Here is my favorite winter vegetable recipe in the world: golden oven roasted salsify with white wine and lemon juice! Have you tried or roasted salsify before?
You will love it!
Just take a good look at these gorgeous roasted salsify below!
And nope, these are not parsnips that I cut into fries. But another highly delicious vegetable that goes by the name of salsify or salsify root!
Have you heard of it before?
Salsify Root
Perhaps you have already tasted it?
Do you like roasted salsify?
I bet you do! However I am quite stunned by the amount of people who don’t like salsify roots. Or let alone know what salsify root is even! But wait until they have tasted my roasted salsify recipe below.
I am sure that many would change their opinion about this glorious autumn vegetable!
How to cook with salsify?
But I get it though.
I am well aware of the fact that fresh salsify is quite an old-fashioned root vegetable nowadays and that is why salsify is not easy to find anymore.
Sometimes I can find fresh salsify roots in my local supermarket in Belgium but that only occurs in certain months, especially in autumn and during the winter.
Can you roast salsify?
Yes!
Canned or Frozen
However I can actually find canned salsify (or even the frozen ones) much easier than the fresh ones. But I don’t really like them. It is the same with fresh white asparagus and their canned version for instance.
One doesn’t have anything to see with the other really.
Meh.
No thanks.
What does salsify taste like?
Well that is quite a difficult question.
If you have not tried salsify before: then I would say that cooked salsify roots taste kind of like fresh parsnips and white asparagus. Or at least something in between them.
You can find salsify root also under the name of vegetable oyster or oyster plant.
My mom used to prepare roasted salsify sometimes when I was little. But I have to admit I was not too fond of their taste back then…
My mom would boil also them until the salsify were tender and then she would add a light bechamel sauce to the salsify.
Bechamel Sauce
And that was probably just one of her clever tricks to make us eat it. She knew very well that we loved that white sauce.
She would also do the same with fresh fennel, celery root or Brussel sprouts by the way.
But I am lucky that my taste buds seem to have developed a bit over the years. Because now I just can’t get enough of these delicious veggies!
What about you?
Can you easily find salsify around where you live?
Easy Oven Roasted Salsify with Lemon in the Oven
My husband just adores these roasted salsify.
However there is one slight little problem here.
He doesn’t digest roasted salsify root that well. Even the plain and simple boiled salsify can be a challenge for him. It is too bad when you love a food but you can’t eat it without paying for it later on.
I think that something in this vegetable makes his stomach ache a little, with cramps and such.
It makes him feel quite uncomfortable and bloated.
Cramps
And so because of that, I don’t cook with salsify that often really.
But here is my chance to cook my all time favorite roasted salsify again… Because he went out for dinner with a friend a couple of nights ago.
And I went straight to my local supermarket and treated myself to a generous handful of fresh salsify roots. I cleaned them, then roasted salsify in the oven and devoured every piece of it. No need for white sauce anymore!
Salsify Mash & Salsify Soup
How I love that golden caramelised color on those roasted salsify roots!
So here it is then: one of my favorite salsify recipes.
You can also find 2 more salsify recipes below by the way, a salsify soup and a salsify mash!
Enjoy!
Easy Oven Roasted Salsify Recipe with Lemon
Here's my favorite winter vegetable recipe: golden oven baked salsify in white wine and lemon juice! Have you roasted salsify before?
- 2 lbs fresh salsify roots (900 g)
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 small glass dry white wine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- nutmeg
- pepper
- salt
- Rinse and brush the salsify because the roots can be very sandy and dirty. Then peel them.
- Rinse them well under cold running tap water again. Make sure that all the sand and dirt are totally washed off. While peeling the salsify, let the peeled roots soak in some water with half of the lemon juice. This keeps them from oxidation that makes the white salsify yellow once they are peeled.
- Then chop the peeled salsify into smaller even bits. Pour the vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan or wok and place it over high heat until hot. Add the chopped salsify and season with a pinch of pepper, salt and nutmeg.
- Quickly stir fry the salsify for about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the rest of the lemon juice and the dry white wine.
- Transfer the stir fried salsify to a large baking dish. Sprinkle with an extra pinch of pepper and salt.
- Bake the salsify in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 40 to 45 minutes until the salsify is soft and golden. Gently stir the vegetables halfway through cooking time. Remove the salsify from the oven, sprinkle with the freshly chopped parsley and extra olive oil.
- Check the seasoning and add extra nutmeg, pepper or salt to taste if necessary. Serve hot.
Easy Salsify Puree Mashed Potatoes
You just have to love salsify!
Are you tired of eating the same old classic mashed potatoes over and over again?
Then try this next salsify recipe with a creamy twist: my buttery salsify puree mashed potatoes! It is a drop dead simple recipe.
You will see that when you clean the fresh salsify, well that is really the hardest part of the entire recipe. Salsify can be a little frustrating to peel. Because as soon as you peel them, they become a little sticky. That is why I immediately put them in water.
