By Megan McFadden in Ingredient — Jan 13, 2025

30 Delicious Vegan Turnip Recipes You’ll Love

Turn up the flavor by trying these vegan turnip recipes, from comforting soups to creative sides. Perfect for any meal.

Turnip the Flavor with Turnips

Turnips are nutritious, easy to grow, and delicious additions to various dishes.

Turn up the flavor by trying these vegan turnip recipes today, including but not limited to the following:

Turnip hummus
Turnip chips
Turnip curry
Turnip fries
Beans and turnips

1. Turnip Hummus

Hummus has dramatically evolved. Instead of being plain hummus, there are so many flavors you can make, from pumpkin to chocolate.

If you prefer flavored hummus, give turnip hummus a try from It's a Veg World After All.

2. Turnip Chips

More and more people are figuring out ways to make healthy snacks. One way to do this is to make them at home rather than buy processed snacks.

If you are a chip fan, make turnip chips with the help of The Lemon Bowl.

3. Turnip Curry

When I first went vegan, I liked making curry. Many curry recipes are vegetarian or vegan, as this dish comes from India, where a high percentage of the population is vegetarian or vegan.

I haven't made it in a while, but I must make it again because it is super good. If you want to try it, make turnip curry with the help of Healthier Steps.

4. Turnip Fries

Veganism ruins the fun of eating for the most part. Every time I eat in front of others, I feel like I'm getting interrogated. If I'm not eating somewhere due to a lack of vegan options, many consider that to be rude without fully understanding the reason why I'm not eating.

However, one positive aspect of becoming vegan is that I have become much more creative with my cooking, from tofu fajitas to focaccia. Another fun recipe to try is turnip fries from A Spicy Perspective.

5. Beans and Turnips

Beans are very nutritious for you. Some health benefits include but are not limited to protein, fiber, and a great source of vitamins and minerals.

Regardless of your diet, give beans a try with recipes like beans and turnips from Exploring Vegan.

6. Tempeh Turnip Hash

If you do not consume dairy, please be cautious of breakfast potatoes at diners and breakfast joints. Even though frozen diced and shredded potatoes are vegan in the store, some restaurants cook them in butter instead of oil.

If you prefer to make them homemade, have some tempeh turnip hash from Ugly Vegan Kitchen.

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You may also like these breakfast recipes.

7. Turnip and Rutabaga Salad

After I became vegan, one thing I was surprised about was many people believed when there were salads at a restaurant, that meant there were vegan options for me there.

The thing is, salad bars are different than salad dishes on menus. A salad bar has a variety of leafy greens with toppings and dressings, which is vegan friendly. The problem with salads when you go out to eat is most of them are not vegetarian, let alone vegan, because many contain cut meat in them. Then, if you ask for changes in an order of salad, you're asking for lettuce with almost nothing on it. I might as well go to the grocery store and buy a bag of mixed leafy greens and eat it at home.

Fortunately, there are so many vegan salad recipes available online. For example, try turnip and rutabaga salad from Small Footprint Family.

8. Turnip Gratin

Gratin is a dish known for its browned crust on top. It tends to contain potatoes, cream, and cheese.

Even though this is not the stereotypical gratin recipe out there, be open to making turnip gratin from The Mindful Fork. It will change the way you see gratin.

9. Creamed Turnips

If you like mashed potatoes, this recipe is similar to making mashed potatoes, except the turnips are whisked over mashed and have a smoother texture.

Create creamed turnips from Healthier Steps.

10. Turnip Dhal

Lentils are not just a food that vegetarians and vegans enjoy. In India, they have a dish called dhal that is made out of split pulses, including beans, peas, and lentils.

If you have some red lentils handy, make turnip dhal with the help of Slavic Vegan.

11. Turnip and Sweet Potato Fritters

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite veggies. They are starchy like regular potatoes, and they taste delicious in both sweet and savory dishes.

For instance, pair sweet potatoes with turnips by making turnip and sweet potato fritters from Eat Your Way Clean.

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If this sounds good, I recommend these sweet potato recipes.

12. Pickled Turnips

Even though my home state of Iowa is about 90% white, it still has a lot of diversity. In addition to the increasing amount of immigrants across the state, there are some diverse communities in plain sight without hardly being noticed.

Known for their household appliances, the Amana Colonies are the masterminds behind Amana Corporation, which is now a part of Whirlpool. Located a half an hour from Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, this community started over 300 years ago in Germany. Today, they are a popular tourist destination.

One memory I remember so well is trying pickled ham at one of their restaurants. I hated it, and I never liked it since. I didn't know it was pickled beforehand. I do need to go back there sometime because it is a fun place to visit.

Even though I don't like pickled foods, that does not stop you from giving them a try if that is something you like. For example, here are pickled turnips from Feel Good Foodie.

13. Kimbap

Kimbap are Korean rice rolls that tend to be seasoned with sesame oil. Despite their appearance, they are not the same as sushi, which is a Japanese rice dish seasoned with sushi vinegar. That is why sushi in Japanese means "sour rice."

If you like rice, make kimbap with the help of The Viet Vegan.

14. Lemon Lentil Turnip Chowder

I enjoy soup no matter the season. It is so filling and tasty to enjoy at home, but I do have difficulties eating it at work because I am constantly interrupted while eating lunch.

If you prefer something chunkier, a chowder would be the perfect dish for you. It is known for being richer and thicker. I like potato chowder and corn chowder, but I have not found the perfect recipes to save in my to-make recipe list.

In terms of turnips, create lemon lentil turnip chowder with the help of Healthy Midwestern Girl.

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You might also like these lemon recipes.

