This mash recipe is rich in flavor, made with turnips and garlic that are oven roasted until golden and sweet. Mashed turnips make an excellent keto side dish: It’s the perfect low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes!
It’s an easy and filling side to serve with any protein. It’s really hearty and warming, specially topped with gravy!
The best mashed turnips recipe
Mashed turnips often turn bitter and watery. In this recipe, I’ll share some tips that will make the best mashed turnip you ever had! Instead of the sad bitter and soupy type, these mashed turnips are naturally thick (without adding any flour or starch!) and have a sweet, delicious flavor!
The secret for thick and sweet turnip mash: boiling the turnips with sugar substitute and vinegar, then roasting them to remove the excess liquids.
Mashed turnips vs mashed potatoes carbs
Mashed turnips have nearly one-third the amount of carbs per cup than mashed potatoes: there are 6 grams of carbs in 100 grams of turnips, versus 17 grams of carbs in the same amount of potatoes. So, they are a fitting substitute if you are eating keto, low-carb or just trying to reduce your overall carb intake.
Still, turnips are a root vegetable and have more carbs in them than leafy greens, for example, so it’s wise to control your portion size if eating on keto.
Ingredient notes
These roasted mashed turnips are a very simple recipe with few ingredients, but they are all important for the final result:
- Turnips and garlic: choose smaller/younger turnips, as they have a blander taste than larger turnips, which tend to grow bitter and fibrous.
- Vinegar and sweetener: will help remove the bitterness of the turnips.
- Butter: (optionally heavy cream or sour cream) I just add grass fed butter for best flavor! It will make a super thick and rich turnip mash. You can also add heavy cream or sour cream to stretch it out a little, making it creamier and less thick.
- Spices: I used just salt and white pepper, and some dill for garnish. You can change quantities or add in any other spices you like. Rule of thumb: if it tastes good in mashed potatoes, it will taste good in mashed turnips.
How to make
If you ever made mashed potatoes, you already know how to make mashed turnips! It’s basically the same thing. There’s just some extra details to make them perfect:
Get the bitterness out of turnips
Even choosing less bitter turnips to begin with, they still have a somewhat bitter taste. So the first step in this recipe is boiling the diced turnips for about 15 minutes with white vinegar and keto sweetener (for keto and low-carb, otherwise you can substitute for sugar).
Roasting and mashing
After boiling, drain the turnips of the water really well. Toss them and the garlic cloves with olive oil, then spread on the roasting pan on a single layer. Roast the turnips and garlic until they are golden, tender and sweet.
Mash them while hot with grass fed butter, salt and white pepper. I used a simple potato masher because I like the rustic texture, but if you prefer it smooth you can use a food processor. That’s it!
Make turnip mash creamier
You’ll see that this roasted mashed turnip is super thick! No need to add any flour or starch – perfect for keto, low-carb and gluten-free. You might have the opposite problem, though: maybe you’ll find this turnip mash too thick!
If that’s the case, thin it out and stretch the mash by adding some heavy cream or sour cream. Heavy cream will make it sweeter and richer, sour cream will make it lighter. Either way, you might need to adjust the spices, adding more salt or pepper to taste.
What to serve with mashed turnips
The sweet and buttery flavor of this roasted turnip and garlic mash makes it a perfect accompaniment for heartier meat dishes, like this easy beef roast and pulled pork. Try alongside grilled sausages for an easy bangers and mash meal.
It’s also amazing with gravy dishes, like this pressure cooker pulled beef brisket. Because you just can’t beat this turnip mash topped with gravy. It’s to die for!
Storage and freezing
The turnip and garlic mash will keep for about three days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If not planning on finishing up so soon, you can separate it in portions and freeze for up to three months for best flavor.
Turnip and Garlic Mash
A sweet, thick, rich and buttery roasted garlic and turnip mash recipe that's keto friendly, low-carb and gluten-free - without flours or starches!
Ingredients
- 6 medium turnips (~700 grams or 1 1/2 pounds) peeled and diced
- 7-9 cloves of garlic, cut in halves
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon keto sweetener
- 1 teaspoon salt (in water) + 1/4 teaspoon salt (in mash)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Other
- 1-3 tablespoons heavy/whipping cream or sour cream (to make it creamier/thinner, See notes)
- Dill, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C - 425 °F
- Add diced turnips to a pan with 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon keto sweetener (like erythritol) and 1 teaspoon of salt. Fill the pan with water to cover the turnips and bring it to a boil for about 15 minutes.
- Drain the turnips of water, and transfer them to a baking pan, together with the garlic cloves. Toss them with one tablespoon of olive oil, and take into the oven to roast for about 35 minutes, or until tender and golden. Stir the turnips at half time, to cook evenly.
- Transfer roasted turnips and garlic to a large bowl, add the butter, white pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mash the turnips with a fork or potato masher until desired consistency. Serve hot.
Notes
- Younger/smaller turnips will taste less bitter and less peppery than larger turnips.
- Smashing the turnips by hand gives a rustic texture (as in photos). If you prefer a smoother consistency, use a food processor.
- Dice the turnips into small, bite sized pieces for them to cook faster. Larger pieces will take longer to cook.
- The mash is quite thick, if you prefer it creamier thin it out by adding heavy cream or sour cream. Add one to 3 tablespoons, mixing between each addition until you find the right texture.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 112Total Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gCarbohydrates: 8gNet Carbohydrates: 5gFiber: 3.4gSugar: 4.5gProtein: 1.7g
Nutrition information is provided as a guideline only. Different brands of ingredients may have different nutrition facts. If tracking macros, remake the calculations using the nutrition facts from the labels of the ingredients you selected. Net carbs calculated exclude carbs from insoluble fiber and sugar alcohols.
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Thank you so much Mary! I’m glad to hear it!
This was really the best mash I’ve had (on keto), you were not kidding! Way better than cauliflower. Almost as good as potato, so thank you for the recipe!