Stovetop-Braised Carrots and Parsnips

By Mark Bittman and Sam Sifton

Stovetop-Braised Carrots and Parsnips
Melina Hammer for The New York Times
Total Time
About an hour
Rating
4(340)
Comments
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In this simple side dish, carrots and parsnips are simmered in a few pats of butter and a splash of water until tender, then hit with a dash of lemon juice and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. Use the smallest carrots and parsnips you can find; the smaller, the sweeter.

Featured in: Feast in the South

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • 2pounds carrots, peeled, trimmed and halved if more than ½-inch thick
  • 2pounds parsnips, peeled, trimmed and halved if more than ½-inch thick
  • 4tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Chopped fresh parsley, dill, mint, basil or chervil leaves for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine all ingredients except lemon juice and garnish in a skillet with a cover; add a quarter cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and adjust heat so mixture simmers gently. Check every few minutes and add more water if necessary.

  2. Step 2

    Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is almost gone, about a half-hour. Uncover and boil off remaining liquid if necessary, then taste and adjust seasoning, adding lemon juice as needed. Garnish and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
340 user ratings
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Comments

Meri

I halved the recipe, and vegetables were done after about 15 minutes. They would have been mushy with 1/2 hour cooking.

Cindy

This was delicious. Carrots and parsnips are always a great combination. My only change for next time will be to use less olive oil. The recipe calls for too much. It was swimming in it at the end. I would not use butter. Olive oil tasted great without the cholesterol.

Would definitely taste great with a pork roast like NYT suggested, but I enjoyed it with a rosemary chicken breast roulade filled with cheese, spinach and roasted red peppers.

JEM

Also delicious when quickly pureed with an immersion blender after braising!

Jenny Green

This is great with a little assertive honey like buckwheat, New Zealand or Greek.

Anne

Start carrots ahead, check with fork, then add: parsnips cook really fast. I topped it with a Tuscan finishing butter and all the herbs. Wow!

Wispy

I split it more or less evenly between butter and oil. As others have saud, it’s done in 15 mins.

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