How To Cut Turnips: 6 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow Life

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Terms of UseHow to Cut Turnips Explore this Article parts 1 Getting the Turnips Ready to Cut 2 Chopping up the Turnips Other Sections Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Article Summary Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 4, 2025 Tested

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This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 14,344 times.

Turnips can be great additions to salads, mashes, and roast vegetable dishes. Learning how to properly cut this round root vegetable might be daunting at first, but with a sharp knife and a few techniques up your sleeve, the turnip will be chopped and ready to use in no time.

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 2:

Getting the Turnips Ready to Cut

1. 1 Snip the turnip greens off at the base. The greens are edible, and are often used in salads when they are very young. They are tender when smaller, and add a mildly spicy flavor.[1]
   • A small, sharp paring knife, or kitchen scissors work best for dealing with the turnip greens.
2. 2 Wash the turnip in the sink. Use a brush or damp paper towel with cool water to remove any dirt or bugs from the turnip skin. If you are planning to use the turnip greens too, rinse them in the sink to clean, and then pat dry with a paper towel.[2] Advertisement
3. 3 Peel off the turnip skin. Use a vegetable peeler or a paring knife to remove the thick skin of the turnip. Try to peel short strips rather than long, to avoid getting caught on any bumpy knots in the skin.[3]
   • Peeling is necessary for older, larger turnips, however if the turnips are very young, you don’t have to peel them. If they are golf ball sized, this means that they are small enough to not need to be peeled.[4]
   • If the turnip skin is very thick and tough, you can always wait until after chopping to peel each slice. Using a paring knife rather than a vegetable peeler will make this easier too.[5]
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Part 2 Part 2 of 2:

Chopping up the Turnips

1. 1 Cut off the bottom of the turnip. Hold the turnip with one hand, and make a careful, steady cut with a chef's knife. This creates a flat surface to rest the turnip on the chopping board.[6]
   • A chef's knife which is 8 - 10 inches (20 - 25 cm) is best for slicing through turnips safely.
   • Removing the bottom of the turnip also removes the hairy roots, which are often found at the base of the vegetable.[7]
   • The base of the turnip is often thicker and isn't generally eaten anyway.[8]
2. 2 Slice the turnip in half to create two flat sides. This will be the most difficult part of cutting up the turnip, due to the oval shape. Be careful to make sure that the knife doesn’t slip, and slice it firmly through the turnip to create halves.[9]
   • Using a chopping board rather than a plate, as well as a recently sharpened knife, will make chopping up the turnip safer and easier.[10]
3. 3 Chop the turnip halves into the desired shapes. Lay each half flat on the chopping board, and slice into semicircles that are around ¼ to ½ an inch thick. You can continue cutting them into cubes if needed, or just leave them sliced.[11]
   • To further chop up the turnip, cut each semicircle in half lengthwise, and then into thirds or quarters depending on the size you prefer.[12]
   • Grating the turnip is also an option. You can use a food processor or hand-held grater to do this.[13]
   • For roasting, cut the turnips into wedges. For mashing the turnips, cut them into eight pieces.
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Expert Q&A

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Tips

• Turnips are best when they feel heavy for their size, and are not soft or shrivelled.[14] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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References

1. ↑ https://www.vegancoach.com/how-to-cook-a-turnip.html
2. ↑ https://morningchores.com/harvesting-turnip-greens/
3. ↑ https://www.craftsy.com/cooking/article/how-to-cut-vegetables-five-shortcuts/
4. ↑ http://www.cooksinfo.com/turnips
5. ↑ https://www.irishamericanmom.com/how-to-peel-and-cut-a-rutabaga/
6. ↑ https://www.craftsy.com/cooking/article/how-to-cut-vegetables-five-shortcuts/
7. ↑ https://www.craftsy.com/cooking/article/how-to-cut-vegetables-five-shortcuts/
8. ↑ https://www.irishamericanmom.com/how-to-peel-and-cut-a-rutabaga/
9. ↑ https://www.irishamericanmom.com/how-to-peel-and-cut-a-rutabaga/

More References (5)

10. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/mistakes-to-avoid-when-using-a-chefs-knife-234683
11. ↑ https://www.irishamericanmom.com/how-to-peel-and-cut-a-rutabaga/
12. ↑ https://www.irishamericanmom.com/how-to-peel-and-cut-a-rutabaga/
13. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/29/nyregion/food-turning-the-tables-on-turnip-bias.html
14. ↑ http://www.cooksinfo.com/turnips

About this article

Co-authored by: wikiHow Staff wikiHow Staff Writer This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 14,344 times. 4 votes - 30% Co-authors: 4 Updated: September 4, 2025 Views: 14,344 Article SummaryX

To cut a turnip, start by snipping off the greens from the bottom, saving them if you want to use them later. Next, peel off any tough outer skin with a vegetable peeler or a paring knife. Then, cut off the bottom of the turnip so you have a flat surface to balance it on. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut the turnip in half down the middle, then lay both halves flat on the cutting board and chop them into whatever size works best for your recipe. For some tips on dealing with especially tough turnip skin, scroll down! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: wikiHow Staff wikiHow Staff Writer 4 votes - 30% Click a star to vote 30% of people told us that this article helped them. Co-authors: 4 Updated: September 4, 2025 Views: 14,344

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