Hakurei are Japanese salad turnips: sweet, crisp and mild, nothing like the big purple-top turnips your or somebody’s grandmother boiled. You can eat them raw like a radish, and the greens are tender enough to cook right along with the roots. One bunch, two vegetables, zero waste.

Storage: Cut the greens off as soon as you can, you can leave about an inch of stem. Store roots and greens in separate bags in the fridge. Roots keep for a few weeks; greens are best within 5 days.

Serves 2–3 as a side · 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch Hakurei turnips, with greens
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • Squeeze of lemon juice

Directions

  1. Trim the greens from the turnips. Sort, rinse, and roughly chop the greens.  Give the roots a scrub or wipe any debris with a dish towel (no need to peel) and cut them in halves or quarters so the pieces are about the size of a grape… or bite size is what I go for.
  2. Put the turnips in a skillet in a single layer. Add water until it comes close to halfway up the turnips, then add the butter, honey and salt.
  3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring now and then, until the water has mostly evaporated and the turnips are just tender, about 10 minutes.
  4. Keep cooking a few more minutes, shaking the pan, until the turnips are glossy and starting to brown in spots.
  5. Add the chopped greens and stir until they wilt, about 1 minute. Finish with lemon juice and taste for salt.

Quick raw idea: Slice turnips anywhere from bite size to paper-thin and toss with a splash of rice vinegar, a pinch of salt and a little sesame oil. Let sit for 10 minutes. Great on salads, rice bowls or straight from the bowl.