Pan Fried Turnips Recipe with Onions and Spinach (2024)

Delicious pan fried turnips with onions and spinach make a scrumptious low carb side dish special enough for the holiday table but easy enough for weekdays.

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Pan Fried Turnips Recipe with Onions and Spinach (1)

I’m a huge fan of turnips as a low carb side. My family can’t get enough of these pan fried turnips. If you had told me years ago that my kids would eat turnips, I wouldn’t have believed you!

But they do and for good reason.

These pan fried turnips are just simply delicious with a rich buttery finish and a little smokiness from the scallions. A hint of fresh thyme gives them an earthy slightly lemony flavor.

Pan fried turnips sound great but what do turnips taste like?

Turnips are earthy with a slight sharpness not unlike radishes, however they are less watery than radishes. Turnips are similar to rutabagas in flavor although not as sweet. At times, raw turnips have a mildly bitter undertone or may taste a bit peppery and sharp. However, they mellow in flavor as they cook.

With this pan fried turnip recipe, your turnips will be sweet and caramelized with a rich buttery finish. You won’t be able to get enough of them!

Pan Fried Turnips Recipe with Onions and Spinach (2)

Turnips, a great low carb potato substitute!

Turnips are low in carbs, making them a perfect low carb potato substitute for those watching starches and sugars. They are delicious roasted in the oven, boiled and mashed, or pan fried. And, perfect in low carb soups and stews. When turnips are roasted in the oven or fried in a pan, they become mellow and sweet.

Generally, Low Carbers use cauliflower as a potato substitute. And while roasted cauliflower with bacon and caramelized onions is one of my favorite easy side dishes, the earthiness of root vegetables compliments Fall so well. You can even mash them like my friend Carol from A Chef’s Kitchen does with her parmesan crusted crushed turnips. It's nice to have delicious low carb potato substitute options available for keto diets.

Rutabagas vs Turnips: Can you substitute one for the other?

Turnips and rutabagas are very similar to each other. Both are members of the cabbage family. In fact, rutabagas are technically a hybrid between cabbages and turnips.

Rutabagas are bigger than turnips and have yellow flesh under a yellow, slightly purple thick skin. Turnips have thinner, white and purple skin and white flesh.

Pan Fried Turnips Recipe with Onions and Spinach (3)

While they are similar in taste, rutabagas are less sharp than turnips and have a lower water content. In most recipes, including this one, you can substitute rutabagas for turnips. If you do, you may need to adjustment cooking time.

Be aware though, if you do substitute rutabagas for turnips, rutabagas are higher in carbs than turnips. If you can't find turnips in your local store, substitute with radishes.

Do I have to peel turnips?

Small turnips typically don’t need to be peeled. If the skins are thin enough, just wash them and leave them on. If the turnips are larger or the skin looks leathery, peel them. I just use a regular vegetable peeler.

I peeled the turnips I used for this pan fried turnips recipe as they were larger. Since much of the bitterness of turnips resides in its skin, peeling the turnips will result in a mellower flavor.

How to pan fry turnips.

To pan fry turnips, cut them into fourths or possibly sixths if they are larger. Then, cook them in large pan in olive oil until one side browns. Give them a flip, then add the onions and continue cooking the turnips until fork tender. Lastly, add the spinach and butter and keep cooking until your spinach just wilts.

Then you’re ready to serve this delicious low carb side dish to complete any dinner. I like to serve these turnips with herb crusted eye round roast beef or lamb chops.

What other vegetables can I pan fry or saute in a pan?

A quick vegetable saute is a great accompaniment to any meat side. Most pan fried vegetable sides come together in a few minutes. These are a few of my favorites.

  1. Cabbage Noodles
  2. Easy Mexican Green Beans
  3. Sweet and Sour German Green Beans
  4. Easy Green Beans Almondine
  5. Green Bean Mushroom Saute
  6. Easy Sauteed Mushrooms in Wine
  7. Cauliflower Rice Pilaf

Pan Fried Turnips Recipe with Onions and Spinach (4)

Pan Fired Turnips Recipe with Onions and Spinach

Pan fried turnips make a great low carb potato substitute for keto diets. Their earthy flavor combined with caramelized onions and lemon thyme transcend the mundane.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 84kcal

Author: Kim Hardesty

Ingredients

  • 1 pound turnips
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter (or more olive oil)
  • 1 sprig lemon thyme (or regular)
  • 2 tablespoon scallions
  • 1 cup fresh spinach loosely packed
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Peel turnips and cut into quarters or into sixths, if large.

  • Place a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot add the olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the turnips when the oil shimmers.

