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You are here: Home / Recipes / Swede Chips (Rutabaga Fries) With Sticky Mustard Dressing

Swede Chips (Rutabaga Fries) With Sticky Mustard Dressing

Published on September 10, 2019 by Helen 24 Comments
Last Updated on March 11, 2020

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Swede chips (rutabaga fries) are nutty and delicious. The honey and mustard coating adds sweetness and a hint of heat, turning a humble root vegetable into a real treat. 

Close up on honey and mustard dressing covered swede chips. A dish of ketchup in the backgroound.

Table of Contents

  • Swede Chips
  • Swede, Rutabaga or Neeps?
  • How to Make Swede Chips (Rutabaga Fries)
  • Hints and Tips for Swede Chips/Rutabaga Fries
  • Recipe Variations 
  • Swede Chips (Rutabaga Fries) With Sticky Mustard Coating
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes

Swede Chips

Autumn and winter mean the shops are well stocked with hearty root vegetables. To keep my menu varied, I like to use them all, making the most of swedes and turnips, as well as carrots, potatoes, celeriac and so on.

There is so more to swede than the bashed neeps served with haggis at a Burns supper. They do mash well, and I love the nutty flavour as a change from potatoes. However, I like variety, hence my gorgeous sticky mustard swede chips (rutabaga fries to the Americans).

These chips are a great way of enjoying this cheap and healthy vegetable. They are sticky, caramelized and warming and are perfect as the nights draw in, a more local variation on  sweet potato fries.

Just one thing, though: they don’t go crispy (or at least they don’t in my gas oven). That’s why it’s better to cut them good and thick. I serve them with ketchup, BBQ sauce and mayonnaise.

Swede, Rutabaga or Neeps?

I’ve always called them swedes, but in Scotland they’re neeps or sometimes turnips, and in the USA and Canada, rutabaga. What you need for this recipe is the big round root vegetable, with a purple skin and cream-coloured flesh that turns yellow when cooked. You don’t want white turnips. 

Unlike potatoes, swede counts as one of your five-a-day vegetables. It has a lower GI/GL than potato (72/2 rather than 85/14 when boiled).

It also contains more vitamin C, calcium, and folic acid. I love the fact that swede chips come with far fewer food miles than the sweet potato version. While sweet potatoes are usually imported into the UK, cheap and plentiful swedes fill our fields in autumn, and their tops double as animal feed so there is no waste. 

How to Make Swede Chips (Rutabaga Fries)

Cutting and par-boiling swede for swede chips.

 

Step one – Grab your ingredients 

Step two – three – Prepare the swede – peel, slice and cut into chips. Swede is tough, so you need a good sharp and heavy knife and a certain amount of determination!  

You can cut neat, regular chips as we have done here, or go more rustic to use up the whole root.

Step four– Gently simmer the swede chips for about 5–8 minutes in a large saucepan of salted water, until they just start to soften.  

The trick is to simmer very gently, with the water barely moving.  You don’t want them to fall apart. 

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/GM 6.

Four photos from above showing the stages of swede chips.

 

Step five – Drain the swede, and allow to stand for a minute so the water steams off. 

Step Six – Transfer to a large roasting tin with the oil. You need plenty of space around the chips so they roast, rather than steam. Turn the chips to coat evenly with oil and roast for 30 minutes. Turn every 10 minutes with a spatula.

Step Seven – Add the honey and mustard. Turn again to coat evenly. Cook for a further 10 minutes (so 40 minutes in total). 

The timing of this is important, so don’t try to cheat and add it at the start. Adding the honey and mustard towards the end of cooking makes a delicious sticky coating. If you add it at the start, it burns horribly and sticks to the pan. 

Step Eight – Serve immediately, as a side dish or with dips as a snack. 

Close up picture of swede chips with honey and mustard dressing

Hints and Tips for Swede Chips/Rutabaga Fries

Swede trimmings in a bowl of water or bag ready for freezing.

  • You can cut the chips ahead of time and keep in a bowl of water in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, freeze the chips once cut and roast from frozen. If you do this, add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time.  
  • The chips will have an uneven shape, thanks to the shape of the swede. If you prefer uniform chips, cut off the edges to make a cube and cut your chips from that.
  • The trimmings will keep in a bowl of water in the fridge for a day. If you want to keep them longer, dice and freeze them. Use them up in mash, either on the side or as a topping for a pie. Alternatively, add to stews, soups, vegetable bakes and cobblers. Or you could experiment with vegetable crisps (chips to the Americans!).
  • Trimmings can also be used to make my tasty swede soup spiced with ras el hanout.

Recipe Variations 

  • Make it vegan by swapping the honey for maple syrup.
  • Toss the chips with grated Parmesan or other Italian hard cheese and some rosemary instead of the honey and mustard.
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Close up of swede chips with sticky honey and mustard dressing.
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4.91 from 20 votes

Swede Chips (Rutabaga Fries) With Sticky Mustard Coating

Chips with a difference – nutty roast swede (rutabaga) with a sweet mustard and honey dressing. Parboil the swede first to minimize time in the oven.
Servings: 4
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time45 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 swede (rutabaga)
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2  tsp grain mustard ((heaped))
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Peel the swede. Cut into half, then quarters. Slice each quarter lengthwise, and cut into batons.
  • Boil the swede chips very gently in a large saucepan of salted water for about 5–8 minutes, until they just start to soften. Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/GM 6.
  • Drain the swede and transfer to a large roasting pan with the oil. Turn with a spatula to coat each chip evenly. Place in the oven.
  • Every 10 minutes or so, turn the chips.
  • After 30 minutes, add the honey and mustard. Turn the chips so they're evenly coated with the mustard mixture. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
  • Serve immediately, as a side dish or with dips as a warming snack. 

