A simple but tasty and colourful winter side dish. No need for fancy equipment and no need to roast or fry. Just chop, boil and smash. Carrot and swede mash is delicious just as it is.
Carrot and swede mash is a traditional British side dish. It makes a great accompaniment to all sorts of meals, but it works particularly well with a roast dinner. It’s really just a pan of cooked carrots and swede that are then mashed with butter and pepper. But it’s so much greater than the sum of its parts.
When the sun is at its lowest ebb and light is at a premium, the bright orange glow emanating from the veg feeds the eye as well as the body. Do try it if you haven’t already.
When is a Swede not a Swede?
Well a swede is always a swede, but it’s not necessarily a turnip. Both are root vegetables, but there the similarity ends. A turnip is usually small and white, whilst a swede is large, starchy and yellowy orange in colour.
But it is confusing. In Cornwall and northern England the swede is often referred to as a turnip. The name is, apparently, short for Swedish turnip. But it goes by other names too. The Scots call it neeps, whilst in North America it’s called rutabaga.
Swedes are nutty in flavour, slightly bitter but also quite sweet. The sweetness is especially true if you eat it raw. As a child, it was the only way I could eat it. Now I love it.
Carrot and Swede Mash Benefits
- Simple – only four ingredients.
- Nutritious – contains dietary fibre and is rich in various antioxidants, including vitamins A, C and B6.
- Diabetic friendly – low carb, so a good substitute for mashed potatoes.
- Cheap – neither swede nor carrots cost very much which makes this a frugal but delicious side dish.
- Adaptable – make it dairy-free or vegan, if required. Just swap the butter for olive oil. Adjust the salt to suit your taste and health requirements. Add nutmeg or not. Vary the ratio of swede to carrot. I could go on.
- Good for meal prep – make in advance and just reheat in the oven when needed.
- Delicious leftovers – use to top a shepherd’s pie, turn into soup or make pancakes. Alternatively bake some savoury muffins.
Carrot and Swede Mash
The traditional recipe for carrot and swede mash is for equal measures of carrot and swede. You don’t really need to be too exact about this though. If you have a bit more of one and a bit less of the other, it’s not going to make a big difference.
For this recipe I’ve gone with a whole swede, weighing 600g and 500g of carrots. As the carrots are only topped and tailed whilst the swede is also peeled, it’s not going to have that big an effect in the end.
Although I like to keep as much peel on my veg as I can, as that’s where many of the nutrients lie, swede skin is just a bit too tough. It really needs peeling. Carrots, on the other hand, don’t. Just give them a good scrub.
You will need a large sturdy knife to cut the swede though. It can be quite tough.
I add a bayleaf and a little salt to the pan along with enough water to almost, but not quite, cover the vegetables. Less water means you retain more of the flavour and nutrients. Once cooked and drained, then mash with your favourite implement.
My mother uses a simple hand masher. I use a stick blender to pulse the mixture so that it doesn’t get too smooth. We like a bit of texture to our carrot and swede mash. However, if you prefer a smooth purée, blend for longer or use a jug blender.
Some people add nutmeg. I’m one of those. Just a little nutmeg gives quite a lift. I also cook my carrots and neeps with a bay leaf. This also adds flavour without overwhelming the sweetness of the veg. Who needs sweet potatoes?
How To Make Vegan Carrot and Swede Mash?
It’s easy to make vegan carrot and swede mash. For a dairy-free or vegan version, just follow the recipe as is, but replace the butter with olive oil at the mashing stage.
How Long Will Carrot and Swede Mash Last?
If you have any carrot and swede mash left over, place it in a suitably sized airtight container. It will then keep in the fridge for up to five days. It makes excellent vegetable fritters.
Can You Freeze Carrot and Swede Mash?
Carrot and swede mash freezes well. Put it in a covered freezer proof container and keep it for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then transfer it to an ovenproof dish and reheat in the oven or air fryer. You can also use a microwave.
Why Is Your Carrot and Swede Mash Watery?
Carrot and swede mash shouldn’t be in the least bit watery. If it is, you might have boiled the vegetables for too long or not allowed them to steam dry before mashing.
What To Serve With Carrot and Swede Mash?
Carrot and swede mash goes well with all sorts of dishes. Serve it as an accompaniment to a roast dinner, with sausages or with pies. In fact you can use it as a straight swap for mashed potatoes. For instance, it works well as a topping for shepherd’s pie.
I’m serving it as one of the side dishes on our Christmas table this year. My mother is coming up to stay over the festive period and in her eyes no Christmas dinner is complete without carrots and neeps. Having said that, it’s a really delicious dish which I’m more than happy to include. It will accompany my lentil nut roast, this braised red cabbage, leek gratin, brussels sprouts, parsnip chips, cranberry sauce and a whole heap of other delights.
The batch of carrot and swede mash you can see here accompanied sausages and mushroom gravy the other night. It was delicious. In fact, the mash was so good all by itself, I couldn’t help but tuck into a bowlful for lunch yesterday. There are leftovers and I will probably add an egg and some flour to make some sort of pancakes or fritters. Then again I might just turn it into soup. This stuff is versatile.
