Miso Maple Roast Parsnips
These parsnips are genuinely one of our favourite things to put on the table at Christmas or a Sunday roast. There's something about that miso and maple combo that just works so well, you get this deep, savory sweetness with crispy caramelised edges and a soft, almost buttery middle. The rosemary and thyme take it somewhere really special. Honestly, we've made these so many times and they disappear every single time. If you're looking for a side dish that'll have everyone asking for the recipe, this is it.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Large roasting tin
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp miso
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 10 medium parsnips
- 50ml olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 4 sprigs of thyme
Method
Make your marinade
- Put the olive oil, maple syrup, miso salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix it together to make your marinade
Prep your parsnips
- Peel the parsnips and cut them in half lengthways
- Roll the parsnips around in the marinade
Roast the parsnips
- Put the parsnips in a roasting tin and sprinkle over the garlic, rosemary and thyme
- Put the tin in the oven and roast the parsnips for 30-35 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time
Tips & Variations
- Get them evenly sized: Try to cut your parsnips so they're roughly the same thickness. Thinner bits will burn before the thicker ends are cooked through, so trim them up a bit if needed.
- Don't crowd the tin: Give the parsnips a bit of space in the roasting tin. If they're all piled on top of each other they'll steam instead of roast and you'll miss out on those gorgeous caramelised edges. Use two tins if you need to.
- Make it your own: Henry sometimes adds a small pinch of chilli flakes to the marinade for a bit of heat. It plays really nicely against the sweetness of the maple. Trust us on this one.
Why This Works
The trick here is the miso. It brings this incredible umami depth that maple syrup alone just can't do, and together they create a glaze that caramelises beautifully in the oven. We find rolling the parsnips properly in the marinade before they go in makes all the difference, every bit of surface area gets coated and that's where all the flavour lives.