89 Ways to Cook With Root Veggies That Go Beyond Roasting
There’s no easier way for cooking to feel more like a monotonous task than a creative endeavor then when you’re confronted with the same familiar old ingredients. Take the root vegetable. That’s why we’re here to remind you that there’s so much more you can do with carrots, potatoes, beets, turnips, etc. than simply throwing them in the oven and forgetting about them for a while (also known as roasting). Here’s a few ideas to get your root vegetable recipe inspiration going—from loading ‘em up with toppings to blending them into delicious dips to baking them into sweet desserts. Who knows where they’ll take you and your basket of sweet potatoes.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani, prop styling by Emily Eisen1/89Grilled Carrots With Avocado and Mint
You actually don’t have to bother with peeling the carrots for this recipe—not only do the thin skins pack lots nutrients, but you’ll also get a better char with them on.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich2/89
Beet Tostadas With Fried Eggs
Beets’ sweet earthiness and firm texture are ideal for making meatless chorizo. You have to try it.
- Alex Lau3/89
Seared Radicchio and Roasted Beets
Roasting beets over high heat yields charred skin—a nice balance with the sweet flesh.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski4/89
Chorizo and Potato Stew
This is the hearty, rustic, and deeply warming comfort food you'll be craving on all snowy days.
- Alex Lau5/89
Summer Greens with Mustardy Potatoes and Six-Minute Egg
Who said potato salad had to be boring? Or egg salad, for that matter! This deconstructed salad combines the best of both worlds, and is versatile to be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski6/89
Shaved Carrots With Charred Dates
Tangy, crunchy carrots meet soft and sweet blackened dates for literally everything you want in one bite.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio7/89
Blackened Carrots With Daikon and Pomegranates
The flavorful oil leftover from roasting carrots becomes an ingenious dressing with anchovies, pomegranate juice, and red wine vinegar.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen8/89
Rutabaga Tacos with Greens and Queso Fresco
Filled with greens, roasted vegetables, and a little queso fresco, these veggie tacos are easy to make for a fun weeknight meal.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura9/89
Maple-Glazed Carrots
With their sweet-hot kick from maple syrup and red chile flakes, these oven-roasted carrots will have everyone asking for more.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Pearl Jones10/89
Basically Carrot Loaf Cake
The most casual-cool carrot cake of all time.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Plate by Heath Ceramics11/89
Grilled Potato Salad With Chiles and Basil
Everything we love about a German potato salad (bright vinegar, fresh herbs, a little heat)—but make it smoky, charred, and grilled.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen12/89
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Almond flour is a wonderfully sweet, nutty complement for fresh carrots, walnuts, and raisins.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich13/89
Hanger Steak with Tahini and Smashed Charred Beets
When tahini is whisked with just some water, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, it becomes an all-purpose condiment that can be made ahead and spooned onto nearly any dish.
- Gentl & Hyers14/89
Roasted Carrots with Creamy Nuoc Cham Dressing
This roasted carrots recipe makes extra dressing, which is good because you’ll want to use it on your next burger, over broiled salmon, or in a grain salad.
- Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott15/89
Smoky Carrot Dip
A sweet and smoky roasted carrot dip with chickpeas, almonds, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. We could eat it by the bowlful.
- Ted Cavanaugh16/89
New Potatoes with Parmesan, Black Pepper, and Gribiche Dressing
If you can’t find new potatoes at the farmers’ market, look for Peewee potatoes or very small Yukon Golds at the grocery store.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou17/89
Spiced Sweet Potato Sandwich With Feta
Each component in this sweet potato sandwich recipe is seasoned really well, which makes everything pop.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig18/89
Pesto Potato Salad
To test boiled potatoes for doneness, use a skewer or the tines of a fork rather than the tip of a knife so you know they’re truly tender (a knife slides through the flesh way too easily). To test boiled eggs for doneness—wait, you can’t! Just make sure the eggs are room temperature when you drop them in the water (otherwise they’re prone to cracking), set a timer right away, and have an ice bath at the ready.
