One of my favorite summer foods used to be the traditional carrot and raisin salad.  It complements so many summer foods like grilled chicken, ribs, or juicy burgers. Unfortunately, I can no longer eat carrots or raisins, so I set out to create something that would fill that same niche in my culinary life. My solution was this parsnip salad with dried cranberries. It’s cool and lightly sweet with just enough tang. Definitely in the same category as my beloved carrot-raisin salad, but it is it’s own beautiful dish.

Be sure to choose thinner parsnips. The larger ones can be too tough.

Allergy Notes

• Although parsnips look like carrots, they are from a different genus and species. Be sure you don’t confuse parsnips with white carrots. They may look similar, but white carrots are still carrots.
• This recipe uses 100% cranberry juice. Don’t confuse this with cranberry cocktails like Ocean Spray that say 100% juice on the label. Cranberry drinks or cocktails may be 100% juice, but not 100% cranberry juice and usually contain juices that people with latex fruit syndrome may react to, like apple and grape.
• Be careful when selecting dried cranberries. I buy Trader Joe’s dried cranberries with cranberry seed oil, but most brands use sunflower oil, which can cross-react with latex (and makes me quite ill). Be sure to read the label carefully, and if you can’t get any at your local grocery store, you may want to dry your own. The salad would be edible without them, but they make a lovely addition, both visually and with flavor.
• Also read the label carefully on the rice vinegar. Many have additional ingredients, which may or may not cross-react with latex.
• Most sour creams are straight-forward and do not contain any suspect ingredients, but read the label carefully anyway. Some may contain pectin, which is largely derived from citrus fruit, which cross-reacts with latex.

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Parsnip Cranberry Salad

Made of grated parsnips with dried cranberries and a creamy dressing, serve this sweet and tangy pink salad cold along with your favorite summer foods off the grill.

Course

Salad, Side Dish

Prep Time

25 minutes

Passive Time

8 hours

Servings

servings

Ingredients

Parsnip Mixture

• 4 cups parsnips finely grated, thin parsnips
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup pure cranberry juice

Dressing

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Course Salad, Side Dish Prep Time 25 minutes Passive Time 8 hours Servings servings Ingredients Parsnip Mixture 4 cups parsnips finely grated, thin parsnips 2 Tbsp rice vinegar 1/4 cup pure cranberry juice Dressing 1/2 cup sour cream 2 Tbsp sugar 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Grate the parsnips to get 4 cups grated parsnips.
2. Place the parsnips in a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle the vinegar and cranberry juice over them. Stir and allow them to sit while making the dressing.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and salt.
4. Add the parsnip mixture to the dressing along with the dried cranberries. Mix gently until all the parsnips are coated in dressing.
5. Refrigerate at least overnight. This allows the vinegar and salt to soften the parsnips and moisture comes out of the parsnips and adds to the dressing.

Recipe Notes

My recipes avoid all ingredients listed on the American Latex Allergy Association website as known for cross-reacting with latex as well as a few other ingredients that I have discovered elsewhere. However, latex-fruit syndrome is still an emerging issue and poorly understood. There may be other foods that cross-react, and people with latex-fruit syndrome often have other food allergies independent of their latex allergy. Each individual is different, so be sure to discuss with your allergist the safest way for you to try out ingredients that are new to you before you cook with them.

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