Brine

Roasted Spring Root Vegetables with Horseradish-Thyme Butter

June 21, 2021
4.8
4 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Radishes and turnips are mainstays of the spring CSA box. Both take well to roasting and I dress them with this horseradish and thyme butter adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook. I used Vidalia spring onions, turnips, radishes and carrots; but new potatoes and baby beets would be good, too. (We're lucky in Georgia to get spring Vidalia onions, but any mild, sweet onion will work here. —Lucy Mercer

Test Kitchen Notes

I will admit I'm a sucker for roasted vegetables, but typically just enhance their sweet goodness with some salt and pepper. This recipe may change that! The horseradish-thyme butter adds another dimension of flavor, with fairly minimal extra effort. The turnips and radishes have a slight bitter edge that is offset nicely by the zingy, buttery sauce. The sauce also balances the pure sweetness of the carrots and onions. My veggies were done at 35 minutes, so be sure to watch for caramelization. Make sure to taste a veggie or two before serving and add more salt, vinegar, or horseradish if desired. —hardlikearmour

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Ingredients
  • Roasted spring root vegetables
  • 3 spring Vidalia onions, quartered
  • 12 radishes, halved (for small ones) or quartered (for large ones)
  • 3 turnips, peeled and diced 1"
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced 1"
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Horseradish-thyme butter
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. Roasted spring root vegetables
  2. Preheat oven to 400. Combine vegetables in a large bowl and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir with spoon or toss with hands to make sure all pieces are evently coated.
  3. Spread vegetables in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Vegetables will have caramel-brown edges when ready. Toss vegetables with Horseradish-Thyme Butter and serve.
  1. Horseradish-thyme butter
  2. In a small skillet over low heat, melt butter. Add prepared horseradish, thyme, sherry vinegar and salt. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine. Pour butter over warm roasted vegetables and serve.

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13 Reviews

Melissa Y. June 16, 2023
Not only were the vegetables great (who would have thought I'd say that about turnips?), but also the extra butter made a FANTASTIC topping for grilled steaks (and probably would work great for fish too)! This is a keeper for sure.
Lucy M. June 16, 2023
So glad you liked it! And I agree, the horseradish thyme butter would be fantastic on a grilled steak. Must try ~
AnnDavisRowe June 21, 2021
Made an account just to say we LOVED this! Perfect with radishes, baby carrots, and teeny tiny potatoes that we salted for a bit first. Horseradish butter will be our new go-to for veg when we don’t have a specific flavor profile in mind because it’s so easy and flavorful. Will pair well with a lot of proteins.
mercy May 29, 2017
i tried it and its soooo delicious! thanks so much
salena June 5, 2014
Not only was this pretty, but it was delicious. I used the suggested vegetables, as this is the time they are young at the farmers' market, but pretty much any root vegetables could be used. It's the horseradish that makes the dish. I always have an open bottle of horseradish in the refrigerator; so often it ends up being thrown out, and from now on I'm just going to add a little to my roasted vegetables. Thanks, Lucy, for the idea.
kayakgirl October 30, 2013
The general consensus was "weird". I actually thought of this as a fall vegetables recipe, as I am harvesting all this from my garden late October. To be fair, I did have to make a few modifications. I did not have sherry vinegar so I used combo of white wine vinegar and white wine, and I also used horseradish sauce (not sure how different this is but it is what I had). I was really excited about a use of radishes in a meal besides salads. But somehow the flavors didn't come together. When trying to discuss dinner no one could come up with a better description that "its not that I dont like it but its weird". I think next time I would just take the roasted vegetables and then coat with a pinch of butter and salt and call it good.
chankari April 29, 2013
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I had some root vegetables leftover from my CSA and was not sure how to use them up (particularly the turnips). I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, substituting the onions for 6 shallots. The horseradish butter makes this dish. I had the vegetables with brown rice and used the butter to dress the vegetables and the rice. Great substantial dinner option.
Lucy M. April 30, 2013
So glad that you liked the recipe!
Lucy M. June 10, 2012
Thanks so much, @fiveandspice, and thanks go out to @hardlikearmour for the kind words and thoughtful testing.
Adva S. March 30, 2021
what is ready horseradish?
I know the root, and have it. I know the one with mayo, and the red made with beetroots and shreded horseradish, vinager etc
Lucy M. April 4, 2021
@ Adva, thanks for reading and reaching out. I used a national brand of prepared horseradish in this recipe. It has shredded horseradish, vinegar and salt. Since you have the root, it may be easy enough to prepare your own horseradish and then try the recipe. Happy cooking ~
Adva S. April 5, 2021
thank you, we'll give it a try
fiveandspice June 7, 2012
I don't know how I missed this before, but I am definitely trying it ASAP. That horseradish thyme butter sounds amazing! Congrats on the CP!