Discover the versatility of turnips, a hidden gem in the low-carb community. They’re an excellent replacement for potatoes in salads, offering a firm crunch when added to dishes like our Turnip Fauxtato Salad and Scarlet Queen Red Turnip Salad. Turnips are available year-round and are a favorite among home gardeners. The most common variety is the ‘purple top white globe’ type. Before preparing them, be sure to give them a good scrubbing.
They can be sliced, diced, or spiralized, making them a versatile addition to salads. When selecting turnips for raw recipes, choose those that are less than ripe and about two inches in diameter. No peeling is necessary, as these younger turnips are tender and sweet. In contrast, more ripe turnips have a gritty texture and may require peeling before baking or boiling. Turnips can be cooked in various ways, including baking, boiling, roasting, or mashing.
If you find the taste of turnips too bitter, try boiling them with a cut potato to absorb some of the bitterness. I’ve collected some amazing turnip salad recipes that showcase their unique flavor and texture. Hopefully, one will inspire you to mix things up and explore the world of turnips!
Turnip Fauxtato Salad
The first thing that caught my attention when I saw this raw turnip salad was its uncanny resemblance to traditional potato salad! The transformation from a humble root vegetable into a creamy, savory delight is truly remarkable. To achieve this impressive result, the turnips are microwaved for six minutes until tender, then cooled before being diced and added to the mix. Meanwhile, the mayonnaise base is prepared by combining it with hard-boiled eggs, celery, green onion, and dressing.
This flexible recipe allows for a touch of sweetness to be added if desired, as well as the option to include more or fewer eggs to suit personal taste. The end result is a stunning substitution that’s sure to impress even the most skeptical palates.
Old Fashioned Turnip Salad
The potato salad lookalike contest gets a creative twist with turnips taking center stage. While the ‘old-fashioned’ approach may not be immediately clear, the introduction of dill pickle relish or juice brings a tangy and refreshing spin to the fauxtato salad. To begin, a step-by-step guide is provided for preparing hard-boiled eggs and turnips, either on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot. The Instant Pot method allows for simultaneous cooking of both ingredients, saving valuable time.
Once prepared, all the components are mixed together and left to chill before serving.
Refreshing Turnip & Dill Salad
While incorporating turnips into salads can be a great way to add flavor and nutrition, there’s no need to limit their use to just slicing or dicing. In fact, spiralizing them can create a visually stunning addition to your dish. By transforming the turnip into beautiful, curly strands, you can elevate the overall aesthetic of your salad. To take it to the next level, combine those spiralized turnips with celtic coarse salt, fresh dill, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and avocado oil.
The simplicity of this combination is what makes it so appealing – a symphony of flavors and textures that’s ready to serve.
Shredded Turnip, Apple & Carrot Salad
In another culinary discovery, I’ve found a brilliant substitute for traditional coleslaw – grated turnip. This innovative swap not only adds variety to the dish but also brings a unique flavor profile. To take it to the next level, I recommend combining the turnip with other easily prepared ingredients like carrots, a crisp Granny Smith apple, and a splash of lemon juice, onion, oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
The most enjoyable part of this recipe is the tactile experience of shredding or grating the key components – turnips, carrots, and apple. To allow all the flavors to meld together, I suggest allowing the salad to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Spring Chickpea Radish Turnip Salad
Here’s the exciting part – this blog post is actually a step-by-step guide to creating a delicious turnip salad, with images that illustrate each process. The accompanying text provides a comprehensive overview of the recipe, allowing you to easily follow along. What makes this layout particularly engaging is the way it seamlessly integrates visual and written content.
Meanwhile, the title, ‘Spring Salad with Baby Greens, Radishes, Turnips, Quinoa, Chickpeas, Garlic Scapes, and Chive Blossoms,’ is a mouthful that lists all the ingredients upfront – giving you a clear sense of what to expect. The quinoa brings a delightful texture and the radish contributes its signature peppery flavor, which harmonizes perfectly with the dressing.
Kohlrabi & Turnip Slaw With Walnuts & Bacon
The allure of this raw turnip salad lies in its trifecta of desirable traits: crunch, satisfaction, and versatility. With a medley of textures and tastes, it’s a culinary delight. To create this masterpiece, begin by cooking the bacon to crispy perfection. Next, toast the walnuts until fragrant and slightly darkened. Meanwhile, prepare the kohlrabi and turnips by cutting them into matchstick-like slivers, while the turnip greens should be sliced into delicate ribbons.
Once all components are ready, whisk together your dressing and toss it with the salad to ensure everything is thoroughly coated. Finally, add in the cooked bacon and toasted walnuts for a burst of savory flavor. A pinch of salt and pepper completes the dish, allowing each bite to be savored and enjoyed. The harmonious blend of flavors and textures makes this salad truly special.
