Healthy Root Vegetable Recipes

August 27, 2019
Easy, healthy recipes for root vegetables, including carrots, parsnips, beets, potatoes and more.Download a FREE Healthy Vegetable Side Dish Recipe Cookbook!Watch Video
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Cider-Glazed Roots with Cinnamon Walnuts

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Here we roast a variety of roots with a brown sugar-cider glaze. Make them instead of candied sweet potatoes at your Thanksgiving celebration. If you include red beets, the whole dish will take on a gorgeous ruby hue.

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Red Wine Braised Roots

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Braised root vegetables, rich with red wine, mushrooms and thyme, make a fabulous vegetarian entree or side dish. Enjoy alongside roast chicken or turkey. If you're serving it as an entree, be sure to have plenty of whole-grain bread to soak up the sauce.

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Roasted Root Vegetables with Chermoula

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Here, a medley of root vegetables and winter squash are roasted with chermoula (also spelled charmoula), a quintessential Moroccan spice combination. (Any combination will work in this dish; start with about 12 cups of peeled vegetable pieces.) Be sure to peel turnips well; their skin is thicker and more fibrous than other root vegetables'.

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Carrot-Parsnip Gratin

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Make this creamy carrot-and-parsnip casserole for your next holiday meal--everyone will beg you for the recipe! Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes--saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.

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Chili-Roasted Carrots

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Roasted with chili powder and cumin then tossed with cilantro and lime juice, these carrots are bursting with zesty flavor. Serve them with simple roast chicken or pork.

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Mashed Roots with Buttermilk & Chives

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Plain mashed potatoes may seem a bit tame after you've tried this flavorful version, full of celery root, rutabaga and Yukon Gold potatoes and mashed with sweet garlic and tangy buttermilk. Finish the dish with a handful of snipped fresh chives.

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Autumn Chicken Stew

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This simple chicken stew stars three of fall's best crops--apples, carrots and parsnips. Serve with toasted sharp Cheddar cheese sandwiches and a brown ale.

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Root Vegetable Stew with Herbed Dumplings

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This root vegetable stew is flecked with sausage and topped with whole-wheat herbed dumplings. Turn up the heat by using hot Italian sausage or make it crowd-pleasing with sweet sausage. If you find beets or turnips with their greens still attached, the greens of one bunch should yield just enough for this dish. Otherwise use whatever dark leafy greens look fresh at the market.

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Salmon & Roasted Vegetable Salad

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Toss roasted vegetables and salmon with a flavor-packed vinaigrette to serve on top of greens for a hearty dinner salad. For a twist, add a poached or fried egg on top. Serve with: Toasted whole-grain baguette and a glass of Riesling.

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Lemon-Herb Roasted Beets

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We love how roasting brings out the sweet flavor of beets. Golden beets look especially pretty when tossed with the fresh herb and lemon seasoning mix, but any type of beets will work in this recipe. If you're a lemon lover, be sure to add the squeeze of fresh lemon juice after the beets are roasted.

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Roasted Parsnip Soup

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The earthy flavor of parsnips goes especially well with fragrant pears, but carrots or even rutabaga work nicely in this soup as well. Serve it as a first course or as a light main dish with a crusty whole-grain bread.

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Individual Brussels Sprout & Potato Frittatas

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Brussels sprouts and preshredded potatoes make these oversized muffin-shaped frittatas hearty. They're as good served warm for dinner as they are at room temperature for lunch. Pair with a mixed green salad with cherry tomatoes and buttermilk dressing.

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Hot & Sour Carrots

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The hot-and-sour sauce on these quick sautéed carrots is not for the timid palate. They have an abundance of bold, spicy flavor. Try them with steamed white fish and brown rice.

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Shredded Root Vegetable Pancakes

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Red beets and golden carrots look especially festive in these zesty horseradish-and-bacon-flecked cakes. Avoid parsnips, which need to be cored, in this recipe, as trying to shred the smaller cored pieces might result in nicked knuckles. Try the pancakes with seared steaks or make them bite-size for a beautiful appetizer.

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Seared Strip Steaks with Horseradish-Root Vegetable Slaw

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Steaks are often served with hearty accompaniments like mashed potatoes, which can make the whole meal seem heavy. Here we lighten things up by topping pan-seared steaks with a raw slaw dressed with pungent horseradish vinaigrette. We use shredded beets, turnips and carrots, but feel free to change up the combination of vegetables based on what you're pulling from the garden.

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Roasted Carrots with Cardamom Butter

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Roasting these carrots with only a bit of butter and some cardamom gives them a rich, nutty flavor that belies how healthy they are. A single serving gives you over 600 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin A!

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Brown Sugar-Glazed Beets

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Try a sweet glaze on beets or other root vegetables to help balance their earthy flavor. This easy recipe will work with steamed carrots, turnips or rutabaga too.

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Kohlrabi & Ham Gratin

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If you haven't tried kohlrabi, which tastes like a mild, sweet turnip, this gratin is an excellent place to start--after all, what doesn't taste good with cheese sauce on it? Kohlrabi that are less than 3 inches in diameter will give you the most tender results.

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Scalloped Potatoes

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This creamy potato casserole, full of roasted potato slices and a creamy sauce, is topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. It goes well with just about anything--from a holiday roast to weeknight pork chops.

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Carrot Puree with Hazelnut Tapenade

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This carrot-potato puree has an amazing silky-smooth texture. We give it a sophisticated touch with a quick tapenade made with green olives, orange zest, hazelnuts and garlic. For a simpler dish, just make the puree and skip the topping.

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Warm Potato Salad with Bacon-Mustard Dressing

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This updated take on German potato salad is a sophisticated addition to any holiday spread. Granny Smith apples are a good choice, as they hold their shape when roasted.

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Asparagus & Radish Salad

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This colorful asparagus and radish salad is dressed with a sesame-soy vinaigrette. Pair it with grilled shrimp and rice noodles.

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Couscous with Rutabaga & Beef Stew

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In this riff on North African tradition, couscous is served as the base for a beef and rutabaga stew that's made with an intoxicating blend of cinnamon, turmeric, coriander and cayenne (optional if you don't like it spicy). Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro and serve with sliced cucumber.

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Chile-Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Give ordinary roasted sweet potatoes a big flavor boost with this quick, Asian-inspired seasoning mix.

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Quick Roast Chicken & Root Vegetables

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Roasted chicken in 45 minutes? No problem. This technique of starting bone-in chicken breasts on the stovetop and finishing them in a hot oven with vegetables gets a hearty dinner on the table in a hurry. While everything roasts, you still have time to make a quick pan sauce with shallot and Dijon mustard. Serve with a spinach salad.

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