In recent years, salsify has become increasingly popular and can be found more and more often at weekly markets and supermarkets. They can also be found on restaurant menus, for example as an ingredient in a salad or as an accompaniment to fried food. No wonder, because the winter vegetables score with a complex taste and a long shelf life. We will explain to you how you can prepare salsify. Here come someRecipe ideas for the winter season!
Preparing fresh salsify: This is how you peel the winter vegetables!
At first glance, the winter vegetables don't look very appetizing - they have long stalks with a brown peel. Tasty looks different. But that changes after the shell is removed. The inside of the salsify looks like thisgrilled asparagusconfusingly similar. No wonder the black root vegetable is called winter asparagus. But don't be fooled, because salsify and asparagus only have something in common visually, but they taste very different.
Salsify belongs to the Asteraceae family. Her home country is Spain. As early as the third century, they found their way onto the Germanic people's plates and were bred by them. The plant can easily tolerate cold, wind, rain and even snow, which is why it is still a popular winter vegetable for the home garden today.
Preparing salsify: What health benefits does the vegetable have?
Not only do salsify taste very good, they also have many health benefits. They contain, among other things:
- Potassium, an electrolyte that promotes the function of muscle and nerve cells
- Magnesium, which supports the function of the heart
- Iron, a trace element that provides energy to the body's cells
- Allantoin, an important active ingredient that moisturizes our skin and promotes wound healing
- Inulin, a prebiotic that provides nutrition for the beneficial bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract
The salsify therefore has an anti-inflammatory and calming effect. However, they are rich in nitrates. Several drops of lemon juice help neutralize the nitrates.
Salsify calories
No matter if you have onebalanced and healthy diet– or want to create a strength training plan: You can include winter vegetables in your menu without hesitation. The salsify nutritional values impress with a low number of calories. Despite their sweet taste, 100 grams of salsify vegetables contain only 17 calories, 2 grams of carbohydrates and 0.4 grams of fat. How many calories the dish will have also depends on how you prepare the salsify. You can boil them, fry them or bake them in the oven.
Peel fresh salsify
Salsify is in season from the end of September to May and is mainly available in specialized organic shops. Fresh salsify can be identified quickly because they have white flesh and are firm. If you don't peel them, you can store them in a bucket filled with wet sand in a cool, dry place for up to three weeks. Peeled, cleaned and wrapped with kitchen paper, they can be stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
However, peeling represents a challenge for inexperienced hobby chefs. This is because the winter vegetables contain a plant sap that comes out when peeled and discolors the skin. That's why it's important to peel fresh salsify properly and to wear gloves. You can peel the vegetables raw or cooked:
1. Cooked: Clean the vegetables thoroughly under running water. Then place it in lukewarm water and add a teaspoon of sea salt and 5 to 10 drops of vinegar. Bring the water to a boil and after 2-3 minutes remove the pot from the heat. Peel the salsify and put them in a bowl with lukewarm vinegar water (water 500ml, vinegar 50ml). This will prevent the peeled salsify from turning brown again.
2. Raw: Fill a bowl halfway with lukewarm water, add some apple cider vinegar, wash the salsify under running lukewarm water and then place them in the bowl. After 10 minutes you can skin the salsify without removing it from the water.
Cook salsify
You can cook the salsify with or without the peel. If you peel the salsify first, put them in lukewarm water with 50 ml apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon sea salt and cook until they become soft (about 20 minutes). If you cook the salsify vegetables unpeeled, you can take a sample after half an hour. If the vegetables are soft, they are done.
Fry salsify
If you want to fry the salsify, squeeze a medium-sized lemon and add the lemon juice to a deep pan. Pour 4-5 tablespoons of cold water into the pan and peel the salsify under running water. Be sure to wear rubber gloves, otherwise the milky juice will stain your skin! Cut the vegetables into small pieces and add them to the water. Cook the salsify for 30 minutes, drain the water and add vegetable oil of your choice to the pan. Fry the salsify for 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
Recipe for salsify salad with cream cheese, bacon and cabbage
Fresh salsify is the main ingredient in the next recipe. We'll explain to you how you can prepare a quick salsify salad with walnuts and tahini sauce. You need the following ingredients (preparation time 25 minutes, 142 calories per serving, ingredients for 6 servings):
- 700 g salsify
- 300 g Kohl
- 100 g bacon
- 1 TL Butter
- 50 ml cream cheese
- Parsley, fresh, chopped
- Pepper, freshly ground
- Juice of half a lemon
Preparation:
1. Wash the salsify.
2. Pour lukewarm water into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice.
3. Peel the salsify under running water and cut into 5 cm long pieces (be sure to wear rubber gloves!). Add the winter vegetables to the bowl with the lemon water. If you use salsify from a jar, this step can be omitted.
