How to Cook Rutabaga: 3 Easy Recipes + Tips & Tricks (2024)

Learn how to cook rutabaga in 3 different ways! Rutabaga is delicious, inexpensive, and very versatile. In this post, I am showing you how to make roasted, boiled, and mashed rutabaga.

What is Rutabaga?

Rutabaga is a cross between cabbage and turnip. It’s a large round root vegetable with yellow flesh.

Rutabaga has been around for a few centuries and is popular in Northern Europe.

Depending on the region, it is also known as swede, Swedish turnip, yellow turnip, neep, or snagger.

What Does Rutabaga Taste Like?

Raw rutabaga is crunchy and quite mild. Cooked rutabaga tastes very much like a turnip.

Roasted rutabaga reminds me of cauliflower with a light turnip flavor.

In general, the flavor profile of rutabaga is savory-sweet with some bitter notes.

How Do You Serve Rutabaga?

Whether you are looking for a low-carb replacement for potatoes or a hearty side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, this funny-looking vegetable will not disappoint.

Rutabaga can be served cooked or raw.

Raw rutabaga tastes excellent in salads and can be eaten as a snack.

Cooked rutabaga is great served as a side dish with meat, fish, or chicken. It’s also perfect for grain and vegetable bowls. You can also add it to soups and stews.

How to Prepare Rutabaga for Cooking

Despite the strange appearance, rutabaga is pretty easy to handle.

Here are a few tips on prepping rutabaga for cooking…

How Do You Clean Wax off a Rutabaga?

If you purchased rutabaga at a grocery store or a farmers market, it’s most likely covered in wax.

You don’t have to remove the wax before peeling rutabaga, but if you still decide to do it, it’s quite easy.

Here is how to remove wax off rutabaga in a few easy steps:

1. place the rutabaga into a sink under running hot water;
2. let it warm up for about one minute to soften the wax;
3. using the dull side of a knife, scrub the wax off;
4. rinse well and wipe the rutabaga with a paper towel.

Do You Have to Peel Rutabaga Before Cooking?

Rutabaga skin is edible, but it might have a stronger flavor.

In addition, if you purchased rutabaga at a grocery store, it’s most likely covered in wax. Larger rutabagas also have tough skin that is often bruised.

For these reasons, I prefer to remove the skin before cooking the vegetable.

How Do You Peel and Cut Rutabaga?

Rutabaga is a dense vegetable, but it’s surprisingly easy to peel and slice.

If you didn’t remove the wax before peeling the rutabaga, thoroughly wash it under running water after peeling it.

If you intend to roast it, wipe it with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Always peel rutabaga before slicing it, and don’t attempt to cut off large chunks.

If you try to slice the vegetable in half, your knife will most likely get stuck. Instead, slice off thin slices starting from the outside and then cut them into desired shapes.

What to Keep In Mind When Cooking Rutabaga

Rutabaga is a very dense vegetable and takes a long time to cook.

So, to have the rutabaga ready in a reasonable amount of time, cut it into relatively small pieces before cooking:

• for roasted rutabaga, slice it into small cubes around 1/3 of an inch;
• for other methods, such as boiling or stewing, slice it into 3/4-inch slices.

How to Cook Rutabaga – 3 Basic Methods

There are many different ways you can prepare rutabaga.

Here you will find three basic methods that will help you start cooking this under-appreciated vegetable more often.

Method #1 – Roasted Rutabaga

This perfectly caramelized roasted rutabaga is incredibly flavourful.

It’s very easy to make, and you can serve it the same way you would any other roasted root vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1 large rutabaga (about 2 pounds)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
• salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

How to Roast Rutabaga:

1. To make roasted rutabaga, cut it into small dice, about 1/3 of an inch (photo 1).
2. Place the cubed rutabaga into a bowl. Add the olive oil, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt. Mix to make sure rutabaga is evenly coated in oil (photo 2).
3. Transfer the rutabaga to a baking sheet and place it into the preheated oven. Bake the rutabaga at 375F for about 45 minutes or until it’s cooked through. Make sure to mix it once or twice during cooking (photo 3).
4. Take the rutabaga out of the oven and sprinkle with apple cider vinegar before serving (photo 4).

Method # 2 – Boiled Rutabaga

This boiled rutabaga is soft and satisfying.

