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This sweet potato and swede (rutabaga) mash is a perfect balance of sweet and earthy with a great creamy texture! This wonderful and easy side dish could be a great alternative to your mashed potatoes!
Serve this creamy mash with my juicy Meat Patties in Mushroom Sauce.
A couple of weeks ago I was commissioned to develop recipes for a vegetable guide for a freelance job. The vegetables I was given were the worst kind or so I thought. Leeks, Celeriac, Beetroot and Swede or, as the latter known in the US, rutabaga.
I love vegetables but let’s be honest, some of them are just not appealing in any way you look at them, and I was asked to work with that kind! However, after spending some time brainstorming and doing research I found new and exciting ways to cook those cast-offs of the culinary world.
I cannot share the recipes with you just yet but this Sweet Potato and Swede Mash is a result of my new found knowledge of how wonderful, delicious and nutritious swede or rutabaga is!
What is swede and what does it taste like?
We all love sweet potatoes, their wonderful flavour and creamy texture pair well with almost anything. Swede is another matter. It belongs to the same family as cabbage and tastes quite bitter when eaten raw.
However, cooking transforms swede and combining it with sweet potatoes in a creamy mash truly makes swede shine.
Why eat it you might ask? Well, swede is incredibly nutritious and very low in calories. It is however high in antioxidants, vitamins A and C and a number of minerals.
Last week when I cooked Cod Roasted in Mustard Sauce, this Sweet Potato and Swede Mash was what went on the side. I cannot tell you enough what a wonderful partner this sweet tasting mash made to mustardy fish!
How to make it
Peel and cube both sweet potatoes and swede and boil with some thyme for extra flavour until tender enough to mash.
Mash with plenty of butter and a touch of chopped parsley. It’s that easy and utterly delicious!
More delicious vegetable side dishes
- Creamy Braised Cabbage with Bacon and Mushrooms
- Eggplant Caviar with Cracked Coriander Seeds
- Roasted Parmesan Broccoli
- Feta and Zucchini Fritters
Sweet Potato and Swede Mash
Ingredients
- 500g / 1 lb (1 large) Swede
- 800 / 1¾ lbs (3 medium) Sweet Potatoes
- 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
- 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 3 tbsp butter
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel both sweet potatoes and swede and cube them. Cut swede in smaller chunks than sweet potatoes as it takes longer to cook.
- Boil both vegetables in the same pot together with 1 tsp of fresh thyme leaves for 15 minutes until fork tender.
- Mash with a potato masher until smooth, add butter, chopped parsley and salt to taste and stir to combine.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can thus be made ahead
Absolutely
I also added parsnips to the mixture. Delicious.
Surprisingly good and filling for such a simple recipe.
Can the mash be frozen?
Yes it can
I have just stumbled upon your site when looking for a recipe. I usually do swede and carrot mash but I’m out of carrots! This looks like a delicious topping for tonight’s cottage pie. My mouth is watering looking at the pictures on your site, I’ll be back for more!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Amy! Enjoy and I hope you do come back! 🙂
I am loving your recipes and Swede I love with roast lamb. Thank you
My pleasure, Sue!!
Mashed Swede and Parsnips are yummy also. Thank you for this recipe. Will make very soon
I love parsnips so much, Angela!
I had to google swede. I’d not heard of that. We call them rutabagas. I’ll have to try this!
So funny but I completely get it. I have not heard of a swede until we moved to the UK and the UK audience is so mystified by a rutabaga!
Such a great dish! I ‘m a big fan of swede and i can’t wait to try it out. So can i preserve it in refrigerator for a week ?
I LOVE mashed swede, I especially like to make a mixed root vegetable mash, it is so much tastier than regular mashed potato 🙂
It does have so much more taste, Hannah! I completely agree!
Love sweet potatoes. Beautiful photos too Julia.
Thank you so much, Valya! 🙂