Salad Turnips (Brassica rapa)

Turnips are nutritious root vegetables closely related to the radish and rutabaga, with crisp texture and mild flavor. They are popularly sought after in variety of cuisines across Europe, Asia and Eastern American regions. This cool season veggie belongs to the family; Brassicaceae, that also includes cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts etc. They have been cultivated as staple crop during ancient Greek and Roman periods. The bulbous root is widely eaten and recognized but it is its’ often overlooked top fresh leaves that are wonderful sources of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Fresh greens are also excellent sources of important minerals like calcium, copper, iron and manganese.

The different types of turnips come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Salad turnips are usually a cool season vegetable harvested early in the growing season or later in the fall resulting in a smaller tender turnip that lacks that strong smell and flavor larger turnips are famous for. Very young small turnips have a mild, sweet flavor. Similar to a radish, a salad turnip is earthy, crunchy and sometimes peppery.

Enjoy salad turnips as you would radishes in fresh salads and relishes. Salad turnips can also be thinly sliced and sautéed, or pickled with other vegetables. They can also be grated into a slaw or cooked until just tender and still a little crisp with a dash of salt and pepper. When cooked with butter and given a slight drizzle of honey, with dash of salt they become a kid favorite.

Don’t forget to eat the greens! Turnip greens are tender and flavorful. Chop and sauté salad turnip greens as a side dish, or cook with other greens for added flavor. You can chop them and use in pasta sauces or wilted with some olive oil, garlic, and red pepper and toss with pasta and grated cheese.

Salad turnips themselves, just like the radish, are rich in Vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium as well as low in calories and high in dietary fiber.

To wash and store salad turnips:

Turnips should be eaten relatively soon after purchase or they will become bitter. Small turnips can be stored for one to two weeks in the refrigerator wrapped loosely in a plastic bag with a dry paper towel with the tops removed. (The tops, which can be used in a stir-fry or salad if they are young, should be stored separately. You should prepare and store the turnip greens following the wash and store directions for beet greens.)

Salad turnips can be eaten raw or cooked after they are washed, cleaned with a stiff vegetable brush and drained. Simply peel the tough parts and trim for cooking whole. It is not necessary to peel the entire salad turnip. The leaves can be either sliced off completely or pared down to a decorative tuft. The salad turnips can be eaten whole, sliced, chopped or grated.

If turnips are not as crisp as you would like them, put them in a bowl of ice water  and refrigerate for about 10 minutes to refresh them.

(GREEN TIP: Use a large bucket or container for washing and the leftover water can be carried outside to water your plants and grass.)