- Photo by Alex Lau19/89
Carrot Salad With Feta and Anchovies
The marinated white anchovies make this carrot salad stand out by adding a nice vinegary bite (if you opt for regular anchovies, season with less salt), and those little fishes are good for you, too!
- Alex Lau20/89
Crispy Potato Salad with Chiles, Celery, and Peanuts
Thai seasonings add punch to this vibrant and herby salad; peanuts and celery keep it crunchy.
- Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski21/89
Burnished Potato Nuggets
Behold, your new standard for roasted potatoes: puck-size oven fries with creamy insides and unimaginably crunchy exteriors.
- Alex Lau22/89
Loaded Baked Potato Tot Waffle
Because the fat is flavoring the waffles, look for high-quality, smoked deli bacon.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones23/89
Roasted Aloo Gobi (Potatoes and Cauliflower)
This classic (and familiar) potato-and-cauliflower dish is a great make-ahead party dish.
- 24/89
Smashed and Loaded Crispy Potatoes
Cooking potatoes twice—once in water, and a second time in hot oil—is hands-down the best way to achieve extra-crispy potatoes at home.
- Alex Lau25/89
Beets with Pecorino, Pecans, and Shishito Peppers
If using different types of beets, separate them when roasting and tossing to keep the colors from bleeding.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova26/89
Sweet Potatoes With Charred Lemons and Crunchies
With custardy insides and charred exteriors, these sweet potatoes are everything you always wish roasted sweet potatoes could be. A crunchy mixture of toasted nuts and seeds provides pops of texture and spice, and a cooling lemony yogurt sauce cuts through the richness.
- Alex Lau27/89
Crunchy Winter-Vegetable Salad
The mix of lettuces and crisp vegetables is up to you (and we recommend a mandoline for slicing).
- Alex Lau28/89
Barbecue Carrots with Yogurt and Pecans
Parboiling the carrots before you grill them ensures they’ll be tender without burning the sugars in the spice mixture, and primes them to absorb those flavors.
- Dan Monick29/89
Bitter Greens with Carrots, Turnips, and Oranges
The radicchio delivers nice color, but endive or escarole hearts would be smart substitutions flavorwise.
- Tuukka Koski30/89
Big Batch of Oven-Steamed Beets
This steam-roasting method (high heat, covered pan) is the best; the liquid prevents the beets from drying out.
- Yossy Arefi31/89
Miso-Glazed Turnips
A simple stovetop technique transforms turnips by deploying a secret ingredient that may be hiding in the back of your fridge.
- Photo by Alex Lau33/89
Twice-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Hot Honey
This recipe embraces the incredible natural sweetness of sweet potatoes but gives it a spicy edge.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Styling by Molly Baz34/89
Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Walnut Dressing
And on top? A condiment made up of walnuts, anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes that’s the ultimate umami bomb.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou35/89
Heartbeet Chocolate Cake
Earthy-sweet beet purée gives this gluten-free chocolate cake a beautiful red velvet hue.
- Peden + Munk36/89
Vadouvan-Carrot Yogurt
Sneaky way to get your veggies! Vadouvan is sweeter and more aromatic than the typical curry, but Madras curry powder will work in a pinch.
- Marcus Nilsson37/89
Beet and Carrot Salad with Curry Dressing and Pistachios
Smaller beets are ideal for this since the rounds will fit neatly on the end of a fork.
- Eva Kolenko38/89
Cacio e Pepe Potatoes
The classic Pecorino and black pepper combination is delicious on way more than pasta. Try it on veg and rice, too.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich39/89
Mashed Potatoes With Crispety Cruncheties
Ridiculously, impossibly creamy mashed potatoes with a patatas bravas-inspired topping.
- Photo by Gentl and Hyers, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Nina Lalli40/89
Sweet Potatoes With Tahini Butter
Steaming offers extreme speed and high hydration, which means that whatever you cook—from seasonal vegetables to proteins—will be done quickly and always moist.
- Alex Lau41/89
Beet and Rye Panzanella
Use whatever bread you have lying around, but we like the earthy flavor combo of rye and beets.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott42/89
Carrot Pancakes with Salted Yogurt
With a texture somewhere between a latke and a pancake, these vegetarian fritters are also gluten-free. (Thanks, chickpea flour!)
