Surprisingly Yummy Turnip Recipe

This easy recipe results in a delicious dish of tender cooked greens and mashed turnips! Serve them along with roasted chicken and biscuits for a comforting southern-style meal.

I never grew up eating turnips, but once we started growing thousands of Hakurei turnips I had to come up with a way to eat them (besides shredding them into a salad). If you get turnips and other greens (beets, radish, kale) in your Small Acres CSA box, you will be excited to try out this turnip recipe!

Don’t compost those turnip greens! They are full of nutrients and fiber and are delicious when sauteed. The Hakurei turnips and great in salads but can also be easily boiled and mashed like potatoes. You can even “hide” some mashed turnips in your mashed potato dish to add more flavor and nutrients and your kids won’t even notice! And the great thing about turnips is that you can “mash” them in a blender, which you can’t do with potatoes.

The leftover juice after cooking the greens is full of nutrients and flavor and can be used as a dip for your biscuits or cornbread!

This recipe uses a lot of greens because they shrink down significantly when cooked. Don’t be intimidated by the quantities – you will eat the leftovers!

Turnip Greens Ingredients

4 lbs fresh turnip greens
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 slices of bacon or 1/2 lb ham, or combination of both
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup honey
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
6 cups water
salt, if needed for taste

Turnip Recipe Instructions

Remove and discard stems from greens.

Wash and chop greens, set aside in large bowl.

Roughly chop raw bacon and cook in a large stockpot with oil over low heat for 5 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high, add onions, and cook until translucent.

Add diced ham if using.

Add crushed red pepper, hone, vinegar, and water. Bring to a boil.

Add greens and simmer for about four hours without lid on, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed. A crockpot is recommended for this!

Once greens are fully cooked and tender, taste for seasoning and add salt if desired.

The actual turnip roots can be washed, boiled, and mashed like potatoes. Add butter and salt as desired.

Final Note

The bacon and ham are optional but add a lot of flavor. Instead, you could substitute pork or veggie broth for the water to add flavor. The turnip greens could be substituted or mixed with other hearty greens, like radish, kale, or collards.

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Email
info@smallacresfarm.com

Phone
360-543-8081

Address
3811 Hatley Rd, Everson, WA 98247