Tips & Recipes For All Those Winter Root Vegetables

Running out of ideas for winter root vegetables? Find storage tips and a round-up of delicious recipes from for carrots, kohlrabi, beets and more!

In the mid-winter, you may find yourself running out of ideas for all those winter root vegetables that are still abundant at the grocery, at the farmer’s markets, in your community agriculture share and in your crisper drawer.

Or you may not have even tried some of these hardy vegetables yet, which was the case with me before I set out on this quest to learn more about winter root veggies.

I picked up this bright assortment at the Burlington Farmer’s Market and they’re from four local locations: Burnt Rock Farm, Bear Roots Farm, Lewis Creek Farm and Full Moon Farm.

In this round-up, you’ll find a list of winter root vegetables with tips for storage (spoiler alert: keep all of them cool!) And as for eating them, there are loads of ideas in this round-up.

I had fun sharing these dishes and thoughts on winter root veggies with Meteoroligist Amanda Thibault on the Fox Local 22/44 Morning Brew show! Click below to watch the videos:

But wait, there’s more! I also reached out to several fellow food bloggers to gather their creative, amazing recipes for these long-lasting veggies:

Beets, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, rutabagas, potatoes, celeriac and radishes! These dishes will be perfect if you have never given these vegetables a try or if you’re just getting tired of your tried-and-true methods. Bookmark them, pin them, print them!

Give these undersung winter veggies the spotlight for little while longer before they’re overshadowed by those showboating, spring veggies. (Calm down asparagus, peas and fiddleheads: it’s not your turn yet!)

Winter Veggie Blends

Make a rich and flavorful winter dish using a combination of root veggies, with these recipes!

Roasted Root Vegetables with Spring Herbs, from Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Oven Roasted Chuck Roast with Root Vegetables, from Longbourn Farm

Healthy Mac and Cheese with Veggies, from Forest And Fauna

Root Veggie Kettle Chips, from The View From Great Island

Mexican Buddha Bowl: Roasted Vegetables & Cilantro Lime Quinoa, from Lemon Blossoms

Walking on Sunshine: Fall Vegetable and Red Lentil Soup, from Crumb

Beets

Remove the skins from beets before cooking them up. To store, remove the greens from beets and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to three weeks. And use them in one of these yummy recipes:

Yankee Red Flannel Hash, from Hungry Enough To Eat Six

Spiralized Raw Beet Salad with Blood Oranges, from Salt & Lavender

Beet Chocolate Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting, from Use Your Noodle

Carrots

Carrots can be eaten raw or cooked. Remove the tops and store carrots in the fridge, tightly wrapped for two to three weeks. And below are three delicious ways to use those carrots!

Savory Carrot Cheddar Tart, by Hungry Enough To Eat Six

Coconut Carrot Rice, from Fried Dandelions

Scarborough Fair Carrot Ribbons with Shrimp, from Pinch Me I’m Eating

Celeriac (Celery Root)

Celeriac has a mild celery taste and can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in almost any way you can imagine. Keep celeriac in a plastic bag for one week. Here are some creative ways to use it:

Fennel Celery Root Salad with Dill and Avocado, from Tasting Page

Salmon Dill & Celeriac Fishcakes, from Emma Eats & Explores

Cream of Celeriac Soup, from Krumpli

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is part of the turnip family and can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in soups and stews. Keep it wrapped in the fridge for a little over a week. Here are some cooked and raw ways to use it:

Colorful Kohlrabi Slaw with Lemon-Maple Dressing, from Hungry Enough To Eat Six

Kohlrabi Schnitzel Burger, from Elephantastic Vegan

Kale, Kohlrabi and Mint Stir Fry with Bacon and Fried Egg, from Pinch and Swirl

Parsnips

Parsnips can be baked, roasted, boiled and mashed. They will keep in the fridge when wrapped for two weeks. Here are some fresh and cooked dishes featuring parsnips:

Curried Parsnip & Vegetable Soup, from Hungry Enough To Eat Six

Spiralized Apple and Parsnip Power Bowl, from Mid-Life Croissant

Roasted Parsnips with Thyme, Food Above Gold

Mashed Parsnips with Brown Sugar and Nutmeg, from Chews And Brews

Potatoes

Potatoes are ridiculously versatile and cook up in every way you can imagine. Do not wrap these (if you buy them in a plastic bag, discard the bag before storing them.) Keep them in a cool, dark location, ideally around 40 degrees F. Add these tasty potato dishes to your meals!

Colcannon, with Slow Cooker Steak & Stout, from Hungry Enough To Eat Six

Irish Leek and Potato Soup, from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Lemon Herb Potato Salad, from I Just Make Sandwiches

Smoked Gouda Muffin Tin Potato Stacks, from A Gouda Life

Radishes

Radishes are usually enjoyed raw as part of appetizers or in a salad. Remove the greens and keep them wrapped in the fridge for four to five days. Here are three lovely radish recipes for you:

Arachuvita Moolungi Sambar (Radish Lentils Stew), from Curry Trail

Carrot Radish and Wheat Berry Salad with with Lemon Vinaigrette, from Bourbon and Honey

Watermelon Radish Orange Salad with Goat Cheese and Pistachios, from Rhubarbarians

Rutabagas

Rutabagas are part of the cabbage family with a mild flavor and can be cooked up in a number of ways. Keep them wrapped in the fridge for two weeks. And what to do with them? Well, look!

Rutabaga Home Fries, from Hungry Enough To Eat Six

Tender Butternut Rutabaga Gratin, from Garlic & Zest

Mashed Rutabaga with Nutmeg, from Pinch Me I’m Eating

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes work with savory and sweet dishes, and can be baked, roasted, mashed, sautéed and fried. Like potatoes, keep them in a cool, dry and dark location.  Find savory and sweet tastes below:

Sweet Potato & Chorizo Fritters, from Hungry Enough To Eat Six

Sweet Potato Pie, from Hungry Enough To Eat Six

Healthy Cinnamon Sweet Potato Rolls, from Happy Kitchen Rocks

Sweet Potatoes with Coconut, Curry and Mint, from Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower, from The Cheerful Kitchen

Harissa Sweet Potato Hash with Baked Eggs, from My Kitchen Love

Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese Appetizer, from Ciao Florentina

Have a tasty winter!