Ravenous for Rutabagas

Published on Thursday, January 29, 2009, by Caitlin McGrath / Edit Post

Rutabagas, called swedes in Britain, are a root vegetable related to the turnip with a sharp-sweet flavor. Peel away their waxy skin before cooking. happybellynh says they can be used anywhere you’d use other root vegetables: in soups, stews, roasts, pot pies, and casseroles.

Rutabagas can be prepared like mashed potatoes: cubed and boiled, then mashed with milk and butter. Candy likes them roasted, covered, with a bit of stock until tender, then puréed with butter and sherry. soupkitten mashes them together with potatoes. Harters likes them mashed with carrots, and grated/steamed rutabagas, carrots, and leeks.

Rutabagas make good creamy soups. dkenworthy likes CHOW’s Smoked Paprika and Rutabaga Bisque, saying: “The sweet, smoky flavor of the paprika really complemented the sharpness of the rutabaga.” greedygirl recommends Gordon Ramsay’s caramelized swede soup.

And check out CHOW’s Rutabaga with Mustard and Scallions.

Board Link: Rutabagas -- educate me, please.

ALLHome Cooking Digest
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  • I love roasted rutabaga! I wonder whyt there aren't more Americans eating them. Most of the time, when I go through the checkout line at the supermarket, the sales associate has to ask me what vegetable it is.

    I once interviewed a World War II veteran, who after the war refused to eat rutabagas. Apparently, he had spent some time in a German prison camp during the war, and was fed solely on...+READ

    I love roasted rutabaga! I wonder whyt there aren't more Americans eating them. Most of the time, when I go through the checkout line at the supermarket, the sales associate has to ask me what vegetable it is.

    I once interviewed a World War II veteran, who after the war refused to eat rutabagas. Apparently, he had spent some time in a German prison camp during the war, and was fed solely on rutabagas and stale bread for the duration of his stay there. He told me this was because rutabagas, at that time in Germany, were used only as cattle feed and were not considered fit for human consumption. I wonder if the status of the rutabaga has improved in Germany since then!-COLLAPSE