Mashed Whole Hakurei Turnips are an easy and nutritious side dish that you can make with a whole bunch of Hakurei Turnips - the leafy, green tops as well as the white, root portion. 

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Mashed Whole Hakurei Turnips

Hi Everyone, have you ever got a bunch of Hakurei Turnips in your CSA share box or at the farmer's market and wondered what to do with them?

Having them mashed, whipped, or pureed as a side with dinner is a great way to use the whole plant at once.

Blending (with a food processor) the green portion of the plant adds a more complex flavor to the mild root portion of the Hakurei Turnip.

How Do You Cook the Hakurei Turnips?

For cooking the turnips, I recommend steaming them until they are tender and soft enough to blend up, adding the green portion at the end to wilt.

You could boil them as well, again adding in the greens at the end - However, the boiling process can make the cooked turnips too soft and wet. Steaming allows you to control the amount of moisture in the turnips better.

Steaming them allows them to have enough moisture to blend them without being dry (like with roasting) and from there you can add more oil or dairy. You can reserve some of the steaming water to add if you feel that the mash needs to be wetter or add vegetable or chicken stock/broth instead of water.

Hakurei Turnips are also great sauteed and roasted. 

What Tools Do You Need to Make Mashed Whole Hakurei Turnips?

I recommend a food processor to blend/process them together. I find that it contains the food well, gets a smooth consistency and is less messy than a masher, handheld electric mix or other tool. You could also try a blender but the mixture could end up stuck at the bottom without enough liquid.

What Seasonings do you add to Mashed Whole Hakurei Turnips?

I use extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper - keeping it very simple and clean. This recipe can be customized with your favorite seasonings and I suggest that cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika would be nice as well if you want more of a kick.

You can also add butter (if not vegan) for a butter flavor) and a half and half or cream to make the mashed turnips more "creamy" in flavor and consistency.

I love to drizzle soy sauce (or mix it in) on cooked Hakurei Turnips, since they are so mild, they take on other flavors and seasonings so well.

When is the Hakurei Turnip in Season?

Hakurei Turnips are a root vegetable, harvested in the Fall and Winter and in the United States, are in season October through March.

What is a Hakurei Turnip?

A Hakurei Turnip an Asian (Japanese) variety of turnip, with a white root with a mild flavor. The leafy tops are slightly bitter and green.

I love them because they are so versatile. They can be snacked on, eaten raw in salads, or cooked.

How do you prepare the Hakurei Turnips before cooking?

I chop off the leafy greens and rinse them clean, soak them for a few minutes in cold water and using a salad spinner, spin them dry.

I wash the plant base, making sure to get any sand off. I usually soak them in cold water for a few minutes to loosen any sand or dirt before rinsing them. 

I cut the top portion of the root and the tail off and then skin them. You can eat the skin and if it's in good condition you do have to remove them if you do not want to.

Serving Hakurei Turnips

This Mashed Whole Hakurei Turnips recipe would make a great alternative to mashed (or whipped) potatoes; Since they are a Fall and Winter root vegetable, they would make a great addition to the Thanksgiving, Christmas Holidays table as a side dish.

Just, note, that a bunch of Hakurei Turnips would make enough for 2 (most likely), maybe 4 people (more of a stretch and with small portions), for serving.

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Mashed Whole Hakurei Turnips

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Total Time: 14 minutes

Mashed Whole Hakurei Turnips are an easy and nutritious side dish that you can make with a whole bunch of Hakurei Turnips – the leafy, green tops as well as the white, root portion.

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch (about 5-6) whole Hakurei Turnips
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or amount to taste
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, amount to taste
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Optional Seasonings

• vegetable or chicken broth
• milk or cream
• butter
• smoked paprika
• cumin
• chili powder
• a drizzle of low sodium soy sauce
• miso

Instructions

1. Clean and prepare the Hakurei turnips: Cut the greens from the root, soak the greens in cold water for a few minutes, drain and rinse clean. Remove the tops and tails from the root. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the root. Cut the root portion into about 1-inch cubes.
2. Steam: Using a steamer or large pot with a steamer insert, and 1-2 inches of water at the bottom of the pot bring water to a boil, at the root cubes in, and steam 7-8 minutes or until very tender and soft (you can test a larger piece with a fork to see if it starts to mash easily). In the end, ad in the greens until they are wilted (up to 1 minute, if that).
3. Process: Using a food processor, add the cooked cubes and greens, salt and pepper (or you can finish with the pepper), and any optional ingredients of your choosing. Process for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached. Test flavor and add more of any seasonings you want to adjust. You can add vegetable or chicken broth (or even just a little of the steaming water, although, that will not add any flavor) to make them wetter if you want (or milk or cream, if not vegan). When the mash is done, remove and add to a serving dish, enjoy!

Notes

• You can also use unsalted butter in addition to or in place of extra virgin olive oil.
• makes 2-4 servings, depending on the size of the servings

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 servings Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 300Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 2278mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 9g

Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best.

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Sara Maniez

Owner at Life's Little Sweets

Life’s Little Sweets is a seasonal cooking and local food blog featuring farm-to-table recipes, CSA inspiration, and creative ways to enjoy what’s fresh and in season.

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