Gluten-Free Fall Foods

Root vegetables are hearty foods that are naturally gluten-free. They can be the perfect addition to an autumn meal, particularly in warm stews, casseroles, and soups. They are generally budget-friendly and keep well, too. While some of the leaves on the tops of root vegetables are edible, the main parts you eat are the nutrient-rich lower portions and bulbs that grow underground.

There are two main kinds of root vegetables – taproots and tubers. Taproots are actual roots of a plant that grow vertically and send nutrients up from the soil to the leaves above the ground. Tuberous roots or tubers are thicker parts of roots and tend to be starchier than taproot vegetables. There are also root-like vegetables such as onions and garlic that are not actually roots but grow underground with top leaves above the ground and roots growing out of them.

Taproots

Beets

Nutrition: Provide folate and manganese, potassium, vitamin A, fiber

Ancient civilizations first cultivated beets for their edible leaves, but eventually the taproot became part of their food supply. Beets are related to chard. Today, beets can be boiled, roasted, grilled, pickled, and eaten hot or cold. Shred raw beets or dice boiled beets cold over a salad. Try a sauerkraut made with fermented beets. Or try beets in soup! Don’t forget to use beets’ nutritious greens, too.

Soup Recipe: Beet Borscht from Taste of Home

Parsnips

Nutrition: Provide potassium, vitamin C, fiber

This cream-colored taproot looks like a large, pale carrot and is slightly sweet. Parsnips are, in fact, related to carrots – and parsley. In Europe, parsnips were a source of sugar before the production of cane and beet sugars. Parsnips can be eaten raw but are best when cooked.

They can be baked, boiled, pureed, roasted, fried, grilled, steamed or used to flavor stews, soups, and casseroles.

Rutabaga

Nutrition: Provide carotenoids (antioxidants found in red, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables) and vitamin C

The rutabaga is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. Both its roots and leaves are edible. Rutabagas are a common vegetable throughout Europe, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. While it is less common in the United States, it is still available in the fall and winter in some grocery stores. It can be roasted, sauteed, boiled in a stew, added to a casserole, or mashed like potatoes. In New England, rutabagas can be part of a traditional New England Boiled Dinner with corned beef, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, and onions.