The humble swede is one heck of a versatile vegetable, you know! Today, we're going to go through a whole bunch of Swede Recipes (or Rutabaga Recipes, if you're reading in the US).
Welcome to the first, of many, many, recipes roundups. We've been in touch with food blogging buddies from around the internet, and they've sent me over their favourite and best recipes for certain ingredients. I love doing these already, because it's given me a chance to be nosey around other peoples blogs and get some ideas, and see what other people are up too, who doesn't LOVE being nosey?
You can expect to see these recipe roundups at least once a week in the future. If you're into that and don't wanna miss the whole bunch of seasonal recipe inspiration, then be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Today we're doing a deep dive on the Swede, Rutabaga, or Neeps depending on where you are in the world, so let's dive in, shall we?
What is a swede?
The Swede belongs to the same family as the cabbage and the turnip. In fact, it's a cross between the two. It's a root vegetable and also goes by the name rutabaga, neeps or the Swedish turnip. It's quite often confused with the turnip, even though they look fairly different.
In the UK, swede is in season from September until November. You will find some of the early harvests during July and August though. To prolong the life of their crop, farmers leave the hardy root vegetable in the ground until they're needed for dispatch to the supermarket, greengrocer or fruit and vegetable supplier.
Is swede good for you?
The swede is a great, lower-calorie option to the potato, and is high in Vitamin A and C. This means is great for eyesight, the immune system and improving bone and organ function.
7 Awesome Rutabaga Recipes to try today
Zucchini + Rutabaga Fritters
... or Courgette and Swede Fritters if you're reading in the UK. This recipe from Daniela over at Calm Eats take grated courgettes and swede, alongside a bunch of spices and dill (a hero of a herb IMO) and turns them into these absolutely GORGEOUS, golden crispy fritters. They're served with a dill, mustard mayo - extra points for the extra dill, obvz.
Swede Steak
This is one of my own from here on The Accidental Chef. Smokey and caramelised on the outside, and tender and juicy when you cut into it, this Swede Steak is a seasonal wonder. The steak is served on top of a super quick and tasty butter bean puree, and alongside a Vegan steak sauce packed full of flavour.
Herbed Carrot & Swede Mash
A CLASSIC! THE OG SWEDE RECIPE! Lizzie over at It's a Veg World After All is a registered dietitian, so y'all better listen to what she has to say! Super buttery and sweet Swede & Carrot was a staple on our Sunday dinner table growing up. It's super nutritious, and this one is WAY more orange than the one I used to get as a kid. Lizza recommends using a blender to get the perfect smoothness if not, a good old fashioned potato masher will suffice.
Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (with Whisky Sauce)
I literally just said that the OG swede recipe was carrot & swede mash, the people of Scotland will want my head on a stick if they see that. Christina is a Scottish Italian living out in LA, and has only gone and made the Burn's Night staple all fancy! This stack is comprised of haggis, swede and topped with potato before being drowned in a whisky sauce. Stick a tartan flag in it, and send it my way. I'm READY.
Swede & Chipotle Soup
Another one from me now! A soup with a big KICK of heat from a couple of dried chipotles, although that can be dialled back if it's not to your fancy. This is a delicious, no thrills soup and takes the Swede and pops it front and centre in this buttery soup. Needless to say, you should chow down on it with loads, and loads of heavily buttered bread.
Rutabaga, Bacon & Date Stuffing
If you've spent any time on my blog, you'll know that Sunday roasts are my favourite time of the week. Thus, this stuffing from Caroline at Caroline's Cooking, absolutely HAD to be on this list. I'm hoping the inclusion of this stuffing helps me get an invite to Caroline's for Christmas as they apparently have MULTIPLE STUFFINGS TO CHOOSE FROM?!?! Take me there!
Rutabaga Noodle with Tahini Sauce & Cashew Crumble
Last but by no means least in this epic list of swede recipes, we head back over to Calm Eats and Daniela, for this wonderful rutabaga noodle situation. I've been working on a swoodle (swede noodle) number myself, so maybe Daniela and myself can compare notes. This speedy dish is gluten-free, paleo, vegan and dairy-free. It looks absolutely divine too, be aware you'll need a spiraliser to complete this one.
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I've had an absolute blast putting together my first recipe roundup for you. I hope we've proved across these 7 recipes that the unglamorous swede is more than capable of becoming the star of the show.
There will be plenty more seasonally inspired recipe roundups coming up for you in the coming weeks and months, so please, subscribe to my newsletter, follow me in the usual places (link up the top there) and come back soon?
If you've enjoyed this roundup (or have absolutely hated it), please let me know in the comments section below. I love hearing from you all. Using Pinterest? There's a pin, up the top there, just for you to pin. to your favourite boards. Maybe you can start a whole, damn Swede board now? If you're making these Rutabaga Recipes, I can guarantee the other bloggers featured would absolutely love to hear from you too.
See you next time.
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