In my entire library of recipes, this signature dish is probably my favorite. And that’s saying something. I have been making it for years, and every person who eats it loves it. This hash is the very definition of a power tool. A whole tool KIT, in fact. If food could be a mascot, this would be mine. Because it represents the concepts of both Therapeutic and Foodie brilliantly.
How do I love thee, RVH? Let me count the ways:
- Just hearing the word “hash” makes me happy. Corned beef hash, hash-brown potatoes, restaurant breakfasts, old-school cooking, decadent comfort food. I’m excited already.
- Root veggies are gorgeous, possessing both inner and outer beauty. A colorful array of high-fiber delights. An arsenal of anti-oxidants that protect the body from chronic disease. You’ll want to take a photo of this majesty.
- Sneaky greens. At the end, I add some roughly chopped spinach, chard, kale, dandelion, mustard or turnip greens. The pieces are small and they seem to melt into the hash and almost disappear. But their nutritional power remains.
- Heartiness. This dish is so satiating, without feeling heavy at all. Try having this for breakfast instead of something with nutritionally void carbs. You will never again feel depleted and ready to snack by 10:30 a.m.
- Flexibility. I love to vary the veggies, spices and greens so I never get sick of this. Parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, golden beets, celery root, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, carrots, watermelon radish. Rosemary and thyme. Harissa and cumin. Smoked paprika and black pepper.
- BACON. Is bacon healthy? No. Does bacon make you want to eat something that could otherwise feel a little daunting based on uber-healthiness? Yes. The ratio of bacon to veggies here is miniscule. So, while the vegetarian/vegan versions of this are totally delicious, I always add some meat, for the pure joy of it. Chorizo is another great option.
OK. Have I sold it? You simply must give this a try. I’m providing a specific flavor profile and amounts below, but remember that you can make as much of this as you want, and the veggies can vary. Just go for the biggest variety you can, and don’t go overboard on the plain old white potatoes.
Root Veggie Hash
Ingredients
- 12 oz.bacon or 1/2 lb. ground chorizo, cooked and set aside*
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 medium celery root
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 large carrots
- 1 large turnip
- 1 large rutabaga
- 1 medium onion (skip this if you have SIBO or other digestive issues)
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary (or 2 fresh, finely diced)
- 1 tablespoon dried spice of choice (try oregano, basil, Herbes De Provence)
- Sea salt and pepper
- Big bunch of greens (dandelion, chard, spinach, mustard or kale), washed and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (add more if the veggies start looking dry)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Peel and chop all vegetables into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Toss with herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper. Dump everything onto large jelly roll baking sheet (with sides) or big roasting pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until veggies are soft, stirring once or twice.
(Pro-tip: open the oven door every 10 minutes or so to let the steam out. This helps the veggies brown and crisp.) - Add greens and cooked bacon or chorizo and toss well to mix. Put back in the oven for 10 minutes, or until greens are wilted. Stir after 5 minutes to prevent drying of greens.
- Serve with a poached or fried egg on top, if you want to add more protein and joy!
Notes
*NOTE: You can also chop the bacon into bite size pieces, toss it into the veggie mixture and let it all cook together. If you choose this, skip the olive oil. The bacon fat should be sufficient to keep things moist and delicious. Obviously this is less healthy than olive oil, but it saves you the step of pre-cooking the bacon and makes everything taste even better. (If using chorizo, it must be precooked.)
