List of Root Vegetables: 11 Favourites plus Recipes

07 Feb 2018

Journalist

During the winter months it's always good to have a hardy selection of root vegetables on hand in the kitchen.

Whether you want to bulk up a stew, make a velvety root mash or rustle up some fragrant roast root vegetables and harness some of those wonderful earthy flavours, it's always good to be reminded that there's a vast list of root vegetables to pick and choose from.

With this in mind, we have created a list capturing a selection of the most delicious and nutritious underground gifts from mother nature.

From asian root vegetables to red-coloured root vegetables and the humble carrot, here's a taster for what could be on your plate this season, along with some delicious recipes.

List of Root Vegetables with pictures

1. Beetroots

Raw, cooked or pickled... there aren't many ways you can't enjoy these vibrant and sweet round bulbs. Find out all about how to cook fresh beets, or try these exciting beetroot recipes, from smoothie to haute cuisine recipes with pigeon.

2. Parsnips

If you haven't discovered the delights of parsnips they can be enjoyed raw in winter salads as well as roasted, boiled and mashed. Find out how to cook parsnips here.

3. Celeriac

This unusual looking root vegetable is actually the root of a celery plant. It's worth getting through that tough outer skin to reveal the crisp white interior, perfect in soups, salads or roasted. Find out how to cook celeriac with a full list of celeriac recipes.

4. Turnips

Stuffed, pickled, baked, roasted, mashed and boiled... there are many ways to enjoy these versatile vegetables, from root to tip. Find out how to prepare turnips here.

5. Carrots

There are many ways to cook carrots, beyond salads and sides. Find out many wonderful ways to cook carrots here.

6. Potatoes

With quite literally hundreds of varieties of potatoes to choose from, these everyday root vegetables hold far more fascination than their daily fix. From pink fir potatoes to highland burgundy red, not only can you experiment with colour, but of course, texture. From fluffy to waxy, discover the best potato recipes from Michelin chefs.

7. Yucca

This delicious root vegetable might seem intimidating if you've never cooked with it but it's just as versatile as potatoes. Here are some tips to get you started: How to cook yuca.

8. Daikon Radish

If you've never tried this Asian root vegetable, it's like a spicier take on a carrot. What's more, it comes with some impressive nutritional credentials. How to cook daikon radish

9. Salsify

Umami-packed salsify is the stalky root vegetable with an oyster-like flavour when it's cooked. Try cooking with this tasty root in some salsify recipes.

10. Fennel

These subtle aniseed bulbs can be eaten raw or cooked, and are right at home in Italian cooking. Find out how to prepare fennel bulbs here.

11. Onions

The stalwart of the vegetable basket needs little introduction. But how well do you actually know your onions? Here are 21 types of onions to discover plus Michelin chefs cooking onions in many ways.

This list of root vegetables and recipes is just the tip of the turnip, so to speak. Just think of the vast possibilities of the humble potato alone: from classic favourites like scalloped potatoes and potato gnocchi to more adventurous variations like potato pancakes with smoked salmon, cheesecake with potatoes, or potato latkes with apple sauce.

While each root vegetable is a world unto itself, you can expand the combinations even further by mixing and matching. Try out mole spiced Muscovy duck, preserved prune and winter roots, which is garnished with garlic, red onion and celeriac. Or conjugate black turnips, rutabaga, round turnips, white beetroot, salsify and onions with Grana Padano and melanosporum in Mauro Colagreco’s winter root vegetable recipe. If you want more warm-clime colour and vibes, try this maniocas recipe, a Brazilian dish flashing taro, pink potatoes, radishes and a host of other multi-hued roots.