Buttery Swede and Carrot Mash is a simple yet delicious British dish that complements perfectly a variety of meat dishes, especially the roasts.
This simple and colorful side dish is a great alternative to Pomme Purée (Creamy Mashed Potatoes) and provides one of your five-a-day vegetables.
It’s budget-friendly, easy to make, and packed with nutrients.
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In our household, no roast dinner is complete without this vibrant, tasty, and low-carb carrot swede mash, accompanied by my extremely crispy Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes and the scrumptious Baked Cheesy Cauliflower or easy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts.
You can use the leftovers for topping Cottage Pie, Turkey Shepherd's Pie, or Fish Pie or you can use them for making warming Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi).
Why This Recipe Works?
- You only need 5 ingredients (including the salt) for this simple Carrot and Swede mash recipe.
- It is a great substitute for mashed potato and a lighter alternative if you are on a low-carb diet or if you are diabetic.
- You can make it vegan-friendly by swapping the butter with olive oil or vegan butter.
- Swede and Carrot mash is cheap, yet delicious and nutritious.
- You can adapt this great side dish by adding ground nutmeg, cream cheese, orange zest or lemon zest, double cream, chopped herbs, or garlic.
What is a Swede?
Swede is a starchy root vegetable cross between a cabbage and a turnip.
This nutty, sweet, and slightly bitter autumn/winter vegetable is known as "Rubataga" in the U.S. You can roast it or add it to soups and stews.
Despite its mild taste, it has a very strong smell while cooking.
When buying a swede, make sure it is very firm all over without any soft spots.
Swede is a very tough root vegetable, therefore you need a very good sharp knife, preferably a serrated knife to cut it into chunks.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Swede - This root vegetable is also known as rutabaga and is perfect for mashing. Use a fresh, firm swede to achieve a delicious mash.
- Carrots - They add a vibrant orange color as well as sweetness to the mash. Peel before cutting them into chunks for a smoother mash.
- Butter - Salted or unsalted butter works perfectly with this mash. Make sure you use plenty of butter as it is the most important flavoring for this dish.
- Freshly ground black pepper - I use a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper for seasoning. You can use less pepper if you prefer. You can substitute it with white pepper.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a very simple, straightforward recipe and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Prepare the Vegetables
Peel the carrots, and then cut them into chunks, roughly around 3 cm.
To peel the swede, remove the top and bottom of the swede in order to make it easier to peel.
Rest the cut side down on a chopping board and run a sharp knife down the sides, just about a millimeter in.
Or use a vegetable peeler, start at the top, and peel down your swede until all the tough outer skin has been removed.
Once peeled, carefully cut the swede in half and then cut it into big chunks, the similar sizes as the carrots.
Cook the Vegetables
Place the chopped swede and carrot in a large saucepan, add some cold water just enough to cover them, and put on medium heat.
Bring the pan to a boil and cook the swede and carrots for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are soft.
Drain the water and put the swede and carrots in a colander.
Mash, Garnish, and Serve
Return the cooked vegetables to the pan they were cooked in, let the water evaporate, and then add the cubed butter, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Mash them all together using a potato masher or potato ricer.
If you like your mash really smooth and creamy, you can add some cream and blitz it with a hand blender until smooth.
Garnish with some chopped herbs such as chives or parsley before serving.
Top Tips From the Chef
- You can cook the swede in the microwave to save some time. Simply place the whole swede in the microwave for 20 minutes on a high setting. The timing might change depending on the size of the swede. Check it with a sharp knife after 20 minutes, if it's not soft yet, put it back in the microwave oven for another 5-10 minutes.
- Cut your vegetables to the same size to ensure they all cook evenly at the same time.
- For a smoother texture, you can add some cream and blitz it with a stick blender until smooth.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this perfect side dish with Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder, Oven Roasted Turkey with Gravy, Honey Glazed Baked Ham, Beef Sirloin Tip Roast, or Slow Roasted Turkey Legs (With Gravy) for Sunday roast or Christmas dinner.
Or you can serve Carrot and Swede mash with meat dishes like Easy Lamb Goulash (Hungarian Stew), Baked Turkish Meatballs, Dutch Oven Roast Chicken, and Kuru Fasulye.
Storage Instructions
Allow the leftover mashed carrot and swede to cool to room temperature before storing it.
Transfer it into an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. Store the container in the refrigerator.
Mashed vegetables should be used within 3-5 days to maintain their best quality.
Also, this mash freezes beautifully!
You can make it in big batch and keep the leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The consistency might slightly change after defrosting.
Check before serving and add some heavy cream if too thick or cook until the water evaporates if watery.
Recipe FAQs
If frozen, defrost it before reheating. Simply place it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for a couple of minutes, until piping hot. You can also reheat it in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently.
To peel the swede, remove the top and bottom of the swede in order to make it easier to peel. Rest the cut side down on a cutting board and run a sharp knife down the sides, just about a millimeter in.
Or use a vegetable peeler, start at the top, and peel down your swede until all the tough outer skin has been removed.
Related Recipes
For more simple yet delicious side dishes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Swede and Carrot Mash as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
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Swede and Carrot Mash
Equipment
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 measuring spoons
- 1 peeler
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Potato Masher
- 1 Hand blender
Ingredients
- 500 g swede (cut in chunks)
- 400 g carrots (cut in chunks)
- 60 g butter (cubed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start with preparing your vegetables, peel the carrots, and cut them into chunks, roughly around 3 cm.
- Remove the top and bottom of the swede in order to make it easier to peel. Rest the cut side down on a cutting board and run a sharp knife down the sides, just about a millimeter in. Or use a vegetable peeler, start at the top and peel down your swede until all the tough outer skin has been removed.
- Once peeled, carefully cut the swede in half and then cut it into big chunks, the same size as the carrots.
- Place the chopped swede and carrot in a pan, add some water just enough to cover them, and put on medium heat.
- Bring the pan to a boil and cook the swede and carrots for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are soft.
- Drain the water and put the swede and carrots on a colander.
- Return them to the pan they were cooked in, let the water evaporate, and then add the cubed butter, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Mash them all together using a potato masher or potato ricer. If you like your mash really smooth and creamy, you can add some cream and blitz it with a hand blender until smooth.
- Garnish with some chopped herbs such as chives or parsley before serving.
Notes
- You can cook the swede in the microwave to save some time. Simply place the whole swede in the microwave for 20 minutes on a high setting. The timing might change depending on the size of the swede. Check it with a sharp knife after 20 minutes, if it's not soft yet, put it back in the microwave oven for another 5-10 minutes.
- Cut your vegetables to the same size to ensure they all cook evenly at the same time.
- If you like your mash really smooth and creamy, you can add some cream and blitz it with a hand blender until smooth.
- Swede is a very tough root vegetable, therefore you need a very good sharp knife, preferably a serrated knife to cut it into chunks.
- You can use the leftovers for topping Cottage Pie, Turkey Shepherd's Pie, or Fish Pie or you can use them for making warming Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi).
Nutrition
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Sally says
I made this delicious mash for roast lamb dinner and everyone loved it. Great recipe!