Turnips With Whipped Pistachio Feta

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated Sept. 30, 2025

Turnips With Whipped Pistachio Feta
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Prop Stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(52)
Comments
Read comments

Tender and juicy hakurei turnips, sometimes known as Japanese turnips, always feel like a treat. With a crisp flesh that is reminiscent of apples, they can be eaten raw, sliced thinly and adding a nice crunch to salads, or cooked, which coaxes out a buttery flavor. That said, if you can’t find hakurei turnips, radishes will do, in this recipe adapted from my cookbook “Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories” (Knopf, 2025). Pan-frying turns turnips juicy, tender and extremely easy to eat. The whipped pistachio feta is joyous: creamy and nutty, a perfect base for not only these turnips, but also for just about any roasted vegetable. If you can find a vegan feta that you like, use it here, as it works just as well as dairy-based feta. If your turnips have tops, reserve them to use in this salad. Turnip greens are mild and crisp, similar in taste to bok choy, and can also be stir-fried, so never throw them away.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

    For the Turnips

    • 2bunches hakurei (Japanese) turnips (about 1 pound) or pink radishes, tops reserved
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • Sea salt and black pepper
    • 1garlic clove, finely chopped
    • 1tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1tablespoon white (shiro) miso paste
    • 2 to 3large handfuls salad leaves, such as the reserved turnip tops, baby spinach or arugula
    • Handful of chopped fresh parsley
    • Handful of roughly chopped toasted pistachios

    For the Whipped Pistachio Feta

    • 7ounces vegan or dairy feta, broken into large chunks (about 1½ cups)
    • ⅓cup toasted pistachios
    • 1garlic clove, roughly chopped
    • ½cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
    • 2tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

360 calories; 31 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 830 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut any larger turnips into quarters and smaller ones in half.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot. Add a drizzle of olive oil along with the turnips. Season with salt and a big pinch of black pepper. Toss for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, tossing, until the turnips are golden and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, butter and miso, and toss until the butter has melted and the miso has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Make the whipped pistachio feta: In a small blender or food processor, place the feta, pistachios, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and 3 tablespoons water. Blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need an extra tablespoon or so of water to get the blender going. Taste and season with a little salt if needed (though it should be salty enough) and some black pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Place the salad leaves, parsley and turnips in a large bowl and toss to combine. To serve, spread 2 to 3 large spoonfuls of the whipped pistachio feta on a large platter or plate and top with the salad leaves and turnips. Spoon a few extra dollops of the whipped feta on top and drizzle with olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed and finish with chopped pistachios. (This recipe makes a substantial quantity of whipped pistachio feta. Feel free to double the turnip portion of the recipe or use any leftovers to fold through pasta, using some pasta cooking water to loosen it up. The whipped feta will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

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Ratings

5 out of 5
52 user ratings
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Comments

David Morris

@David O Try it and let us know! Why not?

David O

Could rutabagas be used instead of Japanese turnips?

June368

Used half hakurei turnips and half radishes. We thought this was very good. Used remaining whipped feta for pasta served on the side for a full dinner. My only suggested change is to cut the turnips smaller than indicated so that there is more surface area for their pan sauce to stick to.

Derik

I'm making this right now and regardless of the rest, that feta/pistachio stuff is soooo yummy.

CL

Finally, a delicious way to use the hakurei turnips in my CSA box. Made the pistachio-feta paste in my small food processor which made it easier to blend. Just grated the garlic so it would be fine enough. Didn’t have enough feta so added mild panela cheese and the taste was still very bold. Used turnip greens and arugula and everything came together wonderfully. Thank you to the commenter who suggested cutting the turnips up smaller for max browning. This salad was the perfect complement to a coconut milk based curried fish chowder to make a fantastic lunch.

MG

Does this need to be served while the turnips are still warm?

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