- Alex Lau43/89
BA's Best Hash Browns
There are two kinds of hash browns: The chunky, floury, vaguely brown but not crisp kind, and the lacy, crunchy, shredded version here. Guess which one we prefer?
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski44/89
Loaded Sweet Potatoes
We like to roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time then rewarm them by flattening and crisping them in a skillet until lightly charred.
- Danny Kim45/89
Roasted Beet and Walnut Dip
An antidote to the many mayo and sourcream dips out there (which we also love).
- Photo by Marcus Nilsson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski46/89
Charred Sweet Potatoes With Hot Honey Butter and Lime
When you mix hot sauce with butter, it turns into a spicy, creamy spread that’s perfect for melting atop burnished sweet potato halves, bringing them to life.
- Gentl & Hyers47/89
Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin
We love the color and texture you get from using a combination, but any single root vegetable can be used here, too.
- Ture Lillegraven48/89
Hasselback Potatoes
A bit of a project, but entirely worth it. Besides: It's cold outside. It's warm in your kitchen.
- Hirsheimer & Hamilton49/89
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Mint and Pistachios
A great way to use up different winter vegetables that you might have around. Feel free to increase the amount of some and eliminate others, depending on your preference, but make sure to cut them into similar sizes so they'll cook in roughly the same amount of time.
- 50/89
Extra-Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Drying the cooked potatoes in the pan means that they'll absorb that much more flavor from your herb-infused dairy. Don't skip this step!
- Peden + Munk51/89
Marinated Beets with Pistachios and Tarragon
These get better with time, so don’t hesitate to make them ahead.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li52/89
Beet and Ricotta Hummus
This bright pink and super creamy hummus is a party showstopper.
- Christopher Testani54/89
Salt-and-Vinegar Rösti
We transformed the regular hands-on skillet method to a very hands-off oven technique.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li55/89
Sweet Potato Hummus
Adding water is key to a smooth and spoonable consistency.
- 56/89
Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Miso-Tahini Sauce
That three-ingredient sauce can go on anything. Double batch = necessary.
- Danny Kim57/89
Hasselback Carrots
Perfectly thin, uniform slices make any dish a showstopper. Try this cutting technique on other vegetables, such as skin-on potatoes before they're roasted.
- Christopher Testani58/89
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes with Paprika
We wish we could take credit for this double-dairy, paprika-dusted masterpiece of a mash, but we can’t. The dish is courtesy of Dr. Andrew Stanek, father to BA's own Amiel Stanek.
- Christina Holmes59/89
Spicy Honey-Glazed Parsnips
Some parsnips can have a woody core, which you’ll want to cut away before cooking.
- Alex Lau60/89
Celery Root Steaks with Tomatillo Salsa Verde
To prevent peeled or cut celery root from browning, submerge it in cold water with the juice of 1 lemon for up to 1 day.
- Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski61/89
Parsnip Confit With Pickled Currants
Parsnips bathed in warm olive oil and bejeweled with currents means you'll never look at root vegetables the same way again.
- Alex Lau62/89
Celery Root Hash
You can store celery root in the fridge, unpeeled, in an unsealed plastic bag, with a dry paper towel to absorb excess moisture, for up to 3 weeks.
- Jeremy Liebman63/89
Silver Dollar Latkes
Sure, this recipe can make standard-size latkes, but the minis are just right for noshing while chatting.
- 64/89
Turnips with Bacon and Pickled Mustard Seeds
Diminutive and sweet Hakurei turnips are in season and perfect for this dish; find them at farmers’ markets.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li65/89
Curried Sweet Potato Hummus
A little bit of coconut oil make this curried hummus a complete dream.
- 66/89
Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie
Lentils and fresh and dried mushrooms give this vegetarian casserole its meaty character. Mashed root veggies go on top!
- 67/89
Spiced Sweet Potato and Roasted Broccoli Toasts
Toast the bread just before assembling so it doesn’t dry out.
