A purée is a great way to transform vegetables into a smooth, creamy dish — similar to mashed potatoes but lighter and made entirely from vegetables. While many root vegetables can be puréed, here we’re using parsnips. Their natural sweetness makes this dish kid-friendly while still offering a gourmet touch for adults. It’s even perfect for babies, making puréeing a simple yet versatile technique to add to your family meals.
Just boil the parsnips until tender, mash or blend until smooth, and season to taste — that’s it! You’ll also find more purée ideas after the recipe.
4-5 medium parsnips (about a pound)
Cream — about 1/4 cup
Butter — about 2 tbsp
Salt and pepper, to taste
Peel the parsnips and cut them into medium-sized chunks.
Cook the parsnips in salted boiling water until fork-tender.
Drain and return the parsnips to the pot.
Add butter, cream, salt, and pepper to taste (start with 1/4 cup of cream and 2 tbsp of butter, and add more as desired).
Purée using an immersion blender, or mash with a potato masher. You can also use an electric hand mixer or food mill.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve as a side or as a bed for meats, fish, or chicken.
Parsnip purée with edible dried flowers
For homemade baby food, set aside some purée before adding your cream and butter. You can also freeze some in ice cube trays and pop out a portion as needed.
Add some potatoes to your parsnip purée for a slightly heartier texture. Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes work best, as Russet (Idaho) potatoes can turn gluey if overmixed, and red potatoes can become pasty when blended.
I usually use 60–70% parsnips to 30–40% potatoes, but you can adjust the ratio to your liking — even a half-and-half mix works well.
Boil parsnips and potatoes separately, since they have different cooking times, then combine them before puréeing.
Parsnip and potato purée for Thanksgiving
Add a few leeks to your purées too — it's divine! Just boil the white part of the leek and puree with the other ingredients.
An immersion blender is a worthwhile addition to your kitchen for versatility and easy cleanup — also convenient for blending soups and sauces.
A potato masher with small slits and a curved edge makes a smooth purée in minutes.
Finishing roasted tomato basil soup with an immersion blender