  • Cook the turnips until browned on one side. Turn them over and add scallions and thyme to the pan. The turnips are ready when a fork piercing the thickest part slides easily through.

  • Add the spinach and butter to the pan, sautéing until the spinach wilts. Remove the thyme sprig.

  • Season with salt and pepper, taste to adjust seasoning, and serve.

  • Serves 4 at 4.5 g net carbs per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.52g | Protein: 1.06g | Fat: 6.25g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 172mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3.65g

Pan Fried Turnips Recipe with Onions and Spinach (5)

Green Bean Mushroom Saute

Pan Fried Turnips Recipe with Onions and Spinach (2024)

FAQs

How do you make turnips taste better? ›

They caramelise beautifully when roasted uncovered in a hot oven, and do even better when a tablespoon or two of maple syrup and a generous sprinkling of fresh sage are added to the roasting pan. Honey combined with fresh rosemary can put a different flavour spin on roasted turnips, too.

How do you get the bitterness out of turnips? ›

How do you get the bitterness out of turnips? Smaller turnips tend to be sweeter and less bitter, so start by selecting fresh, small, tender turnips and peeling them. Adding a little sugar to your turnips after cooking can also help to counteract any bitterness.

What is the appropriate method of cooking turnips? ›

Place the turnips in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer until the turnips are tender when pierced with a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Step three: Season and serve. Drain the turnips and season with salt and pepper.

Why put baking soda in turnips? ›

One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness.

What are the side effects of eating turnips? ›

If you experience food allergy symptoms like hives, itching or swelling after consuming turnips, discontinue use and consult with your doctor immediately. Cruciferous vegetables like turnips are also considered goitrogenic, which means that they may interfere with the production of thyroid hormones.

What is the healthiest way to eat turnips? ›

Turnips are a healthy alternative to potatoes; they're lower in calories and have fewer carbs. Smaller, sweeter turnips can be sliced into wedges and eaten raw like an apple. Raw baby turnips can be sliced or diced and used in salads. Raw turnips can also be grated and used as a garnish.

How long does it take for turnips to get soft? ›

Directions. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook turnips until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Strain and rinse. Mash turnips with a fork in a large mixing bowl.

Why does my turnip taste bitter? ›

Turnips can sometimes taste bitter due to the presence of certain compounds, including glucosinolates and phenols. These compounds are natural plant chemicals that can contribute to the flavor and nutrition of the vegetable, but in some cases, they can also create a bitter taste.

Why are my turnips tough? ›

Any root crop (potatoes, carrots, radishes, parsnips, turnips) needs a fine- textured, well-drained soil to grow properly. If the soil is too heavy, the crop will rot. If the soil is too lumpy or rocky, the roots will be tough, fibrous and misshapen.

What do you eat turnips with? ›

Cooked turnips are also sweet but the tang becomes somewhat bitter, so they are best eaten with fatty or spicy food. The best combinations I know are a sidedish of mashed turnips and carrots and as a full meal, mashed potatoes, mashed turnips (with or without carrots) , a rich beef gravy and haggis.

How do you make roasted turnips less bitter? ›

Roasting brings out their natural sweetness. Another secret is how you peel them. Bitter notes lie just under the surface of the skin, but you can eliminate this if you go a little deeper when peeling them. I use a paring knife instead of vegetable peeler to remove the thick outer later.

What is the disadvantage of using baking soda to vegetables? ›

This is a bad practice, however, and you should avoid adding baking soda when boiling any type of vegetable. It has various unwelcome effects, such as softening the vegetable, altering the vegetable's flavor, destroying thiamine content, and hastening the loss of vitamin C.

What do you spray turnips with? ›

Clopyralid is an excellent choice for controlling vetch postemergence. It is labeled for use on kale, collards, mustard, turnips, mustard spinach, and rape. Clopyr AG is also registered for use in turnips. See the label for a complete crop list.

Can you eat turnips raw? ›

Though they are most commonly cooked, turnips can be enjoyed raw as well. If you plan to eat them raw, simply peel and slice the turnip like an apple to eat with dips or add to the top of your salad. Be sure to slice off the root end and remove the greens – which can be saved for cooking as well.

Do you need to peel turnips before cooking? ›

It's not essential to peel turnips before cooking. If this skin appears to be thin enough you can leave it on and cook as is. However if the skin feels thick and leathery, you can peel it off with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Both the roots and leaves, also known as turnip greens, are safe to eat.

Why are my garden turnips bitter? ›

Turnips can sometimes taste bitter due to the presence of certain compounds, such as glucosinolates and phenolic compounds. These compounds are natural defense mechanisms that some plants use to deter animals from eating them, as they can be toxic or unpalatable.

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