Parsnip and Chestnut Purée with Chives

This creamy parsnip and chestnut purée is a fragrant, slightly sweet alternative to mashed potatoes. Finished with butter, fresh chives, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, it makes a lovely seasonal side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any fall or winter meal.

A seasonal alternative to mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes may be the traditional holiday comfort food, but parsnips and chestnuts create something a little more distinctive. Both have an earthy sweetness, while the chestnuts add richness and a subtle nutty flavor.

This purée is naturally gluten-free and nightshade-free, making it a useful alternative for anyone who doesn’t eat white potatoes. It pairs especially well with roasted poultry, pork, sausages, or other hearty fall and winter dishes.

Fresh or precooked chestnuts

Growing up, we mostly ate chestnuts boiled, and that is still one of my favorite ways to prepare them. Fresh chestnuts are only available for a relatively short season, so I like to make the most of them when I find a good batch.

Choose chestnuts that feel firm, heavy, and full for their size. Unfortunately, even good-looking chestnuts can sometimes be spoiled inside, so it helps to cook a few more than the recipe requires.

For convenience, you can use peeled, precooked chestnuts instead. They are more expensive, but they make this simple recipe much faster. This is the brand I have used when fresh chestnuts were unavailable.

The nutritional benefits of parsnips and chestnuts

Parsnips and chestnuts offer a different nutritional profile from white potatoes. Both provide fiber, along with a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Chestnuts are especially unusual among nuts: they are lower in fat and contain more carbohydrates, as well as fiber, vitamin C, folate, and minerals such as potassium. Some of their vitamin C is reduced during cooking, but boiled chestnuts still retain a useful amount.

For a quick way to prepare fresh chestnuts, see my recipe for Boiled Chestnuts in a Pressure Cooker.

Parsnips are also a good source of fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamin C. Their natural sweetness becomes more pronounced when cooked. In fact, before cane and beet sugar became widely available in Europe, parsnips were sometimes used as a sweetener—a small historical detail that explains why they work so naturally with chestnuts.

This recipe makes a small amount, enough for approximately two servings. Double or triple the quantities when preparing it for a larger holiday meal.

For another favorite way to use parsnips, check out our Parsnip Cake with Rosemary and Olive Oil.

How to serve parsnip and chestnut purée

Serve the purée immediately, topped with chopped chives and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a little melted butter.

You can also prepare it in advance. Transfer the purée to a covered container and refrigerate it without the chives. When ready to serve, place it in an oven-safe dish and warm it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then add the fresh chives and olive oil or butter.

More purée and mashed vegetable recipes

If you would like to explore other creamy vegetable dishes, check out these recipes:

• Parsnip Purée with Caramelized Onion and Toasted Hazelnuts
• Root Vegetable Purée with Cauliflower
• Mashed Purple Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary and Olive Oil
• Mashed Cauliflower, Celeriac, and Parsnip
• Creamy Celeriac Purée (Dairy-Free, Vegan)

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