Buttery Stovetop Turnip is a simple vegetable side dish prepared with dried herbs from your spice rack. This side is rich in flavour, yet very inexpensive and budget-friendly.
This is one of those recipes that requires next to nothing. Not only are the ingredients few in number, so are the dishes you’ll dirty up in the process. In most cases, all you will need to buy for Buttery Stovetop Turnip is the turnip itself!
Most of us will already have salt and pepper, and a spice rack which includes dried rosemary and thyme. And, then there’s butter. If you don’t have butter in your home, I’m not sure we can be friends! This recipe is certainly easy so there’s not much I have to say about it. But, I will talk a bit about the main ingredient itself – turnip.
TURNIP VS RUTABAGA
To be perfectly honest, I feel that the two vegetables are complete interchangeable. I’ve used turnip and rutabaga many, many times, and the results are always the same between the two.
Visually, it’s easy to tell the difference. Turnips are usually smaller and a pale cream colour with hints of purple at the top. One turnip can usually fit in the palm of your hand. In contrast, a rutabaga is quite different.
Rutabaga is quite large in comparison to the turnip. It’s brownish red at the top and fades to a light yellow toward the bottom. A rutabaga is will not fit into the palm of your hand, unless it’s unusually small.
Some say that a rutabaga is a little bit sweeter than a turnip, but I’ve never been able to tell the difference. In terms of taste, texture, and cooking time, they’re both the same.
DIPPED IN WAX
One of the most distinct ways to tell a turnip from a rutabaga is that nearly 100% of the time, a rutabaga will be sold with a thick waxy coating. Unlike turnip, rutabaga is dipped in hot wax when harvested. This ensures that the vegetable does not dry out and that the moisture is locked inside. Shelf life is also extended because of this.
Rutabaga is not the only produce sold with a wax coating. Most field cucumbers get a treatment in wax before making it to your local grocery store. Apples are not exempt either. In fact, I’ve seen eggplant, squash, melons, and even sweet potatoes sold the same way.
CONCLUSION
This is a great side dish that you can prepare ahead of time. Honestly, Dear Reader, I have prepared this dish just as indicated in the recipe card below. I stored it in a food-safe container in the fridge. A day later, I just plopped the it into a skillet and re-heated it on low heat.
There’s no need to add oil or butter, because there’s already enough butter coating the turnip already. Just remember to use low heat. If you turn the heat too high, you might get charred bits (which really wouldn’t be too bad at all!) or you might turn the turnip to mush.
Come to think of it, neither of those two options would be a bad outcome. Overcooked? Just mash it and there you go! Charred? I’m thinking let her go and pretend it’s a turnip version of bubble and squeak!
Buttery Stovetop Turnip
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed turnip, 1/2 inch cubes (can substitute rutabaga)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- water
Instructions
- Peel and dice the turnip into 1/2 inch cubes. Rinse turnip under cold running water and transfer to deep saucepan.
- Cover turnip with water so that the water level is one inch above the turnip.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the turnip to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the salt and continue to boil, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Add the dried rosemary and thyme. Stir and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until turnip is fork tender.
- Strain off the water and discard.
- Add the ground black pepper and butter. Stir into the hot turnip.
- Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
- Garnish and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
CJ says
I’m excited to try this tonight
Sara w Norman says
i always add a small amount of sugar makes it tasty
J. Ross says
I can’t believe you can’t tell the difference between turnip and rutabaga. I love rutabaga. I decided to try turnip. No comparison.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
It’s not that I can’t tell the difference exactly It’s just that the difference is not big enough to stress the use of one over the other. They both do the same job in the end. 🙂
Carol Hill says
For my personal taste I would also add some garlic powder or fresh diced garlic and some honey. But I will make this tonight. My landlady gave me the turnips cuz she did not know what they were. And I said I love those. So she wants some when I cook it
Judy says
Made this recipe. Did add some diced potatoes. Was really good. Mine could have used a little more salt. Will make again.
Mike Davenport says
I am a avid gardener and hobby cook with a roadside vegetable stand I enjoy putting post cards with recipes on with odd veggies that I sell so customers can try new things Thank You For the info. Mike