Tokyo Turnips with Lemon Herb Olive Oil Marinade

Tokyo turnips can be a little sharp in their taste, but something happens when you roast these peppery veggies from the mustard family. Roasting mellows the flavor of turnips and concentrates their texture into a tender, melting vegetable. Serve these easy roasted turnips with other roasted veggies (the sweetness of carrots is a good complement). Make sure you use the turnip greens! they are super delicious sauteed and drizzled with lemon and olive oil.

You do not need to peel these turnips, the skin is super thin and tender.

Salmoriglio is an ancient, Italian marinade and dressing made of lemon and olive oil, the citrus pairs well with slight bitterness of the turnip.

ingredients (turnips)

1 bunch turnips

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fine or coarse sea salt (or more to taste)

Optional: ground black pepper

instructions (turnips)

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Leave baby turnips whole; cut bigger ones into a little larger than bite-sized pieces.

Put the prepared turnips in a baking pan or on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil. Use your hands or 2 large spoons to toss the turnips around a bit to coat them thoroughly with the oil. Sprinkle them with salt.

Roast the turnips until they're tender and browned. Start checking them after about 30 minutes. Depending on their size and age, it may take them up to an hour or more to become completely tender. While the turnips are cooking, make your dressing!

ingredients (salmoriglio dressing)

10 oz (280 g) olive oil

10 oz (280g) water

5 oz (140 g) lemon juice

8 tbsp (20 g) fresh herbs (rosemary, oregano, or mint)

2 cloves of garlic

to taste coarse salt

instructions (dressing)

rinse the herbs, and dry them with paper towels.

pour the leaves into a pestle and mash along with a pinch of coarse salt and 2 cloves of garlic until smooth and consistent.

pour the olive oil and the lemon juice into a bowl.

whisk in your herbs garlic concoction

Alternatively, blend all the ingredients until consistent. In this case, the marinade will be a bit more dense.

Pour dressing over roasted turnips and serve!