Top Tip
Scatter some chopped fresh parsley over the top of your carrot and rutabaga mash. The green gives a nice colour contrast to the orange and makes the mash stand out even more.
Other Swede Recipes You Might Like
I’m astonished to find I have no swede recipes on Tin and Thyme – until now. Swede is a much underrated vegetable and it’s a shame it’s not used more than it is. It can easily be included in stew-type recipes such as my end of season vegetable stew with mushroom dumplings.
- Cajun-spiced swede chips via Cook Veggielicious
- Curried root vegetable soup via Fab Food 4 All
- Ginger swede cake via Sneaky Veg
- Maple roasted swede via Cook Veggielicious
- Swede nutmeg cake with brown butter frosting via Veggie Desserts
- Swede soup via Thinly Spread
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this carrot and swede mash, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more side dish recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette
Carrot and Swede Mash. PIN IT.
Carrot and Swede Mash – The Recipe
Carrot and Swede Mash
Ingredients
- 1 small swede (rutabaga) about 600g (1 lb 5 oz)
- 500 g carrots
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 25 g salted butter (or 1 tbsp olive oil for dairy-free)
- good grating of nutmeg about ¼ tsp
- good grinding of black pepper about ⅛ tsp
Instructions
- Peel the swede, then chop the flesh into rough cubes – about 1 ½ cm sq.1 small swede (rutabaga)
- Scrub the carrots well, then top and tail. No need to peel. Chop into similar sized piece to the swede.500 g carrots
- Place in a large lidded pan along with the bay leaf and salt.1 bay leaf, ½ tsp sea salt
- Almost, but not quite, cover with water. Bring to the boil with the lid on then simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the cubes are cooked, but not mushy. You can test by inserting a knife into a cube of each. If it goes in easily, it's done.
- Drain through a colander, reserving the cooking liquid for gravy or soup. Allow to steam dry a little, then return to the pan. Add the butter, nutmeg and pepper and mash to your desired consistency.25 g salted butter, good grating of nutmeg, good grinding of black pepper
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing this delicious dish of carrots and neeps with Lost in Food for #CookBlogShare.
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
I had no idea what a swede was! But I’m all about roasted root vegetables, so a mash is just up my alley! This looks like a wonderful holiday side dish.
Choclette says
Roast swede is pretty good too, but it works really well just boiled and mashed too.
Jo Allison says
Such a simple and delicious side dish and lovely change from standard mashed potatoes.
Choclette says
It is and I really do wonder why I don’t make it more often. The leftovers made fabulous fritters too.
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
Carrots are so delicious and I love the addition of the nutmeg in your recipe! I can’t wait to give this one a try!
Choclette says
There are somethings that nutmeg goes particularly well with and this dish is one of them.
Monika Dabrowski says
I love a healthy mash and carrot and swede make a great pair. Pinned it!
Choclette says
Swede is such an underrated veg and yet it can be really delicious, especially when mashed with carrot.
Ramona says
Delicious combo! Made it last night and it made such a nice side to our stake – yummm. Great timing!
Choclette says
Yay, glad my recipe had such a quick impact. It makes a healthy and nice change to mashed potato.
angiesrecipes says
That’s truly a fantastic side dish! Have never thought of adding bay leaf…I love it!
Choclette says
Thanks Angie. It just adds a little extra something without being obvious.
Michelle Cannon says
I’ve never heard of this until now, but it sounds good! I may have to try it soon.
Choclette says
It’s really good Michelle and it makes a nice change from mashed potato.
Michelle Rolfe says
I love this combination! It brings me straight back to childhood days (when I wouldn’t eat carrots or swede on their own!) my mum always mashed them with lashings of butter and shocking – but a bit of white sugar too! I wouldn’t dream of adding sugar to beautiful veg now but it does bring lots of fond memories back! Thanks for sharing #CookBlogShare. Cheers, Michelle x
Choclette says
Trying hard not to be shocked! Cooked carrots I would eat, but never swede. My mother used to give me raw sticks of it to chew on whilst she was preparing it for cooking. I was quite happy with that way.
Mandy says
Mmmm this sounds so good. Love the sound of carrot and swede together. Thanks for including my recipes x
Choclette says
You get five gold stars for having so many swede recipes Mandy. This one is a good one too though.
CAMILLA HAWKINS says
I love swede and I love carrots, why I have never made Carrot & Mash Swede is beyond me! Will make this to go with our New Year roast beef – yum:-)
Choclette says
It’s funny the recipes we “know” about and the ones we don’t. Sounds like a good new year plan.
sherry says
i’m not sure that we see swedes here but maybe i’m just not looking:-) this sounds very tasty. have a great festive season. cheers sherry
Choclette says
I think it’s a cold weather vegetable Sherry, so not sure Australia would have the right growing conditions for it. Thank you and Merry Christmas to you.
Chris says
Oh I LOVE swede! It’s a very underrated vegetable and it is delicious in so many recipes! This looks fab, I’m loving the addition of a smidgen of nutmeg.
Choclette says
Every time I have swede I wonder why we don’t eat it more often. Thanks for your recipe. I’m now keen to try it and the others too.