• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Bojon Gourmet logo

  • Recipes
  • About
    • In the Press
    • Learn with Me
    • Work With Me
    • Portfolio
  • Cookbook
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • In the Press
  • Learn with Me
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home / Recipes

    Roasted Turnips with Wilted Turnip Greens

    Published Jun 17, 2011

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    bowl of roasted turnips with wilted turnip greens
    As any member knows, being part of a CSA can be a mixed blessing. Nary an asparagus spear, pod pea or apricot have we received yet, and spring is (already!?) almost over. But come Wednesday morning, we could barely close the fridge for the giant orbs that were spring onions, half a dozen stalks of fresh garlic, bags and bags of green things (basil, spinach, lettuce, arugula), and two giant bunches of tokyo turnips, with masses of greens attached. We got some strawberries and potatoes, too: all in all, a fairly random assortment of produce from which one might be hard pressed to create a meal.

    raw turnips in a bowl
    Luckily, I had some bacon stashed away (from my carbonara escapades) in the freezer, and a bit of research revealed this simple recipe from a handsome blog(ger, Matt Wright of) WrightFood. A Brit living in Seattle, this recipe reminds me of something Nigel Slater or Jamie Oliver might whip up, just to defy those who think of British cooking (excuse me, cookery) as being stodgy.

    bacon frying
    turnips in a skillet before cooking
    Though I found many recipes for dairy-laden turnip gratins and fried turnip cakes (not that there is anything wrong with being dairy-laden, mind), it took a Brit to unveil the potential elegance of this often overlooked vegetable.

    turnip greens on a chopping board
    And it took Eatwell Farm to force me into looking for turnip recipes in the first place.

    a skillet full of turnips cooking
    If the thought of these root vegetables makes you turn up your nose (I know, sorry), roasted turnips taste sweet and mild, with a creamy soft texture. The bitterness of the nutritious greens gets tempered by the sweet roots, a splash of lemon juice, and bits of salty bacon, making a light main course, or a unique side. If you're still not convinced, there's bacon in there, too.

    roasted turnips cooking in a skillet
    But best of all, it makes a tasty way to put a dent in those random vegetables crowding the fridge. And make way for some asparagus.

    roasted turnips in a two bowls

    For more root vegetable recipes:

    • Turnip and Spring Onion Potage
    • Oven Roasted Potatoes and Parsnips
    • Green Garlic and Chive Potato Cakes
    • Spiced Sweet Potato Oven Fries

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this roasted turnip recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    5 from 2 votes

    Roasted Turnips with Wilted Turnip Greens

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    A tasty root vegetable side dish or main course.
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total: 50 minutes
    Servings: 2 main course (or 4 side-dish) servings.

    Ingredients

    • 2 bunches small tokyo or salad turnips, with their greens (around 15 small turnips in all, weighing roughly 1 1/4 pounds)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for cooking the greens
    • 3 ounces bacon, diced (2 or 3 strips)
    • salt
    • squeeze lemon juice
    • 1/2 - 1 bunch chives, snipped
    • black pepper

    Instructions

    • Position a rack in the lower center of the oven and preheat to 450º.
    • Cut the greens off of the turnips and reserve. Wash the turnips and trim away the tail and stem ends. If your turnips are bigger than a ping pong ball, halve them; if they're much larger, cut them into quarters.
    • Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over a medium flame. Add the diced bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, a few minutes. Lift the bacon out of the pan leaving behind the fat.
    • Add the turnips to the pan, sprinkle with a few pinches of salt, and toss to coat them in the oil. Put the pan into the oven, and roast until caramelized and tender, about 30 minutes, turning the turnips a few times throughout the baking.
    • While the roots roast, wash the turnip greens well, and either cut each leaf off the stem, or use the lazy approach: stack a bunch of leaves on top of one another, and begin slicing the leaves into 1/2" ribbons until you get to the stemmy part, then discard. (If you cut off all the stems, have a beer, then stack and slice as directed.)
    • When the roots are done, remove them from the pan. Place the pan over a medium flame (don't forget - that pan handle is hot!) and swirl in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced greens, and toss with tongs until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Add the turnips and bacon to the pan, then add the chives and a few good turns of black pepper. Adjust the seasoning as you wish, then serve.

