Baby Greens With Balsamic-Roasted Turnips and Walnuts

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 4(114)
Notes: Read community notes

In spring I welcome tender raw turnips into my salads, but I use another approach in the winter. I took some medium-size turnips that had been lingering in my crisper for some weeks, tossed them with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and roasted them. They would make a fine side dish, but I had a salad in mind. I paired the roasted turnips with tender baby greens, walnuts and blue cheese. I have served the turnips warm with the salad and also after they cooled; I liked them best warm.

Featured in: Salads Don’t Have to Be Green

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 5 servings

1pound turnips (3 medium), peeled and cut in wedges (about ½ inch wide at widest part)
2tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½teaspoon sugar
5tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1tablespoon sherry vinegar
½teaspoon Dijon mustard
1very small garlic clove, puréed
1tablespoon walnut oil
5cups baby salad greens (about 4 ounces)
½cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1ounce blue cheese, crumbled (¼ cup)
1 to 2tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as tarragon, parsley, chives

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar with sugar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss with turnips until turnips are thoroughly coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to parchment-covered baking sheet, dousing turnips with any liquid left in bowl. Spread turnips in an even layer and place in oven. Roast 10 minutes, then use tongs to flip wedges over and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until tender and nicely colored. Remove from heat.
Step 2
In a small bowl or measuring cup whisk together sherry vinegar, mustard, garlic and salt to taste. Whisk in remaining olive oil and walnut oil. If any liquid remains on baking sheet, tip into dressing.
Step 3
Combine greens, walnuts, blue cheese and fresh herbs in a salad bowl. Turnips can be tossed with greens or spooned on top or on the side. Toss greens mixture with dressing and turnips if tossing turnips with salad, and serve.

Tip

Advance preparation: Turnips can be roasted up to a day ahead. Reheat if desired in a pan on top of the stove.

Ratings

4 out of 5

114 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

JPK6 years ago

This dish is fantastic. I didn't have sherry vinegar, so I used white wine vinegar. I also roasted the nuts for a few minutes on 400. After all the summer salads, this is a good one to ease into autumn.

Viv Schneggenburger2 years ago

Used small turnips from our garden & didn’t peel them. Used all Basalmic vinegar since I did not have Sherry vinegar. Very yummy with our garden lettuce too!

Colette3 years ago

I loved this - especially the dressing for the salad. I didn't have sherry vinegar, but did have sherry, so substituted half sherry and half apple cider vinegar for that portion. The turnips we had were quite small (about the size of a golfball) - when I make this again, I might go to four or five turnips that size.

rpbg4 years ago

I had a bunch of baby turnips with their greens still attached. Roasted the turnips per recipe, then included cut baby turnip greens (lightly steamed then shocked in cold water) to the baby greens that the salad called for. Really good!

katie6 years ago

Delicious! I didn’t have the cheese so I amped it up with some Chinese fried walnuts. That probably wasn’t necessary; it was still a very good salad.

JPK6 years ago

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