halved, skin on
3 unpeeled carrots or 1 cup carrots ends
3 celery stalks or 1 cup celery ends
3 parsnips or 1 cup parsnip peels or ends
1 cup fresh mushrooms, any kind will work
2 sprig fresh thyme
1 handful fresh curly or flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp canola oil
2 tsp salt
10 cups water
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Add the garlic, leeks, onion, carrots, celery, parsnips, mushrooms, thyme parsley and bay leaf to a large roaster, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with the salt.
- Roast 1 hour, stirring once or twice. Add the water to the roaster and let cook in the oven for another hour.
- Remove from the oven, let cool, and strain out the cooked vegetables and herbs with a large slotted spoon. Pour the remaining contents through cheesecloth or a sieve set over a large bowl.
- Portion out into containers and freeze, or store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Facts
Parsnip Potato Purée with Vegetable Gravy
Serving Size
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
331
% Daily Value*
Fat
4
g
6
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Cholesterol
10
mg
3
%
Sodium
723
mg
31
%
Potassium
1152
mg
33
%
Carbohydrates
65
g
22
%
Fiber
10
g
42
%
Sugar
14
g
16
%
Protein
11
g
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Recipe from Prairie, by my co-author Twyla Campbell | photo by Dong Kim