    Notes

    Adapted from WrightFood.
    If you want to get fancy, use pancetta or guanciale in place of the bacon. And if you want to get completely bad ass, Matt will show you how to make your own guanciale. Most any soft herb would work in place of the chives: parsley, chervil or tarragon, for instance.
    Nutritional values are based on one of two main course servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 497kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 14gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 909mgPotassium: 1832mgFiber: 16gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 220IUVitamin C: 196mgCalcium: 274mgIron: 2.9mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    Roasted Turnips with Wilted Turnip Greens

    Adapted from WrightFood

    Makes 2 main-course (or 4 side-dish) servings

    If you want to get fancy, use pancetta or guanciale in place of the bacon. And if you want to get completely bad ass, Matt will show you how to make your own guanciale. Most any soft herb would work in place of the chives: parsley, chervil or tarragon, for instance.

    2 bunches small tokyo or salad turnips, with their greens (around 15 small turnips in all, weighing roughly 1 1/4 pounds)
    1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for cooking the greens
    3 ounces (2 or 3 strips) bacon, diced
    salt
    squeeze lemon juice
    1/2 - 1 bunch chives, snipped
    black pepper

    Position a rack in the lower center of the oven and preheat to 450º.

    Cut the greens off of the turnips and reserve. Wash the turnips and trim away the tail and stem ends. If your turnips are bigger than a ping pong ball, halve them; if they're much larger, cut them into quarters.

    Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over a medium flame. Add the diced bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, a few minutes. Lift the bacon out of the pan leaving behind the fat.

    Add the turnips to the pan, sprinkle with a few pinches of salt, and toss to coat them in the oil. Put the pan into the oven, and roast until caramelized and tender, about 30 minutes, turning the turnips a few times throughout the baking.

    While the roots roast, wash the turnip greens well, and either cut each leaf off the stem, or use the lazy approach: stack a bunch of leaves on top of one another, and begin slicing the leaves into 1/2" ribbons until you get to the stemmy part, then discard. (If you cut off all the stems, have a beer, then stack and slice as directed.)

    When the roots are done, remove them from the pan. Place the pan over a medium flame (don't forget - that pan handle is hot!) and swirl in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced greens, and toss with tongs until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Add the turnips and bacon to the pan, then add the chives and a few good turns of black pepper. Adjust the seasoning as you wish, then serve.

    roasted turnips with wilted turnip greens in a bowl

    You might also like...

    « Pasta Alla Carbonara
    Ginger Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Coconut-Lemongrass Ice Cream »

    Get new recipes by email

    Please wait...

    Thanks for subscribing!

    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

    Learn more and find out where to buy →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. tova says

      June 17, 2011 at 5:28 pm

      I recently cancelled my CSA for the exact reason that you mentioned - I wanted asparagus! And spring peas! And cherries! But come winter I'll probably sign up again, at which point I;m sure I'll get more turnips than I know what to do with. This recipe looks delicious and I can't wait to try it.

      Reply
    2. Lee says

      July 03, 2011 at 1:23 am

      These turnips looks delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

      belly fat

      Reply
    3. Wendy Miller says

      June 04, 2018 at 6:10 pm

      I made this recipe Saturday and it was delicious!!! I used Turkey bacon instead and I forgot the lemon but it was still amazing. Thank you for the recipes I'm so excited to be part of the csa and look forward to Tuesdays.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        June 05, 2018 at 7:01 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it! Congrats on your CSA too!

        Reply

    Leave a comment and rating Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this recipe after you've made it:




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Alanna Taylor-Tobin smiling and holding her cookbook, Alternative Baker

    I'm Alanna, a recovering pastry chef-turned food photographer, stylist, videographer, and award-winning cookbook author. The Bojon Gourmet is a celebration of the sweet, savory, and occasionally boozy recipes that I create in my San Francisco kitchen. About →

    Get new recipes by email

    Please wait...