15. Stuffed Turnips

More veggies can be stuffed besides mushrooms. For example, try stuffed turnips from Ugly Vegan Kitchen.

16. Turnip Peas Bhujia

Also known as shalgam matar ki sabzi, turnip peas bhujia is a type of Indian curry that is made out of turnips (shalgam) and peas (matar).

If you want to give this a try, make turnip peas bhujia from Healthier Steps.

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I recommend these pea recipes.

17. Turnip and Apple Casserole

I do have several apple trees in my backyard, but I hardly eat apples from them because I prefer other apple varieties and due to not treating the trees for bugs. I am not sure how to do that without killing the bugs, so I'll stick to buying apples in the store or an orchard.

If you have some apples handy, prepare this turnip and apple casserole from Pure and Simple Nourishment.

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If that sounds good, try these apple recipes.

18. Garlic Scape Relish

This past weekend, my mom convinced me to take her bulk bag of garlic bulbs home. She had a hard time storing them in the pantry without making her onions bad, and I didn't want her to throw them away.

If you like garlic, try garlic scape relish, a recipe by Very Vegan Val.

19. Braised Baby Turnips and Greens

I did not start learning about the various cooking techniques until after I went vegan. I was not used to having veggies that weren't covered in cheese, in a salad with berries, or in a bag like baby carrots.

One example is braising, which is done by steaming and covered roasting. Give this cooking technique a try through making braised baby turnips and greens with the help of Buttered Veg.

20. Roasted Turnips

My favorite way to make veggies is roasting. It requires the fewest ingredients. This recipe in particular only calls for turnips, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. The reason behind this is that allows for a stronger and better flavor.

A couple of recipes that I like are roasted zucchini and Mexican roasted sweet potato cubes. Another recipe idea is roasted turnips from Delicious Little Bites.

21. Şalgam Suyu

Şalgam suyu is a type of fermented drink that is made out of turnips and comes from Turkey (aka the Republic of Türkiye).

If you want to try this beverage, make şalgam suyu with the help of Turkish Style Cooking.

22. Turnip and Bean Balls

Before I was vegan, my favorite meal was Pizza Ranch fried chicken. Nowadays, I love falafel, which is made out of fried chickpeas. I tend to buy it frozen and serve it with hummus and veggies.

If that sounds tasty, you may also like these turnip and bean balls from Vegan Sandra.

23. Turnip and White Bean Soup

One thing that I learned when I started making dishes out of beans is there is more than one type of white bean. Some popular options include butterbeans (baby lima beans), cannellini beans (white kidney beans), navy beans, and great northern beans.

To this day, I don't understand why many food bloggers just say a can of white beans, instead of an actual bean name. That would make it easier for people to find in the store, especially because they are not labeled as "white beans" in the store.

No matter what you think of white beans, make turnip and white bean soup with the help of Slavic Vegan.

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For more inspiration, make these soups.

24. Mashed Turnips

For those who were craving mashed potatoes at the beginning of this blog post, this recipe is a great alternative to enjoy the texture of potatoes while having the flavor that is a mixture between a potato and a radish.

Create mashed turnips from Healthier Steps.

25. Root Vegetable Tagine

Tagine is a Maghreb (Northwest African) stew that is made in a special earthenware pot with the same name.

Even though you can make the dish more authentically with an actual tagine, the author of this recipe made a similar taste with an oval ceramic Dutch oven without having to buy another pot. That is nice for those with limited kitchen space and anyone trying to save money.

Give this root vegetable tagine a try from Eating Bird Food.

26. Turnip Green and Garlic Scape Chickpea Pancakes

Turnip greens shouldn't go straight into the compost bin or the garbage. Put them into salads, soups, casseroles, and so much more.

The remaining recipes on this list exemplify a few ways to use up your turnip greens, instead of discarding them. The first example is a recipe for turnip green and garlic scape chickpea pancakes from Yup, It's Vegan.

27. Polenta Breakfast Bowls

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. No, drive-through coffee does not count as a breakfast. That is a waste of money and can lead to weight gain.

Make meals that fuel the rest of your day, instead of hinder it. For instance, I recommend making these polenta breakfast bowls with the help of Healthy Little Vittles.

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If you like polenta, one of many dishes made out of cornmeal, you may also like these corn recipes.

28. Pasta with Turnip Pesto

One of my favorite dishes to make in meal prep is pasta. From beet mac and cheese to pumpkin Alfredo, it does a great job at satisfying my hunger and keeping me full until the next meal.

If you have some turnips and turnip greens handy, transform them into this pasta with turnip pesto from Holy Cow Vegan.

29. Creamed Turnips with Greens

One of my favorite dairy alternatives is cashews. They taste delicious in a cheese alternative.

I am still working on blending the cashews all the way in my meal prep because the mixture is still kind of gritty, but I am a work in progress.

If you want to give dairy-free recipe a try, make creamed turnips with greens from Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

30. Roasted Baby Turnips with Greens

Last but not least, here is a way to roast turnips without wasting the turnip greens.

Create roasted baby turnips with greens with the help of Simple and Savory.

My Final Observation

Turnips are one of those veggies that I have been intimidated to try, even though I know I would enjoy them. I'm just not used to change, and trying new foods takes time for me.

Regardless, I know I will find plenty of reasons to taste turnips this year with all of these wonderful recipes. I like other root vegetables, like parsnips and radishes, so I should also enjoy turning up the flavor with the addition of turnips in my cooking.

Every Monday, I post a new blog post dedicated to the Ingredient of the Week. Last week, the focus was on maple. Next week, it will be all about cinnamon. Until next time.