4. Place the vegetables on kitchen paper and allow to drain. Add a pot full of cold water, bring the water to the boil over medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Put the butter in a pan and heat it, cut the bacon into small pieces and fry it until golden brown.
6. Chop the cabbage and add it to the bacon. Add 100 ml of water.
7. Drain the cooked salsify and mix with the bacon and cabbage. Garnish with cream cheese or sauce of your choice.
Prepare salsify soup
A filling and delicious starter or even the main course on a winter evening: here comes the classic recipe for salsify soup. These are the necessary ingredients for 6 servings:
- 500 g salsify, washed and peeled
- 3 shallots, peeled
- 4 THE BUTTER
- 300 ml milk
- 1 liter vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Pinch of sugar
- 100 g pumpkin flesh, cooked
Preparation:
1. Wash the salsify as already described, peel under running water and place in a bowl with vinegar water. Be sure to wear rubber gloves!
2. Chop the shallots finely. Put the butter in a deep pan, heat it and sauté the shallots in it. Remove the salsify from the vinegar water, drain and add to the shallots.
3. Add the vegetable stock, season with salt, sugar and other spices as desired, add the shallots, pumpkin and salsify. Puree the soup finely with the hand blender.
Salsify with meatballs
Salsify is also a popular garnish for meatballs. We'll explain to you how to make this deliciousPrepare the main coursecan. Here are the necessary ingredients for 6 servings:
- 1 kg and 500 g potatoes, peeled
- 900 g salsify, either fresh and unpeeled or from a jar, drained weight
- 1 kg minced meat
- 3 onions, chopped finely
- 450 ml milk
- 3-4 THE Butter
- 2 EL MEHL
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 pinches of nutmeg
Preparation:
1. Place the onion and minced meat in a bowl and mix well. Form meatballs out of it and put them in a pot. Cover the meatballs with water. Bring the water to the boil and simmer the meatballs over medium heat until they are cooked through.
2. In the meantime, peel and cut the potatoes into pieces, place them in a deep pot and cover with water. Let it cook for about 20 minutes.
3. Put the butter and flour in a deep pan, add the milk and simmer the sauce until it thickens. Season to taste and remove from heat.
4. Put on rubber gloves, wash the salsify under running water, peel and chop. Then put the vegetables in a pot, pour vinegar water over them and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Then remove the salsify from the pot and let it drain.
5. Arrange the salsify with the meatballs and potatoes and pour sauce over them.
Salsify recipe from a jar: As a side dish with mussels
Salsify from the jar can be used to prepare numerous dishes. The following comes oneRecipe with mussels. These are the necessary ingredients:
- 200 g Steinbutt, Filet
- 400 g mussels, cleaned
- 400 ml fish stock
- 100 ml white wine
- 100 g Butter
- 65g seaweed, soaked (follow package instructions)
- 100 g salsify from the jar (drained weight)
Preparing salsify:
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Pour olive oil into a deep pan and briefly fry the turbot fillet until it turns golden brown. But the fillet should not be cooked through.
3. Place the mussels in a deep pot, place the turbot fillet on top and pour over the fish stock and white wine.
4. Cover and simmer the dish over medium heat until the mussels open and the fish fillet is cooked. Remove the mussels and fish.
5. Add the seaweed to the white wine sauce and fry with butter until soft. Also briefly fry the salsify in it.
6. Garnish the fish with the mussels, seaweed and salsify and pour over the white wine sauce.
You can also prepare the salsify from the jar with a sauce. Simply put butter in a pot and gradually add a tablespoon of flour, stirring constantly. Remove the salsify from the jar and pour the salsify water into the pot. Put the cream and one egg yolk in a bowl and mix well. Then add to the sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens. Serve the salsify with the sauce as a side dish to dishes with minced meat and potatoes.
Salsify is a delicious vegetable, but peeling it is a bit problematic. If you want to save yourself the time-consuming work, use peeled salsify from a jar.
