Rosemary roasted swedes | rutabaga wedges

Roasted swedes (rutabaga) are a delightful turn to low-carb wedges. Flavoured with rosemary, these rutabaga wedges have a wonderful warm flavour profile between radishes and potatoes. Enjoy these baked rutabaga wedges on a cool day as a snack or side to your main meal.
My knowledge of rutabaga was from the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ series that I watched endlessly with the kids when they were small. The rushing rabbit with his rutabaga patches lingered on. While I was reading about swedes that caught attention in the vegetable market, I realised they are the same. So driven by the rabbit instinct we have roasted swedes or rutabaga wedges.

What are swedes or rutabaga?

Swedes or rutabaga is a root vegetable. It is a cruciferous taproot, which is a cross between cabbage. Similar to a turnip, the rounded tap root has a purplish-green top and creamy lower half. It looks very similar to a turnip and is often confused with them. The flesh of the turnip is white whereas the one of  swedes ( rutabaga) is creamish- orange. 

Cleaning and prepping the rutabaga wedges

Just like any other root vegetable, rutabagas are as simple as peel and slice. A simple peeler is enough to get the tough skin out. The slightly yellow inside is smooth to cut through. The flesh does stain if you cut and store it. So place them in water if you are cutting them ahead.

Prepping some rosemary.

The main flavour fragrance in this roasted swede recipe is fresh rosemary. It is a hardy perennial herb that grows easily on your window sill or in the garden. With a slight camphorous smell, the rosemary pairs really well with baked root vegetables. All you need to do is snip a few stalks and string them to get rid of the woody stem and you have just the leaves to use. Simply toss these in with the wedges and e joy the aroma that arises.

What do roasted swedes (rutabaga) taste like?

Once roasted the texture of swedes is similar to a turnip. The creamy colour when raw turn to a deep golden colour. Flavour-wise it tastes a bit like roasted radishes ( slight bitterness), with a slight sweetness of the carrot. In fact, this complexity gives it its unique flavour.

What other flavour profiles can you try?

If you don’t like rosemary, there are a few different options that you can do.

• Roast the rutabaga with salt and sprinkle some Italian spice mix on it.
• Crumb coat the wedges with a mix of breadcrumbs and partisan for a crunchier version.
• Drizzles some chilli oil instead of online oil and creates a spicier side.
  These are the ones we have tried so far. If you have some more suggestions we will love to try them. Tell us more in the comments below, or tag us to your roasted swedes on social.

Serving suggestions

Just like serving another wedge, try a ranch dip to coat the wedges. I wouldn’t mind having these wedges with avocado chutney or spicy tomato dip to go with it too. The wedges taste great with a bowl of creamy green soup too.

Why you would like this recipe?

• It is healthy to have some root veggies.
• Varying the flavours you add, can give you a few different ideas here.
• It is perfect for winter nights or a Sunday brunch.
• It is one of the easiest, low-effort recipes.
• Swedes in season can be pretty cheap, so this is a cost-effective solution to fill the tummies in a healthier way.
• If you are trying our recipe please use the star rating, let us know how it was or if you are changing so we can try it too.

Other oven-roasted veggie recipes

On this blog, we have a few winter-perfect roasted veggies recipes . Try out these 

Roasted tomatoes with basil dressing  

Carrot fries and hung yogurt relish

Maple roasted Brussels sprout

Roasted carrots with thyme honey.

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