    Thanks for subscribing!

    the front cover of Alternative Baker, a cookbook by Alanna Taylor-Tobin, winner of the IACP Cookbook Awards

    My cookbook, Alternative Baker, contains 100+ recipes featuring corn, oat, chestnut, almond, buckwheat, sorghum, and other gluten-free flours. Find out where to get your copy! →

    Fresh from the blog

    How to Build a Vibrant Summer Cheese Board

    Basil Butter

    Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake

    Gluten-Free Madeleines

    Footer

    Instagram

    #peachseason has me craving this cobbler that’s #peachseason has me craving this cobbler that’s GF, paleo-friendly, and vegan! 

Made with almond, cassava and tapioca flours, these biscuits have a crusty tops and floofy middles. Combine them with tender roasted peaches and a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a cozy early summer dessert. 

#glutenfreebaking #peachcobbler #paleobaking 
https://bojongourmet.com/vegan-paleo-peach-cobbler-gluten-free/
    Sending everyone out there a hug in the form of th Sending everyone out there a hug in the form of this GF strawberry shortcake🍓

These beauties are made with the same dough as the GF almond flour scones I shared earlier this month. 

Cut the dough into round biscuits, bake them until the tops are golden and craggy, then smother them in whipped cream and honey-kissed berries. 

For dairy-free / vegan, make the biscuits with plant butter, coconut milk, and a flax egg and top with rich coconut yogurt such as @culinayogurt. 

#shortcake #strawberryshortcake #strawberryseason #f52farmstand #bojongourmet #glutenfreebaking #gfbaking 

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-strawberry-shortcake/
    Cherry recipe du jour because #cherryseason: roast Cherry recipe du jour because #cherryseason: roasted cherry ice cream sandwiches with GF double chocolate buckwheat cookies 😋

Here fresh cherries are roasted in sugar and bourbon, pitted and chopped, and mixed with more bourbon. This process releases water and condenses flavor, making a chunky compote that stays soft when frozen into a vanilla ice cream base. 

When sandwiched between these super-chocolatey cookies, the effect is downright addictive. And just the thing for the warm weather we’re currently having in California!☀️

Bojon appétit! 

https://bojongourmet.com/roasted-cherry-ice-cream-sandwiches-with-salted-double-chocolate-buckwheat-cookies-gluten-free/

#chocolatelovers #icecream #icecreamsandwich
    Serving up some cherry ins-PIE-ration 🍒 this hu Serving up some cherry ins-PIE-ration 🍒 this hump day. 

This GF cherry pie combines my fave flaky GF pie crust with fresh sweet cherries kissed with GF whiskey and spices. Sublime served warm with a scoop of ice cream on top! 

https://bojongourmet.com/spiced-bourbon-cherry-pie-gluten-free/

#cherrypie #glutenfreepie #cherryseason🍒 #gfbaking
    Next up for 🍒 week: gluten-free cherry clafouti Next up for 🍒 week: gluten-free cherry clafoutis! 

This French baked custard studded with juicy cherries infused with brandy or whiskey sits somewhere between a dutch baby and a pudding cake. Fresh cherries meet vanilla scented almond flour batter in this easy peasy summer dessert. Bliss!

For dairy-free, replace the milk and cream with full-fat coconut milk and use vegan butter. 

Bojon appétit! 🍒

#clafoutis #cherryseason #f52farmstand #howisummer #glutenfreebaking 

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-cherry-clafoutis/
    It’s cherry season in California so I’m sharin It’s cherry season in California so I’m sharing a few favorite ways to use them from TBG this week. 🍒

Up first: tart cherry Eton mess with poppyseed almond meringues

These lightly caramelized meringues have a delightful crunch against tangy whipped yogurt and tart cherry compote. Pretty much my dream dessert right here! 

Use sweet cherries if sour cherries aren’t available. Use rich coconut yogurt instead of dairy to make this DF. 

#cherryseason🍒 #glutenfreedessert #f52farmstand #sourcherries 

https://bojongourmet.com/tart-cherry-eton-mess-poppy-seed-almond-meringues/

    Navigation

    • Recipe Finder
    • Cookbook
    • About
    • In the Press

    Get new posts in your inbox

    Please wait...

    Thanks for signing up!

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. To find out more, see our Privacy Policy.

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    More Bojon

    • Learn with Me
    • Work With Me
    • Portfolio

    Copyright © 2022 The Bojon Gourmet | Site by Jaime Asatsuyu Hammack