Easy Parsnip & Carrot Bake
This hearty parsnip and carrot bake is sure to be a star on your holiday table! It features sweet parsnips, carrots, and chestnuts baked in a creamy, herby, and garlicky sauce. Ready in 45 minutes, super saucy, and irresistibly comforting!
Ingredients
- 4 medium parsnips (about 20 ounces / 560 g)
- 3 medium carrots (about 10 ounces / 280 g)
Sauce
- 1 and 1/2 cup (360 ml) unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) full-fat coconut milk
- 3/4 tsp (3 ml) white vinegar
- 3 tbsp (22 g) cornstarch
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp (10 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric (optional, for color)
The Rest
- 3/4 cup (105 g) cooked chestnuts
- chopped parsley for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F (175°C). - Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about 2 liters of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a large and deep pot. Bring it to a boil.
- Peel and slice the vegetables. Trim the root and leaf ends of the parsnips and carrots, then peel them. Cut the vegetables into quarters lengthwise. Note: if your parsnips are particularly large, halve the quarters again to keep the pieces at about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
- Cook the parsnips and carrots. Add them to the pot of boiling water and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until they are fork-tender but not mushy. Drain them in a colander and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce. To a medium-size saucepan, add the plant-based milk, coconut milk, vinegar, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, thyme, cumin, and turmeric. Whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Thicken it. Heat the sauce over medium heat, whisking constantly until it comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Once thickened, remove from the heat.
- Assemble. Transfer the boiled parsnips and carrots to a 9×7-inch (23x18cm) baking dish (You can keep 5-6 quarters to decorate the casserole later). Next, top with the cooked chestnuts. I like to slightly crumble them, but you can keep them whole if you prefer.
- Add the sauce. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and spread it into an even layer. At this point, you can top with the remaining carrot and parsnip quarters (this is just for decoration).
- Bake. Finally, bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. To add some color, place the baking dish under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Garnish. Top with chopped parsley and enjoy!
- This dish is best served on the same day if you want it as creamy as possible. It will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, but won't be as creamy as the parsnips and carrots will absorb some of the sauce.
Notes
Double the recipe for a large family casserole.
If you're planning to serve this for a family holiday meal or a party, feel free to double the entire recipe. In that case, you will have to use either a deep 16x11-inch (40x28 cm) baking dish or bake it in two 9×7-inch (23x18 cm) baking dishes.Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Before pouring the sauce over the parsnips and carrots, taste it and adjust the saltiness if needed. You can also tweak the amount of dried thyme to your liking.Do not overbake.
Since the parsnips and carrots are mostly cooked, this casserole doesn't need to be in the oven for long. I found that 20 minutes plus 5-7 minutes under the broiler is enough to get perfectly tender vegetables and a beautiful golden-brown top. Just be careful not to bake it too long, or it won't be as saucy.Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 308 kcal | Carbohydrates: 62 g | Protein: 6.2 g | Fat: 5.4 g | Fiber: 13.3 g | Sugar: 13.1 g
