This is a harmless prank for the unsuspecting sorbet lover. Steamed parsnips are pureed to look like sorbet and colored naturally with vegetables. Fresh mint and berries are added to enhance the effect.
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While looking up photography inspiration for my mashed cauliflower post, I kept finding photos of ice cream and was quite confused. As it turns out, mashed potatoes are sometimes used in food photography to represent ice cream. They are easy to shape and won’t melt. This gave me the idea to use it as a prank. Instead of potatoes, though, I went with parsnips.

I’ve had parsnips before, but had never cooked them on my own before this week. When I did, they turned out very bitter, and the flavor had to be neutralized with salt and vinegar. Today, I learned it’s because thicker parsnips have a bitter core that should be removed before cooking. Aside from the bitterness, they taste very similar to carrots, and are closely related to them. When pureed, parsnips can look a lot like sorbet, making them perfect for a friendly prank.

Preparation

Peel the parsnips and carrot, and chop crosswise into quarters.
Cut a section of the red cabbage, measuring about ¼ cup.

Parsnip Puree

Place a steaming basket in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Add the carrot and red cabbage to the bottom of the steaming basket, on opposite sides (red cabbage stains easily). Put the parsnips on top of the other vegetables. Cover with lid and steam on medium heat for 20 – 25 minutes until vegetables are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.

 

Set aside the carrots and red cabbage. Add the parsnips to a blender along with all other “Parsnip Puree” ingredients and puree until smooth. Include vinegar/lemon juice in the puree if your parsnips taste bitter.

Sorbet Prank

Divide the parsnip puree into 3 portions. Take 1 portion and puree with “Orange Sorbet” ingredients. Take another portion and puree with “Blueberry Sorbet” ingredients.

 

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the parsnip puree onto a serving dish. Garnish with mint and berries.

 

Parsnip Puree Sorbet Prank

  • Author:

    Tiffany Makes

  • This is a harmless prank for the unsuspecting sorbet lover. Steamed parsnips are pureed to look like sorbet and colored naturally with vegetables. Fresh mint and berries are added to enhance the effect.

  • Parsnip Puree Sorbet Prank

  • Diet:

    Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free, Vegan

  • Yield:

    6 cups parsnip puree

  • Prep time:

  • Cook time:

  • Idle time:

  • Decoration time:

  • Total time:

Ingredients

Parsnip Puree

  • 6 parsnips – peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • ½ tsp ground garlic
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ⅛ tsp nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

Sorbet Prank

  • 1 carrot – peeled and chopped
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable broth
  • ¼ cup purple/red cabbage
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable broth
  • Mint
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Vegetable Peeler
  • Kitchen knife
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Saucepan with lid
  • Steaming basket
  • Blender/food processor
  • Ice cream scoop
  • Serving dish

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Peel the parsnips and carrot, and chop crosswise into quarters.
  2. Cut a section of the red cabbage, measuring about ¼ cup.

Parsnip Puree

  1. Place a steaming basket in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Add the carrot and red cabbage to the bottom of the steaming basket, on opposite sides (red cabbage stains easily). Put the parsnips on top of the other vegetables. Cover with lid and steam on medium heat for 20 – 25 minutes until vegetables are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
  2. Set aside the carrots and red cabbage. Add the parsnips to a blender along with other “Parsnip Puree” ingredients and puree until smooth. Vinegar/lemon juice is optional but recommended in the puree if the parsnips taste bitter.

Sorbet Prank

  1. Divide the parsnip puree into 3 portions. Orange Sorbet: Take one portion and puree with carrots and vegetable broth. Blueberry Sorbet: Take another portion and puree with red cabbage and vegetable broth.
  2. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the parsnip puree onto a serving dish. Garnish with mint and berries.

Notes

  • The red cabbage is put in the bottom when steaming because red cabbage is a natural dye and might bleed color onto the parsnips if steamed on top.
  • If you find the parsnip puree to be bitter, add a little more salt or vinegar to cut the bitterness.
  • Create tie-dye “sorbet” by spooning different colors into the ice cream scoop, instead of using just one color.