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The Best Turnip Recipe; Harukei Turnips & Turnip Green Sauce
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If you’ve ever walked past a bunch of small, creamy-white turnips at the farmers’ market and thought, What am I supposed to do with those? — this is your moment. This turnip recipe is exactly the excuse you need to grab a few bunches of harukei turnips and actually use the entire vegetable. Roots. Greens. No waste. No apologies.
Harukei turnips are a little different than the turnips you might remember from childhood. They’re tender, mildly sweet, and completely lack that aggressive bitterness people tend to associate with turnips. When roasted, they caramelize beautifully and turn silky on the inside. And the greens? They’re not a garnish — they’re the backbone of this dish.
A Farmers’ Market Kind of Recipe
This is the kind of recipe that starts with a canvas tote bag and a stroll through your local California farmers’ market. Look for harukei turnips sold in bunches with vibrant, healthy greens still attached. If the leaves look perky and deeply green, you’re in business. Limp or yellowing greens are a pass — remember, they’re doing real work in this recipe.
Using the whole vegetable isn’t just practical; it’s delicious. The turnips roast until golden and tender, while the greens get transformed into a savory, glossy sauce that tastes far more complex than the ingredient list suggests.
Why California Olive Oil Matters Here
This turnip recipe leans hard on California olive oil — and for good reason. It’s doing double duty: roasting the turnips and forming the base of a sizzling scallion, garlic, and ginger sauce that ties the whole dish together.
Because olive oil is literally fruit juice, quality matters. California’s climate produces olive oil with fresh, grassy, peppery notes that hold up beautifully when heated and add depth without overpowering the vegetables. The olive oil isn’t a background ingredient — it’s a lead character.
A Word About California Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
Want to be sure your olive oil is fresh, the highest quality, and the real deal? Look for the COOC seal on bottles of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make sure you’re getting delicious 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Certified California EVOO uses stricter standards than international requirements, requiring the oil to pass chemical testing and a sensory analysis by a group of experts, called an organoleptic panel evaluation.
Roasted Turnips = Instant Upgrade
Roasting harukei turnips at high heat brings out their natural sweetness and gives them a lightly caramelized edge. They’re simple, elegant, and shockingly versatile. If you’ve only ever had turnips boiled or mashed, this version will change your opinion fast.
Turnip Greens, Reimagined
Let’s talk about the greens, because this is where the magic really happens.
Instead of tossing them into a sauté pan and calling it a day, this recipe blanches the greens briefly, locks in their color, then finely chops them and folds them into a warm, aromatic oil infused with scallions, garlic, ginger, and black sesame seeds. A splash of soy sauce brings everything into balance.
The result? A deeply savory, umami-rich green sauce that feels inspired by both Italian salsa verde and Asian scallion oil — and somehow manages to be familiar and unexpected at the same time.
Why This Is The Turnip Recipe to Try
If you’re looking for a turnip recipe that feels modern, seasonal, and completely unfussy — this is it. It highlights CA GROWN produce, celebrates whole-vegetable cooking, and proves that turnips deserve a spot far beyond soup season.
Simple ingredients. Big payoff. And a very good reason to say yes to those beautiful bunches of hakurei turnips next time you see them.
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Craving more delicious Casey Corn recipes? Check out our Pinterest for more CA GROWN recipes and ideas for innovative ways to use ingredients from the Golden State in your kitchen.
Do you have a favorite turnip recipe we should try? Snap a pic and tag us with #CAGROWN—we’d love to see what you’re cooking up.
Harukei Turnips in Turnip Green Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 bunches Harukei turnips with greens about ¾ lb each
- 2 TBSP California extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 scallions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1- inch piece of ginger
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds
- ¾ cup California extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TBSP soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉ ( 220℃). Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Trim the greens from the turnips, and set them aside. Trim off any long roots on the turnips and give them a good scrub. Pat dry, then cut into quarters. Add the cut turnips to a bowl and toss with the 2 TBSP of California extra virgin olive oil and salt, then arrange evenly over the prepared baking sheet.
- Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway, until golden. Remove from the oven when ready.
- While the turnips roast, make the sauce. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Clean the turnip greens thoroughly, discarding any yellowed ones. Trim the stems off and discard, leaving the leafy greens.
- Prepare a large bowl of ice water, then add the greens to the boiling water. Cook 2-3 minutes until deep green and soft, then quickly transfer them to the ice bath.
- Finely chop the scallions (white and light green parts), and place in a heat-safe bowl. Microplane the garlic into the bowl, then peel the ginger and grate into the bowl as well. Add in the sesame seeds.
- In a small pot, heat the remaining California extra virgin olive oil to 275℉ (135℃), or until shimmering at the bottom of the pot. Carefully pour over the scallion mixture, then stir to combine and let cool. Once cool, stir in the soy sauce.
- Remove the greens from the ice bath and squeeze out as much water as possible, then finely chop and stir into the sauce.
- Transfer the turnips to a serving bowl or plate, and spoon the sauce over the top, or toss together. Serve hot or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
Casey Corn was born and raised in Santa Monica, CA. Casey attended Connecticut College, where she found that her love of food could be explored academically. She graduated in 2010 after focusing her studies on food anthropology and writing her thesis on olive oil. Since then, her love of travel and food has taken her around the world to live, learn, and eat.
After working in kitchens in LA, Casey started her own culinary company, The Cornivore, and began working with Tastemade as a Tastemaker, starring in recipe videos and covering unique food experiences around the world for their social channels.
Now based in Atlanta, Georgia, Casey continues to work in development and consulting. You can also find her hosting Magnolia Network’s Recipe Lost & Found, streaming now on HBO Max.
Want to try more California-inspired recipes by Casey Corn? Check these out:
A Savory Baked Apple Recipe with Fennel; Apple Hasselbacks
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If you love the bold, sticky-sweet flavors of classic Chinese-American Orange Chicken, this Orange Cauliflower recipe is about to earn a permanent spot in your dinner rotation.
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