Sesame Roasted Turnip Salad With Quinoa
A culinary secret lies in the harmonious pairing of root vegetables when roasted together. A prime example is the versatility of turnips, carrots, beets, parsnips, and rutabagas in a salad recipe. This knowledge is a valuable trick to keep up your sleeve, allowing for effortless substitutions or additions. The journey begins by pan-baking diced turnips with a medley of aromatics – garlic, oil, sesame seeds, honey, and salt.
As the turnips emerge from the oven, they’re anointed with soy sauce and cilantro, allowing them to cool and meld their flavors. Next, the remaining salad components come together: crisp lettuce, cooked quinoa, scallions, and a tangy dressing crafted by whisking vinegar and oil. The finishing touch is a gentle toss, combining all elements in perfect harmony. Serve and enjoy!
Roasted Golden Beet & Turnip Salad With Green Goddess Dressing
While my initial assumption was that salads featuring turnips were rare, it turns out they’re more common than I anticipated. This particular recipe stands out by serving the greens slightly warm, accompanied by freshly roasted turnips and earthy golden beet wedges. For added sweetness, red beets could be used instead, though keep in mind their vibrant color will give the dish a distinct hue. The baby kale and chopped beet greens add texture and depth to the mix.
Meanwhile, the Green Goddess dressing recipe provides a lighter take on the classic, blending Greek yogurt with green onions, garlic, dill, and cilantro for a harmonious balance of flavors that’s sure to delight.
Turnip Salad With Yuzu Kosho Dressing
Beware: this turnip salad recipe packs a punch! While its unique flavor combination may tempt you, heed the warning: Yuzu Kosho is notoriously spicy and not suitable for kids or those who can’t handle intense heat. That said, if you’re ready to take on the challenge, here’s what you’ll need: just three ingredients – a turnip, dried wakame seaweed, and a Yuzu Kosho dressing made from oil, Yuzu Kosho, lemon juice, and soy sauce.
To prepare, slice the turnip, soak the seaweed in water, mix the dressing, and combine everything just before serving (don’t prep ahead of time). If your taste buds are up to the task, this unusual salad might just surprise you with its flavor.
Refreshing Kohlrabi & Japanese Turnip Salad
The salad recipe utilizes turnips in a unique way, distinct from the typical purple top, white globe variety often used. This particular combination incorporates kohlrabi, a German turnip, and Japanese turnips with a slightly more pronounced radish flavor. The versatility of this dish allows it to be served as a side or elevated into a complete meal by adding avocado and salmon. To prepare the vegetables, simply slice and dice the kohlrabi, Japanese turnips, cucumbers, shallots, and cilantro.
Next, whisk together a dressing comprising coconut aminos, lemon juice, ginger powder, and kelp flakes. Finally, pour the dressing over the prepared vegetables and serve as is or atop a bed of peppery arugula lettuce.
Zippy Marinated Turnip Salad
To bring out the best flavor in raw turnip recipes, this creator’s go-to method involves marinating the turnips for one to two hours. The marinade itself is a masterclass in balance, combining olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, white wine vinegar, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, dill, and salt – a harmonious blend that allows the natural sweetness of the turnips to shine.
With the turnips thus prepared, it’s simply a matter of tossing them with some crisp greens and thinly sliced red onions, then topping the mix off with a sprinkle of choice garnishes like walnuts, pomegranate seeds, or drizzled pomegranate molasses. The result is a feast for both eyes and taste buds – a vibrant, zesty treat that’s sure to delight.
Turnip Salad With Sprouts
When it comes to cooking, I find that having visual guidance makes a huge difference in my confidence and overall experience. That’s why I’m thrilled that this raw turnip salad recipe comes with step-by-step pictures that break down the preparation process into manageable chunks. The array of ingredients is equally impressive, featuring snow peas, turnips, carrots, pea shoots, beet sprouts, balsamic vinegar, peppers, walnut oil, and pumpernickel rounds.
By following a straightforward sequence of steps – blanching the snow peas, peeling and slicing the turnips and carrots, mixing the vinegar dressing, and finally tossing everything together – you’ll be rewarded with a one-of-a-kind and vibrantly colored presentation that’s sure to impress.
Scarlet Queen Red Turnip Salad
The versatility of turnips in salad creations knows no bounds! This particular recipe showcases the Scarlet Queen Red variety, boasting a charming combination of cuteness, color, and flavor. Much like cherry tomatoes, these turnips bring a pop of vibrancy to any dish. As we explore the flavors of this salad, we discover a harmonious balance of bitter, sweet, salty, bright, crunchy, and fantastic notes that pair perfectly with a crusty slice of bread.
The supporting cast includes cucumber, scallions, pistachios, feta cheese, lemon juice, and olive oil, resulting in a visually stunning recipe that’s sure to tantalize the senses.
The bottom line
While turnips may not be the most celebrated root vegetables, they can still bring a world of flavor and excitement to any menu. With these 13 innovative turnip salad recipes, you’ll discover that there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to this humble ingredient. Whether you’re looking for a healthy side dish or a creative way to add some zing to your meals, these recipes are sure to inspire.
