14 Vegetables You Can Really Dig (No...Really, They're Root Vegetables and You Have to Dig for Them)

Starchy Tubers. Rhizomes. Taproots. Nope, this isn't a typical night at CBGB's in the early 1980s. We're talking about root vegetables and all their starchy flavor, versatility, and nutrition. As always, you want to seek out organic and locally grown options and when possible, grow your own--but don't forget those leaves because that's often where the most vitamins and minerals can be found.

Keep reading to learn 14 Ways to Get in Touch With Your Roots.

1. Beet

Beet: This high sugar veggie is--oddly enough--in the same family as Swiss Chard and its greens can be eaten much as you might eat chard. An excellent source of the B vitamins and folate, a very good source of manganese and potassium, and a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorus. Try them roasted.

2. Cassava

Cassava: A dark brown tuber that can reach two feet in length, cassava (a.k.a. yucca) is a dietary staple for a half-billion humans. High in fiber and potassium, cassava plays well with garlic.

3. Carrot

Carrot: While you might automatically think of the orange root vegetable favored by Bugs Bunny, carrots come in over 100 varieties, including some that are white, yellow, red, or purple. An excellent source of vitamin A, carrots also supply plenty of vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber, and potassium. Here's a thought: Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish.

4. Daikon

Daikon: Typically white and shaped like a large carrot, the daikon is a type of radish and it's name comes from two Japanese words: dai (meaning large) and kon (meaning root). The daikon supplies a good amount of vitamin C and it blends well with mushroom to make a light soup.

5. Jerusalem Artichoke

Jerusalem Artichoke: Also known as a sunchoke, the tubers of this vegetable resemble ginger root but maintain a potato-like consistency. A very good source of iron and a good source of thiamin, phosphorus, and potassium, the sunchoke is delicious when baked in olive oil and lemon.

6. Jicama

Jicama: A great, fat-free source of vitamin C, jicama looks like a big turnip and is popular in both South American and Mexican cuisine. Ths crispy, sweet, edible root can be eaten raw, but you might wannna try your jicama grilled in a salad.

7. Parsnip

The underrated parsnip looks like a pale carrot and is in the same family as carrots, parsley, fennel, and celery. For plenty of fiber, folic acid, calcium, and potassium, try parsnips in a curry soup.

8. Potato

Potato: The most widely cultivated vegetable in the world, potatoes are 85% starch. They provide vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin C and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur. Rumor has it that potatoes can be transformed into something tasty called French fries.

9. Radish

Radish: Red on the outside, white on the inside--with a mild-to-peppery flavor--radishes are loaded with vitamin C, sulphur, iron, and iodine. For a no-cook side dish, try Simple Cubed Radish Kimchi.

10. Rutabaga

The rutabaga is a cross between the cabbage and the turnip, with edible leaves. Prior to the popularization of the pumpkin, rutabagas were often carved for Halloween. A good source of vitamin C and beta carotene, and a perfect ingredient for a rutabaga-potato gratin.

11. Sweet Potato

With over 400 varieties and skin and flesh that can range from white to cream to yellow, orange, and pink to a very deep purple, this root vegetable is sometimes confused with yams. But there's nothing confusing about its nutritional value: an excellent source of vitamin A, a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, and iron. For a cooking tip, I have one word: mash.

12. Taro

Taro: For about 10% of the world's population, the large brown taro tuber is a dietary staple. You don't need to be a psychic to see that taro is low in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol but high in dietary fiber, vitamin E, vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese. For your next dessert, I see a taro tapioca pudding in your future.

13. Turnip

Turnip: Humans have been consuming the white, bulbous turnip since prehistoric times. The root is high in vitamin C. The leaves are a good source of folate, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K. Recipe suggestion: Roasted Turnips with Maple-Mustard Glaze.

14. Yam

The long, cylindrical yam comes in 200 varieties, many colors, and an earthy and hardy taste--not sweet like the sweet potato it is often confused with. Delivers plenty of dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin B6. It just might be time for yam fritters.