Notes

  • The chips will have an uneven shape thanks to the shape of the swede. For uniform chips, trim the edges of the swede and cut the chips from the centre of the vegetable. Dice and freeze the trimmings, and add to stews, soups, and vegetable bakes and cobblers. Alternatively, make swede mash as a side dish or as a topping for cottage pie.
  • If you don't eat honey, use maple or agave syrup.
  • You can cut the chips ahead of time and store in a bowl of water in the fridge overnight.
Nurtritional Informato: 
  • This recipe is 4 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
Swede Chips (Rutabaga Fries) With Sticky Mustard Coating
Amount Per Serving (4 servings)
Calories 79 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 40mg2%
Potassium 294mg8%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin C 24.1mg29%
Calcium 42mg4%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Vegetables
Keyword: rutabaga fries, swede chips
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Share by Text

Add swede trimmings to our no fat slow cooker vegetable soup

Easy to make delicious no fat slow cooker vegetable soup

And serve the chips with easy sticky lamb chops.

A plate of colourful roast Mediterranean vegetables, topped with roast lamb chops and garnished with parsley.

 

Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2011, but was rewritten and republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions and hints & tips in September 2019.

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Filed Under: Easy Ways to Extra Veg (and Fruit), Quick & Easy, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetables Ingredients: Honey, Mustard, Swede

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Sarah, Maison Cupcake

    5 stars
    Definitely the most interesting use of swede I can ever recall seeing. One to try in future…

    Reply
  2. purely food

    5 stars
    These sound delicious and not something I would think to cook at all.

    Reply
  3. Antonia

    5 stars
    These look very tempting. I agree that it can be hard to think of good uses for the humble swede. Mind you, with Burns Night coming up this week, there is a good excuse to use some up with the haggis and tatties!

    Reply
  4. Monica

    5 stars
    Hah! Someone pointed me to this on Twitter after I posted: “another week, another @riverford box, another mystery – how do you solve a problem like a fridge full of swedes?” This looks like a pretty good solution. Though I think I’ve tried something similar before and the swede sticks were a bit, um, floppy when they came out of the oven. How do these hold up?

    Reply
  5. DrDave

    5 stars
    Had these tonight, with burgers and salad – definitely the tastiest thing I’ve done with ‘bl**dy swede’ – thanks a million for the recipe! They were a bit limp and sticky rather than crunchy and chippy, I might try skipping the parboil stage next time, but it may be only the potato that can produce that texture. [Also, I don’t think I had a particularly giant swede, but I used twice the quantities of honey and mustard.]

    Reply
    • Helen

      Thanks Dr Dave.

      I’ll make it again and edit if needed!

      Reply
  6. Alicia (Foodycat)

    5 stars
    This is so clever! My heart also sank when I saw another bloody swede in the veg box, but at least now I have a plan for it.

    Reply
    • Helen

      I frequently leave my swede behind at the fruit and veg co-op! Hope you like them!

      Reply
  7. Sarah

    5 stars
    This recipe is a blast from the past! It was recommended in this week’s veg box email. Not another bloody swede indeed – but I look forward to giving this a go.

    Reply
    • Helen

      Oh how funny! I’d better redo and update the photos!

      Reply
  8. Caroline Jessop

    5 stars
    I love making these Helen, and my children eat them eagerly. Such a good alternative to potato, and really tasty.

    Reply
  9. Neil Barns

    5 stars
    Swede reminds me of awful dinners as a child, I used to hate it so much. I discovered much nicer ways than simply over boiling it and this sounds like a recipe I am really going to enjoy.

    Reply
  10. Kaitlin

    5 stars
    I am always lost with ideas when it comes to swede. We almost always have it mashed with carrot. Would love to try these out, something different and look really tasty.

    Reply
  11. Helena

    5 stars
    I can vouch that these are truly delicious. Am so glad to have found this recipe as I cannot eat potato and I miss having chips.

    Reply
  12. Adrianne

    5 stars
    Yum, how good do these look. Good enough to eat that is for sure! The mustard sounds perfect for the seasoning as well. Cheers!

    Reply
  13. Farah

    5 stars
    These look absolutely delicious! What an amazing flavor combination. I can’t wait to try this recipe!

    Reply
  14. Paula Montenegro

    5 stars
    I don’t think I ever tasted rutabagas, or swedes as you call them (a word I had never heard before), but you make them look amazing! This is a must-try! I love this idea.

    Reply
  15. Edyta

    5 stars
    This is awesome. I was always a little skeptical about this veggie, but I gave it a try and we loved it. Thanks for sharing all the tips!

    Reply
    • Helen

      So glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  16. Veronica

    5 stars
    I haven’t cooked with Swede chips before and I’m keen to try out this recipe to see how they taste, I’m sure the chips would taste just as scrumptious a they look in the picture!

    Reply
  17. Cally Gray

    5 stars
    I love the idea of making swede chips, we sometimes make carrot and parsnip fries. Always popular with the kids. (especially if we get purple carrots).

    Reply
  18. Faye Henderson

    4 stars
    I would never have guessed that you could make chips from swede. I really have learnt something new today. They do look yummy on the photos.

    Reply
  19. Phoebe

    5 stars
    Yum Yum Yum,
    Turned out amazing! A really interesting and different use that I’ve never encountered before.
    Thanks xx

    Reply
  20. T Pot

    4 stars
    Theses are a really nice way to use swede, apart from the usual mash with tomatoes.
    I roasted them as advised, though added finely grated cheese about 15 mins before taking them out of the oven, this made them lovely & crispy, with a delish flavour. Give them a go.

    Reply

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