Add some olive oil or melted butter and season it with freshly ground black pepper to make it even more delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 large rutabaga (about 2 pounds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 thyme sprigs
• salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
• freshly ground black pepper

How to Boil Rutabaga:

1. To make boiled rutabaga, start by peeling and cutting it into 3/4 inch cubes (photo 1).
2. Place the rutabaga into a pot and add water. Rutabaga floats in the water, so make sure to add enough of it for the rutabaga to boil. Add the bay leaf and thyme (photo 2).
3. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes until rutabaga is fork-tender. Carefully drain the water. Remove the bay leaf and thyme. (photo 3).
4. To serve, add the olive oil or melted butter to the rutabaga and generously season with black pepper (photo 4).

Method # 3 – Mashed Rutabaga

This mashed rutabaga is a great low-carb substitute for mashed potatoes.

Serve it as is, or add some olive oil, butter, cream, or sour cream to make it richer.

Ingredients:

• 1 large rutabaga (about 2 pounds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 thyme sprigs
• salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter

How to Make Mashed Rutabaga:

1. To make mashed rutabaga, start by peeling and cutting it into 3/4-inch cubes (photo 1).
2. Place the rutabaga into a pot and add water. Rutabaga floats in the water, so make sure to add enough of it for the rutabaga to boil. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes until rutabaga is fork-tender. (photo 2).
3. Carefully drain the water. Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Mash the rutabaga with a potato masher for a chunky texture or use an immersion blender or a food processor for a smoother texture (photo 3).
4. Add the olive oil or melted butter and serve (photo 4).

Now It’s Your Turn!

So, what do you think about rutabaga?

Have you tried it? Do you like cooking it? What’s your favorite method of cooking rutabaga? Please share it with us in the comments below. And if you found this article helpful, please give it a 5-star rating!

More Helpful Cooking Guides

Here are a few other step-by-step guides to help you learn how to cook:

• How to Cook Black Rice
• How to Cook Barley
• How to Cook Millet
• How to Cook Carrots
• How to Cook Beets

How to Cook Rutabaga

Yield: 4 to 6 portions

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Learn how to cook rutabaga three different ways! Roasted, boiled, or mashed rutabaga makes the perfect healthy side dish for the Thanksgiving dinner and other occasions. Cooked rutabaga is great for meal-prep and can be added to salads and grain bowls.

Ingredients

For the Roasted Rutabaga:

• 1 large rutabaga (about 2 pounds)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
• salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

For the Boiled Rutabaga

• 1 large rutabaga (about 2 pounds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 thyme sprigs
• salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
• ground black pepper

For the Mashed Rutabaga:

• 1 large rutabaga (about 2 pounds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 thyme sprigs
• salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter

Instructions

Roasted Rutabaga

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Slice the rutabaga into 1/3 inch cubes.

2. Place the sliced rutabaga into a bowl. Add the olive oil, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt. Mix to make sure rutabaga is evenly coated in oil. Transfer to a baking sheet. Spread the rutabaga into a single layer. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven.

3. Bake rutabaga for about 45 minutes or until it's cooked through. Make sure to mix it once or twice during cooking.

4. Take the rutabaga our of the oven and sprinkle with apple cider vinegar before serving.

Boiled Rutabaga

1. Peel and cut rutabaga it into 3/4 inch cubes.

2. Place the rutabaga into a pot and add water. Rutabaga floats in the water so make sure to add enough of it for the rutabaga to boil. Add the bay leaf and thyme.

3. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes until rutabaga is fork-tender. Carefully drain the water. Remove the bay leaf and thyme.

4. To serve, add the olive oil or melted butter to rutabaga and generously season with black pepper.

Mashed Rutabaga

1. Peeling and cut rutabaga into 3/4 inch cubes.

2. Place the rutabaga into a pot and add water. Rutabaga floats in the water so make sure to add enough for the rutabaga to boil. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes until the rutabaga is fork-tender.

3. Carefully drain the water. Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Mash the rutabaga with a potato masher or use an immersion blender or food processor to puree it.

4. Add the olive oil or melted butter and serve.

Notes

1. Store cooked rutabaga in the refrigerator in a glass container with a tight lid or freeze it for up to 3 months.

2. Nutrition information provided for boiled rutabaga cooked without anything else added.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 4Serving Size 1/4 of recipe
Amount Per ServingCalories 54Total Fat 0.3gSaturated Fat 0.1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0.2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 9mgCarbohydrates 12.3gFiber 3.2gSugar 7.1gProtein 1.7g

Nutrition facts provided on this website are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a qualified health care provider for personalized diet advice and make sure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.

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