Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • Because the cooking process is divided into two steps (blanching and sautéing), the turnip bulbs come out beautifully browned, while the greens stay plump and tender.
  • Taking advantage of all parts of the vegetable gets the most out of a single ingredient.

Recently, a Japanese acquaintance asked me what recipes I was working on. "Oh, I just did a quick and easy thing with Japanese turnips," I told him. He stared at me blankly. That's when I realized, slightly embarrassed at my daftness, that "Japanese turnip" is probably not how they're known in Japan. "What do you call them?" I followed up. "You know, the little white ones that you can eat raw?"

Hakureiturnip, it turns out, is the answer. A delicate, sweet, crisp-tender root vegetable, Hakurei turnips have become a popular item at farmers' markets nationwide, even if, at least in the New York area, they're often slapped with the generic "Japanese" moniker. I can't get enough of them—and in late spring, the market stands are full of them.

Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe (1)

If you count yourself among the rather sizable population of people who don't like turnips, I implore you to give Hakurei turnips a try. They're tiny things, sometimes called "small" or "baby" turnips, with a much milder flavor than the large winter ones. They hardly have any of that sulfurous funk typical of bigger turnips and many other members of the brassica family. Instead, they're slightly sweet, and surprisingly juicy—so much so that they're fantastic raw. Imagine supremely tender radishes, with none of the peppery bite.

Perhaps the thing I love most about them, though, is that each bunch almost always comes with its leafy green tops. There are a million things you can do with these, but one of my favorites is to serve the two together, the turnip bulbs sautéed until browned and the greens quickly blanched, then chopped and tossed briefly in the pan to combine.

I take an extremely simple approach to let the vegetables shine as much as possible; not even a clove of garlic sneaks its way into my skillet (not that garlic would be bad, but I just love these turnips so much as they are).

It's an easy one-two punch of blanching and sautéing to make them. I set a medium pot of salted water on the stove and bring it to a boil. (In case you're wondering why I don't bother with a large pot, seemy blanching tests here.) While that happens, I prep the turnips, cutting off the greens, discarding any yellow leaves, and washing them well of sand and grit.

Then I peel the turnips, which is an entirely optional step. The fastidious part of me loves how clean they look peeled, but the peels are edible, so a good scrubbing is all you really have to do. I also like to leave a small portion of the green stems attached to each turnip, mostly because I like how they look, though they also function as excellent handles if you decide to eat the turnips with your fingers. (The stems are edible, too, though, so don't discard them after nibbling at the turnip.)

Finally, I cut each turnip pole to pole into thin wedges.

At this point, the water should be boiling, so it's time to drop the turnip greens in and give them a quick blanch, just until they're softened, in a minute or so. I pluck them out of the water with tongs or a strainer and drop them into cold water to chill. Then I squeeze them of excess water and chop them up.

Meanwhile, I set a skillet over high heat with olive oil in it. As soon as the first wisps of smoke appear, I drop the turnips into the pan, tossing them just enough to allow them to brown but not burn.

Once they've browned nicely, I drop the chopped greens into the pan and toss it all together just until it's warmed through. You might be wondering why I bother blanching the greens first, instead of just adding them to the pan raw and letting them cook there. Truth is, you could do that, but I like how plump and vibrantly green they are from the blanching—they don't spend any more time in the pan than it takes to heat them up.

I season it all with salt and pepper and give it a good bath in fresh olive oil. That's it, done and done: a phenomenal (and phenomenally simple) side dish for roast chicken or a piece of fish. There's nothing terribly Japanese about it, but then again, what's in a name, anyway?

Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe (2)

June 2016

Recipe Details

Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe

Cook20 mins

Active25 mins

Total20 mins

Serves4 servings

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 pounds (675g) Japanese (Hakurei) baby turnips, with green tops

  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut greens from turnip bulbs, leaving a small portion of stem (less than 1/2 inch) attached to each bulb. Wash leafy greens and turnips well of any sand. Peel turnips. (You can also leave the turnip skin on, as it's edible, in which case, just wash and scrub them extra well.) Slice each turnip pole to pole into 4 to 6 wedges of 1/2 inch thick each.

    Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe (3)

  2. Add leafy greens to boiling water and cook just until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs or a spider, transfer greens to cold water to chill, then drain, squeeze out excess water, and chop into small pieces.

    Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe (4)

  3. Heat oil in a cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel skillet over high heat, just until the first wisps of smoke appear. Add turnip wedges, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well browned in spots, about 3 minutes; lower heat if turnips threaten to burn.

    Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe (5)

  4. Add chopped greens and toss to combine, cooking just until greens are warmed through, about 1 minute longer. Drizzle with fresh oil, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

    Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe (6)

Special Equipment

Cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel skillet

Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat the greens of hakurei turnips? ›

The tops are also edible, either raw or quickly sautéed with oil and garlic. The turnip is an excellent source of vitamin C,B6, and E, fiber, and potassium. If you eat the greens you'll get a good dose of calcium and vitamins A and K. They are quite low in calories.

What is the difference between Japanese turnips and regular turnips? ›

Tokyo turnips or Japanese turnips are smaller and completely white, and can even be mistaken for radishes, although many casino players notice that they have a milder flavor. Though it's less common with the larger turnip varieties, Tokyo turnips are tasty raw- sliced in salads, or even pickled.

What is a substitute for hakurei turnips? ›

Hakurei (aka salad) turnips are small, sweet and tender, but you could substitute small purple-top or white turnips.

Why put baking soda in turnips? ›

Wash greens and roots well. Some suggest soaking the greens in a little salty water. One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness.

What takes the bitterness out of turnip greens? ›

Add baking soda.

Salt is one of my favorite ways to cut the bitterness in turnip greens. I then add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the broth and simmer for the last 20 minutes.

What is the healthiest way to eat turnips? ›

Boil or steam turnips and add them to mashed potatoes for extra vitamins and minerals. Grate them raw into salads or slaws. Roast them with other root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, and bring out their natural sweetness.

What does Hakurei mean in japanese? ›

The name Hakurei means "white ray of light" in Japanese, referring to the turnip's bright white color.

What do Hakurei turnips taste like? ›

Their surprisingly delicate, almost fruity flavor and crunchy texture accounts for their popularity. They're delicious raw, but if you can resist the urge to simply pop them in your mouth, try shaving them into salads or slaws along with thinly sliced apples or pears.

Which is healthier turnips or potatoes? ›

Turnips are a healthy alternative to potatoes; they're lower in calories and have fewer carbs. Smaller, sweeter turnips can be sliced into wedges and eaten raw like an apple.

What are the other names for hakurei turnips? ›

Japanese turnips are part of the Brassica Rapa species. The Japanese turnip is also known by the names of hakurei turnip, Tokyo turnip, kabu, and salad turnip.

How to store hakurei turnip? ›

Hakurei Turnips
  1. For longest storage life, take off rubber band and twist off the turnip roots to separate from the greens.
  2. Store roots and greens in sealed plastic bag. Use greens immediately and roots will store up to two weeks.

Can you freeze hakurei turnips? ›

To freeze: wash, cube and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. Cool immediately, drain, pack - leaving 1/2 inch headroom - and freeze. There's no need to peel the Hakurei. Just trim the ends and wash under cold water.

What makes turnips taste better? ›

A variety of herbs and spices can be added to the mashed turnips. Try a tablespoon of finely chopped sage or rosemary, a clove or two of roasted or sautéed garlic, or a pinch of paprika or ground ginger. If your turnips came with the greens, don't throw them away.

What is the best way to cook and eat turnips? ›

Baked, Boiled or Steamed. Use turnips any way you would use a potato, and then some. Try them baked or boiled in stews, soups and stir-fries, or lightly steamed with some butter, salt or lemon juice for flavor.

Can you eat the green tops of turnips? ›

Turnip greens are part of the cruciferous vegetable family, as are kale and broccoli. They are high in nutrients, such as vitamin K, vitamin A, and calcium, and low in calories. Both the root and the leaves of the turnip are edible, but turnip greens refer specifically to the stem and leafy green part of the plant.

Are turnip greens edible? ›

Turnip greens are healthy and rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Turnip greens can be eaten raw and added to salads, but since the fiber content is high, it is better to eat them cooked. Turnip greens have a spicy flavor similar to mustard seeds.

Are Japanese turnip leaves edible? ›

Small, bulb-shaped, and with a single tendril tail, Japanese turnips (Brassica rapa var rapifera) are crisp and sweet. The round frilled green leaves are edible and can be cooked like other greens. Unlike other turnips, you can eat them raw.

Can you eat prickly turnip greens? ›

Turnip greens might not immediately strike you as being edible. At all. They're prickly, and tough, and a favorite of the caterpillars and flea beetles. But these greens have a nutritional profile that is seriously worth your attention.

References

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