Also to keep them from changing color.
Soak in Water
But once you got that one, then just cook them together with the peeled potatoes like you would make the usual mash. Drain the whole lot and mash them up with a good dash of pepper, nutmeg and salt or whatever seasoning you like to add to your mashed potatoes.
And do not you forget the butter! Salsify and butter are a match made in heaven, believe me.
I kept the salsify puree mashed potatoes quite chunky as you can see, but you can make it as velvety as you like of course.
Red Meat
I like to serve this salsify puree mashed potatoes as a potato side dish for game and red meat, a true autumn and winter dish! One of my favorite combinations is with venison for instance, just to name one.
Enjoy this next salsify recipe…
And dig in!
Easy Salsify Puree Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Serve this salsify puree mashed potatoes as a potato side dish for game and red meat.
- 1 ½ lbs fresh salsify roots (675 g)
- 14 oz potatoes for mash (400 g)
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
- nutmeg
- pepper
- salt
1. Rinse and brush the salsify first because the roots can be very sandy and dirty. Then peel them.
2. Rinse them well under cold running tap water again until all the sand and dirt is gone. While peeling the salsify, let the peeled roots soak in some water with half of the lemon juice. This keeps them from oxidation that makes the white salsify yellow once peeled.
3. Then chop the peeled salsify roots into small bits. Also peel the potato and chop it up. Peel the garlic cloves and slice them in half.
4. Place a large pan of salted water over high heat until boiling. Then add the chopped vegetables and garlic. Turn the heat a little lower.
5. Cover the pan and cook the potatoes and salsify for 12 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Then drain them all well. Return the cooked vegetables to the pan and add the unsalted butter. Season with a good pinch of pepper, salt and nutmeg to taste. Mash the vegetables well. Make the salsify puree mashed potatoes as chunky or as velvety as you like.
6. Check the seasoning of the mash and add extra pepper, salt or nutmeg to taste.
7. Then transfer the salsify puree mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and top with a little extra knob of unsalted butter. Garnish the potato mash with a last sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot.
Easy Creamy Curried Roasted Salsify Soup
And let’s not stop there, right.
What would you think about me showing you yet another salsify recipe?
Here is a creamy roasted salsify soup with a surprising flavor in it: curry madras! I love how well both flavors go so well together. Salsify and curry madras are great if you ask me!
I can hear you ask: what is the difference between madras curry powder and curry powder?
Well here is the thing.
Curry Powder
Madras curry powder can be a little hotter than other mainstream curry powders.
So go for the lighter versions if you don’t want it too spicy. Also check the specific composition of the curry powder before you buy it. They all essentially contain coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard and sometimes red chili powder in various concentrations.
So that is settled then. In the meantime, don’t stop enjoying this next salsify recipe: my creamy curried salsify soup!
Enjoy!
Easy Creamy Curried Roasted Salsify Soup Recipe
Here’s a creamy salsify soup with a surprising flavor in it: curry madras!
- 2 lbs fresh salsify roots (900 g)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (920 ml)
- 1 small potato
- 1 small onion
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp curry madras
- a pinch of nutmeg
- ½ cup cream (120 ml)
- pepper
- salt
1. Rinse and brush the salsify first because the roots can be very sandy and dirty. Then peel them.
2. Rinse them well under cold running tap water again. Make sure that all the sand and dirt are totally washed off. While peeling the salsify, let the peeled roots soak in some water with half of the lemon juice. This keeps them from oxidation that makes the white salsify yellow once they are peeled.
3. Then chop the peeled salsify roots into small bits. Also peel the potato, garlic cloves and onion. Chop them up finely.
4. Add the butter to a large pan and place it over medium heat until the butter has melted. Then add the chopped onion, potato, garlic and salsify. Also add the curry powder and a pinch of nutmeg, pepper and salt.
5. Give the vegetables a good stir and let them sweat for about 5 minutes. Then add the chicken or vegetable stock and turn the heat high until it starts to boil.
6. Then turn the heat lower again and cover the pan. Let the salsify soup simmer for 10 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft and smooth. Then take the pan off the heat.
7. Pour in the cream. Blend or mix vegetables the until you end up with a very smooth and velvety salsify soup. Check the seasoning and add extra pepper, salt, curry, nutmeg or butter to taste. Also add extra water or stock if you fin the texture too thick.
8. Scoop the salsify soup into bowls, sprinkle with extra curry if you like and serve hot.
Huh. Well, I can see how salsify would go well with potatoes. A while back, I planted some and they went crazy with their blue flowers and volunteered all over the place. I dug up the roots a few times but it was an unfamiliar vegetable to my wife and I, so we let it go. They were good to eat, no doubt about it, when we took the trouble. I’d suggest, though, that they should be added to a more traditional potatoes au gratin, maybe cooked ahead, but then mixed with breadcrumbs, garlic, cheese etc. on top of the… Read more »