- William Abranowicz68/89
Parmesan-Roasted Potatoes
Cooking the potatoes on a wire rack lets hot air circulate around them, so they get extra crisp.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Maya Rossi69/89
Twice-Baked Potatoes
If you’ve got a microwave, you can cook the potatoes in less time, but use the oven for the second bake.
- Christopher Testani70/89
Root Vegetable Gratin
The key to gratins is having all the ingredients—whether they’re basic potatoes or the mixed root vegetables below—sliced the same thickness so they cook at the same rate. Make friends with a mandoline: It quickly yields precise, even slices.
- Alex Lau71/89
Deep-Fried Beets with Horseradish Dip
The beets are steam-roasted till tender, then deep-fried, so you don’t have to worry about cooking them through after they’re breaded.
- Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski72/89
Shingled Sweet Potatoes With Harissa
The classic savory-sweet side gets a makeover with the addition of harissa for an extra hint of spicy-earthiness. We promise you won’t miss the marshmallows.
- Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski73/89
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
These creamy, glossy mashed potatoes can be made up to two days before the big night without losing their velvety texture.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen74/89
Classic Potato Gratin
When simmering the cream, make sure it’s over gentle heat (if it over-reduces, it will break).
- Alex Lau75/89
Potato-Leek Soup with Toasted Nuts and Seeds
For a beautiful creamy-white (not khaki) color, don’t let the leeks and celery take on any color when sautéing.
- Christopher Testani76/89
Mashed Potato Croquettes
We thought mashed potatoes' stock plummeted on Day 2—until we had these croquettes. Crispy yet creamy, potatoes might be better the second time around.
- Photo by Alex Lau77/89
Parsnip Skordalia
This riff on the Greek classic swaps out potatoes for parsnips, which gives the dip a touch of sweetness that pairs well with the feta and chiles.
- Alex Lau78/89
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
Brown butter and rosemary are the ultimate, timeless pairing for sweet potatoes. Making your own breadcrumbs from sourdough bread shoots this recipe into all-star status, but using store-bought in a pinch is perfectly fine too.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li79/89
Sweet Potato Tea Cake
Instead of icing, this spiced loaf from Elizabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson’s ‘Tartine: A Classic Revisited’ is blanketed in a fluffy vanilla meringue.
- Marcus Nilsson80/89
Cast-Iron Roast Chicken With Crispy Potatoes
Size matters. This isn't the time for a mammoth Oven Stuffer, nor do we want some petite poussin—a 3½–4-lb. bird has the proportions we're after. When the breasts are roasted to perfection, all that dark meat is on-the-nose-done too.
- Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Kat Boytsova81/89
Red Pepper, Potato, and Peanut Sabzi
Colorful, crunchy, and incredibly easy, you can pull this bright Indian dish together in 20 minutes or less.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Chris Morocco82/89
Simple Quiche With Sweet Potato Crust
The Topanga Living Cafe in Topanga, CA, inspired this gluten-free quiche that uses caramelized sweet potato instead of dough.
- Romulo Yanes83/89
Adam and Maxine's Famous Latkes
Russets are ideal for this latke recipe. Their high starch content means you won't need flour to bind the pancakes.
- Alex Lau84/89
Potato Salad with Old Bay and Potato Chips
Potato on potato action here—the chips add welcome crunch to a refreshingly mayo-free salad.
- Gentl & Hyers85/89
Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprout Okonomiyaki
For this nontraditional okonomiyaki recipe, you need to julienne the potato. Use a mandoline with the shredder attachment, or slice it very thinly into planks and then crosswise into very thin strips. Makes a terrific appetizer!
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman88/89
Ultra-Creamy Mashed Potatoes
This easy, perfect mashed potatoes recipe produces the creamiest and fluffiest version of this comfort food classic around.
- 89/89
Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Chickpeas with Greek Salad
Crispy chickpeas and smashed potatoes share the plate with lemon-juiced onions, tomatoes, and olives, all balanced by a creamy spread of yogurt. Brought to life with Greek Seasoning, made with oregano, garlic, cinnamon, peppermint, dill, nutmeg, red pepper, and chives. It turns your favorite staples, like potatoes, into flavorful masterpieces.