Spiced Roasted Parsnips

Beautifully seasoned and spiced, these roasted parsnips are perfect as a side dish with any main. Golden brown on the outside, soft on the inside, the...

By Alex

• Aug 03, 2026 • 0 Comments •

4.9

Prep Time

14 mins

Cook Time

37 mins

Total Time

51 mins

Servings

4 People

Beautifully seasoned and spiced, these roasted parsnips are perfect as a side dish with any main. Golden brown on the outside, soft on the inside, they are as tasty as they are nutritious and a healthy source of carbohydrates and fibre. Paleo, gluten-free, Whole30 and vegan-friendly.

Parsnips look like large white carrots, which is no coincidence as they are closely related. Unlike carrots, parsnips taste less sweet (although they have the same sugar content) and have more starch, meaning they have a texture closer to sweet potatoes and white potatoes when cooked. The flavour is quite mild and neutral, with some nutty, earthy tones.

Parsnips Nutrition

One cup (133g) of cooked parsnips provides about 100 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates (6-7 of which are fibre!) and a little protein. They are rich in several health-benefiting phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals, especially vitamins C and K. The main claim to fame is the high content of soluble and insoluble dietary fibre.

Again, 1 cup provides 25-30% of daily recommended amount! Fibre improves your digestive health, regulates blood sugar levels, and enhance hearts health. Parsnip is a are good prebiotic food, feeding the good bacteria in your gut. More parsnip nutrition info here.

How To Roast Parsnips

Parsnips can be prepared in a similar way to other root vegetables: boiled, steamed, mashed, baked, fried or roasted.

In this recipe, I coated the parsnips with a few lovely spices and seasonings and roasted them to a golden brown. The outer side is crispy and a little chewy, while the flesh is lovely and soft. I sprinkled with some fresh parsley and lemon zest for freshness.

I love serving roasted parsnips as a side dish and they go with pretty much anything but are especially good with steak and chicken. Leftovers are great with a fried egg on top. Let me know if you make this!

More Vegetable Side Dishes

Description

Beautifully seasoned and spiced, these roasted parsnips make for a nutritious, healthy side dish that goes with pretty much anything.

Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F.
Peel and cut the parsnips, place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with spices, salt and pepper and coat evenly using your hands.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat baking tray and grease lightly with olive oil. Spread the parsnips and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley and a little lemon zest (optional) or other fresh herbs of choice.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 parsnip
Calories: 168
Sugar: 6.5 g
Sodium: 307.5 mg
Fat: 7.6 g
Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
Carbohydrates: 25.6 g
Fiber: 7 g
Protein: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Very Incredible Basil Sauce Recipe

Punchy, salty, bright green sauce packed with fresh basil, chives, garlic, and a bit of oregano. This sauce can be poured out just about anything!

This creamy basil sauce is going on EV-ER-Y-THING in my life: sandwiches, eggs, grilled chicken and veggies, dipped with chips?! It’s so good, packed with green goodness, it’s beautifully summery, and I’m doing the most with it.

In This Post:

The main thing:

Other stuff:

How To Make This Basil Sauce

Step 1: Get All Your Ingredients Ready

You can use a blender, food processor, or a mini-chopper-type gadget. I love this mini-chopper (affiliate link). It’s not meant for sauces necessarily, but I use it all the time because it’s super compact.

Step 2: Blend Your Basil Sauce

That’s it! Just blend, taste, and adjust!

This sauce can be a bit chunky / textured, so keep it going until it has the consistency you want. I prefer something right before completely pureed – where it has just barely noticeable flecks of herbs, but it’s mostly smooth and creamy.

Step 3: Put It On All Your Yummy Things

Like so. (Here’s that recipe.)

Lindsay’s Notes

Ooh baby. Basil, chives, garlic, and a tiny hit of oregano all in a creamy, salty, bright green sauce – I love this so much.

The first time I made this, my toddler (who mostly just eats crackers) found a spatula and just sat at the counter licking the remnants of the sauce out of the blender with me. And I hear that from a lot of people – many kids seem to be very into this for unknown reasons. Sometimes it just hits right, ya know? A+ for that experience.

My favorite thing about this sauce, besides that it tastes like heaven, is that makes healthy-ish eating something I really, actually look forward to.

Baked salmon goes up about 100 notches in my book when smothered in this creamy green sauce. Same goes for shrimp, chicken, and a big fresh salad or lots of roasted veggies.

This will not be the last we see of this sauce, which is why I decided to give it its own post on POY. Welcome home, little basil sauce.

Things You Could Put It On

The possibilities! They are endless.

Description

Punchy, salty, bright green sauce packed with fresh basil, chives, garlic, and a bit of oregano. This sauce can be poured out just about anything!

Place all your sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor. (I use this mini chopper for the vast majority of my sauces because it’s nice and compact!)
Blend until you get your desired consistency – I usually go for an almost-completely-smooth texture that is flecked with small bits of herbs.

Notes

Taste and adjust! More lemon juice will wake it up, Parmesan adds more umami and saltiness, and if it gets too salty for you, add a bit more mayo to dilute the pungency a bit!

Keywords: basil sauce, basil dressing

Recipe Card powered by

Frequently Asked Questions For Basil Sauce

What can I use instead of mayo?

I’ve seen some people on Instagram say they used Greek yogurt and liked it. I haven’t made it this way and I know I wouldn’t like it with Greek yogurt because it’s so tangy and has a different flavor. BUT, if you’re okay with it being a bit different than the original, I think Greek yogurt could work!

I have an egg allergy – what can I use?

Vegan mayo has no eggs and tastes great! That’s what I’d use!

How long does the basil sauce last?

I usually keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Can you make this vegetarian / vegan?

Yes! Use vegan mayo and vegan Parmesan! If you can’t find vegan Parmesan, just throw in a bit of extra salt to compensate for the change in flavor. And if you don’t want to use vegan mayo, try using an avocado like we did in this avocado mojo sauce.