Salsify? Yes, that's that forgotten seasonal vegetable you can find on Dutch soil in autumn and winter. These black roots don't look very appetising with their peel and will therefore not immediately end up in many people's shopping trolleys. A shame, because once peeled, they look like asparagus and are very versatile. You can boil, steam, stew or bake salsify. What do you eat with them? Well, we have an idea for that! Because we have a super-easy and quick recipe for creamy pasta with salsify. Kids love it too. So that will be tasty!
Forgotten seasonal vegetable salsify
You may well have never heard of salsify before (unless you are our articles on Dutch seasonal vegetables have already read). In fact, this vegetable is not often used in Dutch cuisine anymore. A shame, because salsify is healthy, sustainable and simply available from October to March from Dutch soil. At first sight, salsify does not look very attractive with its muddy, black skin. But once you peel them, a beautiful white vegetable emerges, similar to asparagus. Salsify has a mild, nutty and slightly sweet flavour. They are often compared to asparagus, artichokes or parsnips and have a subtle earthy undertone. The texture is creamy and soft when cooked. So perfect for a delicious pasta dish!
Salsify is rich in fibre, inulin (good for intestinal flora), vitamins (B1, B2, C and E) and minerals such as iron, potassium and magnesium, making it a nutritious and healthy vegetable.
How to prepare salsify?
The skin of salsify is not edible, so you need to peel it off first. This can sometimes produce some sticky juice, but this was not a problem for us because we could easily wash it off our hands. If you have an important appointment after cooking, you can put on kitchen gloves just to be sure. If you do not cook the salsify right away, it is best to put them in water with lemon juice after peeling to avoid discolouration. Do you find it difficult to peel the salsify raw? Then you can boil them briefly first and then remove the skin. Once the skin is off, you can do anything you want with salsify. We went for a delicious and simple creamy pasta with salsify!
Salsify is a forgotten vegetable, and honestly, they are not the brightest on the shelf. But they have an incredibly mild flavour, ideal in a creamy pasta sauce.
Creamy pasta with salsify
Kitchenware
- frying pan
- pan
- vegetable peeler or knife
Ingredients
- 300 gr salsify
- 1 onion
- 200 ml vegetable cooking cream
- 200 gr spaghetti or other pasta of your choice
- 1 el Mediterranean herbs e.g. thyme, marjoram and oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- dash cooking oil
- optional pieces of nuts such as walnuts or pistachios
- optional tomatoes
Instructions
- Peel the salsify.
- Cut the salsify into pieces of about 3 cm.
- Cook the salsify pieces for about 15 minutes, until tender. Add a little salt to the water to prevent discolouration.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
- Chop the onion and fry it in some oil in a frying pan.
- Add the cooked salsify and fry briefly.
- Pour in the cooking cream and add the herbs, pepper and salt. Stir well. Add tomato if necessary.
- Drain the pasta and mix it with the sauce.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
- Tip: During asparagus season, you can replace the salsify with white or green asparagus.
More recipes from thegreenlist.nl
- Do you have a fennel lying around? Then check out this easy casserole!
- Do you have any celeriac lying around? Then this lasagne is a tip. Spoiler: a tuber is a perfect alternative to lasagne leaves!
- For every vegetable in the tray, is this quick recipe for stir-fried vegetables a lifesaver. And top: kids love this way of cooking vegetables!
Sources: Velt.nu, VegetableGroente.nl. Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
