I love Brussels sprouts and cook with them quite frequently. I recently posted about my recent purchase of an entire stalk of sprouts at a local farmer’s market: Buy a Stalk of Brussels Sprouts. Sautéed Brussels sprouts with parsnips is a delicious vegetarian side dish, which would make a interesting addition to your Thanksgiving holiday menu.

What the heck is a parsnip? It looks like a giant white carrot, and can be found near the bags of carrots in most grocery stores. I wouldn’t eat a raw parsnip though, they are a bit tough and stringy. But lightly steamed, they take on a nice and mellow taste, which tastes to me a like a potato with a bit of carrot mixed in.

Is that a giant, white carrot? Nope, it’s a parsnip!

Steam Your Brussels Sprouts

Raw sprouts and parsnips are a bit tough when raw, so I like to partially cook them before adding to my recipes. I use a bamboo steamer, placed over a Wok which is partially filled with water, but you can use a metal steamer basket placed inside of a cooking pan, or whatever method you want.

Another way to pre-cook your veggies is to place them in a microwave safe bowl, add a tablespoon or 2 of water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 5 minutes. If you use this method, make sure to drain off any excess water before continuing with the recipe. And I like to use oven mitts when removing the plastic wrap and draining off the water as the veggies will be steaming hot!

brussels sprouts in white casserole dish

Brussels Sprouts Casserole with Parsnips

Lynn Smythe

Sautéed Brussels sprouts with parsnips is a delicious vegetarian side dish, which would make a interesting addition to your holiday menu.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Course Healthy Food, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine American

Servings 6 people

Equipment

Cutting board
Sharp knife
Vegetable peeler
Large frying pan
Large wok or sauce pan
Bamboo steamer
Measuring cups
Large mixing spoon or spatula

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups parsnips peeled and chopped
2 cups brussels sprouts
2 cups water
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt (if desired)

Instructions

Trim off the ends of the Brussels sprouts, and remove any dried out/blemished leaves. I leave small sprouts whole, cut medium ones in half and quarter any large ones.
Place the water in the bottom of your wok or large pan. Place the bamboo steamer to the pan and bring the water to a boil.
Add the Brussels sprouts and parsnips to your bamboo steamer and steam for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are tender, but not falling apart.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan placed over medium high heat.
Add the steamed Brussels sprouts and parsnips to the pan.
Stir in the garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to turn light to medium brown, stirring occasionally.
Season with nutmeg and salt as desired.

Notes

At this point you could go ahead and serve the sautéed Brussels sprouts with parsnips. Earlier I posted up a mushroom recipe to The Creative Cottage blog: Sautéed Mushroom Side Dish. I had some leftover mushrooms and decided to add them to the parsnips and Brussels sprouts. HEAVEN!

Keyword casserole, vegan