Summary:

These garlic mashed turnips are a creamy and comforting side dish that comes together easily in one pot on the stovetop; no special equipment needed. Enjoy them as a delicious low carb replacement for mashed potatoes.

Garlic Mashed Turnips

5 from 4 votes

PRINT PIN

Prep: 15

Cook: 40

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

▢ 2 medium purple-top turnips
▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 3 ounces cream cheese
▢ 2 tablespoons butter
▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
▢ 1/2 teaspoon table salt
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut Turnips: Peel turnips. Cut into roughly 2-inch chunks, about 16 chunks per turnip.
Boil Turnips: Add chopped turnips to 3 quart or larger pot, and fill with water. Cover with lid, and bring to boil. Boil turnips until very soft, about 30 minutes. Drain turnips in colander, emptying pot of water. Let turnips sit for about 5 minutes to steam out, then transfer turnips back to pot.
Combine Ingredients: Mash turnips in pot (Note 1). Add all other ingredients, and stir over medium-low heat for a few minutes until incorporated (Note 2). If mixture appears too thin, proceed to next step to thicken; otherwise, skip next step.
Thicken: Increase to medium heat so that mixture starts to bubble. Stir nearly constantly (to prevent sticking to bottom of pot) for a few minutes until mixture thickens and resembles mashed potatoes.
Serve: Cool for 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve (Note 3).

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings

Amount Per Serving:

Calories 140 (84% from fat)
Total Fat 13g	20%
Saturated Fat 8g	40%
Cholesterol 38mg	13%
Sodium 460mg	19%
Net Carb 4g
Total Carb 5g	2%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Sugars 2.5g
Protein 2g

Vitamin A 9% · Vitamin C 22% · Calcium 4% · Iron 3%

PHOTOS

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Mashing Turnips. I use a potato masher, but you can also use a fork or a whisk. It should require little effort to mash the turnips because they’re very mushy after boiling. How coarsely or finely mashed they are is up to you, depending on whether you prefer a chunkier or smoother texture.

(2) Combining Ingredients. If your turnips are particularly fibrous or if you prefer a super silky consistency, use an immersion blender to combine the mashed turnips with all of the other ingredients.

(3) Serving / Make Ahead. Serve warm, optionally with flavor add-ins (see Note 4), as a low carb side dish to meaty entrees like baked chicken breasts with a cheesy spinach topping, braised lamb shanks, or baked meatballs with creamy tomato sauce. Mashed turnips are also perfect for bringing to potlucks or holiday gatherings. Since they’re not the usual mashed potatoes, it’s nice to bring something that’s a bit different to the table. To make ahead of time, follow the recipe’s instructions, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through, stirring frequently.

(4) Flavor Add-Ins. Dress up this dish by mixing in or topping with crispy crumbled bacon, grated cheese, sour cream, sliced scallions, chopped fresh basil, or tomato salsa.

More Sides

Cornbread

Fast Creamed Spinach

closeup of onions zucchini and bell peppers

Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables

Jalapeño Cornbread

newest oldest most voted

Mari

These were delicious! I much preferred them over the cauliflower mashed potato substitute. I added crumbled bacon and cheese for extra flavor.

L Adams

Great! We love them, especially paired with steak.😁

Laurie

That looks delicious! I have some turnips that need to be cooked and I’ll definitely try this recipe.

Donny

This is my new favorite side dish!

I used to hate turnips. But thanks to this recipe and a couple of others, they’ve become a staple food that I genuine enjoy eating.

I think it’s a lot better than mashed cauliflower, and I like mashed cauliflower quite a bit.

It’s delicious and extremely easy to make. You just make it exactly the same way you would mashed potatoes.

It makes a terrific side dish for just about any entree that you’d normally serve with mashed potatoes.

I recommend doubling it so that you get enough side dishes for a whole bunch of meals, since it’s so easy to make and stays good refrigerated for several days

Mike Urig

I picked a few pounds of turnips a couple of days ago and I searched on the Internet for a tasty sounding recipe – I was pleased with the flavor and my wife was too!

Peggy

Can I make this ahead of time?

Julia

Yes, that should be fine. Follow the recipe’s instructions, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through, stirring frequently.

sandy

This dish is great with pork chops anyway you cook them. A big YUM! I added crisp bacon and chives.

Sincronicity

Haven’t tried them yet. I have turnips I canned with last years garden crop and will make this today. Suggestion if you want more of a real potato flavor, I add a few drops of Mashed Potato flavoring from OOOFlavors. That is the only site I know that has an abundance of food flavorings. The idea of adding cream cheese sounds like that will be a winner.

Garlic Mashed Turnips