What Is A Rutabaga? Two Rutabaga Recipes

What Is A Rutabaga?

Rutabagas are often thought of as yellow turnips but actually belong to the highly prized family of cruciferous vegetables.  In Europe, rutabagas are called “swedes” because they thrive in the colder climates of Sweden.  The rutabaga is a root vegetable that looks very much like a turnip with yellow-orange flesh and ridges at its neck.  It’s actually a great tasting vegetable with a delicate sweetness and flavor that hints of the light freshness of cabbage and turnip.

They are harvested in the fall and will stay for weeks in your refrigerator. Rutabagas were one of the only available foods during WWI in many countries, because they’re easy to grow and easy to store. You may like rutabagas and not know it yet. Here are 2 easy and healthy recipes for you to try

Roasted Rutabaga Fennel & Squash

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Paleo

4 servings

1 medium rutabaga about 1–1 ½ lb rutabaga peeled and cut into 1”  cubes
1 fennel bulb tops removed and sliced horizontally ½” wide
2 cups squash, kuri, butternut or delicate  cut into 1” cubes
¼ -½ cup olive oil, enough to coat the vegetables
A few sprigs of rosemary and thyme
Celtic Sea salt & pepper

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Put 2 shallow roasting pans into the oven to heat.
• Mix vegetables in a bowl with the oil, herbs, salt & pepper.  Mix to coat the vegetables with the oil.
• Remove the pans from the oven, spread vegetables onto the pans so they are in one layer.
• Roast on the top shelf of the oven 20 minutes.
• Using a spatula or tongs turn vegetables over so they brown on both sides.  Browning increases their sweetness.
• Roast 15 – 20 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender and brown.
• Serve

Mashed Rutabaga

Healthy and flavorful mashed rutabagas make a great side dish.

4 servings

1 – 2 lbs rutabaga
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
2 Tb full flavored olive oil
¼ tsp nutmeg
Fresh ground pepper

• Peel rutabaga, cut into chunks.
• Put the rutabaga and onions in a large saucepan and cover with water.
• Add ½ tsp of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.
• Drain and let them dry in a colander or in the pan.
• Mash the rutabagas and onions with the olive oil, remaining ½ tsp salt, nutmeg and the black pepper.
• Serve