May the Parsnips Be with You in 2025

Inside the Ingredients

By Nora Rae Pearl | Dec. 21, 2024

This holiday season we know one thing for sure: The snow has arrived and it is here to stay...at least for a while. For winter cooking, let us look to the parsnip. One of their little-known secrets is that as the weather gets colder, they get sweeter. Let that be a metaphor for us in 2025; to let the cold (and the parsnips) build us up.

Enjoy parsnips during the peak of their sweetness with these recipes you’ll want all winter long. Be sure to shop local for this root vegetable at local markets like the Grain Train Co-op in Petoskey, Edson Farms Natural Food Store in Traverse City, or Boyne City’s Winter Market.

Parsnip Blood Orange Bundt Cake

Who knew parsnips were the secret ingredient to your new favorite spice cake?

Cake Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound parsnips, peeled, grated (roughly 2 cups)

Frosting Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Juice and zest of 1 blood orange
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a large bundt pan. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until no dry spots remain. Fold in the parsnips. Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 42 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the frosting: Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, juice and zest of 1 blood orange, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add enough milk to thin the frosting to a thick glaze. Spread over the cooled cake. Sprinkle over the crystallized ginger. Enjoy.

Winter White Parsnip Soup

A delicious take on one-sheet wonder soup, with parsnips to add a subtle minty flavor.

Soup Ingredients
1 large cauliflower, broken into medium florets
1 pound parsnips, peeled
2 medium yellow onions
3 medium potatoes, peeled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups vegetable broth, warmed

To make the soup: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the parsnips, onions, and potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Combine with the cauliflower on a large parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle over olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Roast until starting to brown and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside a few pieces of cauliflower. Place the remaining vegetables in a blender with the warmed vegetable broth. Blend until smooth. Add a splash of broth if needed to reach desired consistency. Serve immediately. Add a cauliflower garnish to each soup.

Nora Rae Pearl is 99 percent foodie and 1 percent chef. When she is not writing about food, she can be found waiting in line at the farmers market hoping to get a croissant before they run out. Photo credits Cody Werme.