Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (2024)

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How to steam instant pot rutabaga. Also known as swede or neeps, rutabaga is delicious served with some butter for the ultimate veggie side dish or transformed into a veggie mash.

We will show you how to prepare rutabaga for the instant pot, as well as the best serving suggestions making it perfect for a quick veggie side.

We originally shared with you how to cook instant pot rutabaga back in 2018 and we are updating it today with more tips and tricks and better rutabaga ideas.

Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (1)

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Rutabaga Vs Swede

One of my most bought veggies is rutabaga. I love it because they last ages in the fridge in case I forgot to cook it, makes a great alternative to carrots and even though it normally takes forever to cook using other methods, when steamed in the instant pot it is fast.

But it wasn’t until I went in a shop with a lot of American products that I found out that rutabaga is also what us Brits call a swede.

Usually in the UK a swede will be loaded into stews, casseroles, veggie bakes etc and most popular of all is to mix with carrots to make a carrot and swede mash.

Though up in Scotland it has a totally different food culture. There is it called neeps and most famously served up with haggis and tatties on Burns Night, which has a big place in my heart because me and Dominic got married on Burns Night! If you want to check out our instant pot haggis tatties and neeps then you can see how it all comes together.

So, if you live in the US and hear the word swede or live in the UK and here the word rutabaga, then note they are one of the same and perfect for pressure cooking for a quick veggie dish.

And today, I wanted to share with you the best way to cook rutabaga.

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Best Way To Cook Rutabaga

Because rutabaga is a very thick hard root vegetable, the best way for it to cook is in the instant pot, or another brand of electric pressure cooker.

This is because the instant pot cooks food much faster and will also steam your rutabaga to stop it from losing its flavour or nutrients.

Though if you cut the rutabaga small enough you can also air fry it such as our air fryer rutabaga fries.

Can You Steam Rutabaga?

Yes, you can steam rutabaga or swede. It makes it cook much faster and also makes it ideal for then steaming a little longer to make some veggie mash with.

Though, I love steaming rutabaga and then adding it into my air fryer frittata for a quick breakfast.

Can You Freeze Cooked Rutabaga?

Yes, you can freeze your leftover rutabaga and I do this all the time when I have some leftover. You can just load your leftovers into a Ziploc bag, but I much prefer to cook for longer and then I can freeze as little mashed potato style cubes, a bit like I do in our instant pot beef stock recipe.

How To Cut Up A Swede

One headline I remember (must have been over 20 years ago now) but has stayed in my memory was the front page of The Sun, when they wanted rid of the current England Manager. He had an eye for the ladies and the press hated him.

He was Swedish and the front cover had a picture of a swede and the headline “chop the swede”.

I still think of that now each time I cut up a swede!

To prepare a swede or rutabaga is easy.

Simply have it sat straight on your chopping board and chop the top and bottom off and then thinly slice around the edges until all skin is removed.

Then do one slice around the edges, that is like a long strip and keep doing this until you have no swede left. Doing it this way makes it so much easier and then you don’t need to cut right through to the middle which is hard work.

Instant Pot Rutabaga Mash

Whilst I usually pressure cook rutabaga and then just season it and add butter, I know most of you would rather have instant pot rutabaga mash.

Well, the easiest way to do this is to follow our swede and carrot mash recipe. Which is also a pressure cooker recipe and combines it with mash for a delicious side dish.

And even though its most associated with Christmas you can enjoy it at other times of the year. Or another idea is to have it as your top layer of your slow cooker cottage pie.

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Rutabaga Instant Pot Ingredients

Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (3)

Rutabaga – Even though you could do a few instant pot rutabagas I usually just steam one.

Liquid – You need some liquid to take the instant pot to pressure. When I am cooking rutabaga in instant pot for serving cubed, then I will just add water to the bottom. But if I want a little of the liquid to make mash, then I will use some instant pot veggie stock.

Seasoning – Pressure cooker rutabaga can be a bit boring on its own, so I will usually season it with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Butter – Optional but delicious I love to add a little butter that can melt over the rutabaga as it is served on the dinner table or you can take the low fat option and go with some light margarine.

Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this rutabaga instant pot recipe it has just been our Instant Pot. We have this one and it’s my favourite and great for a lot of different instant pot quick recipes.

Plus, we recommend you head over to our instant pot recipes category as we have many electric pressure cooker recipes and have been using instant pots for 5 years.

How To Cook Rutabaga In Instant Pot?

Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (4)
  • Liquid. Load your liquid into the instant pot first and then add in your steamer basket.
  • Prep. Chop around the edges of the rutabaga and then gradually slice and then dice into cubes. Season well.
  • Cook. Load the rutabaga into the steamer basket, place the lid on the instant pot, set the valve to sealing and pressure cook for 5 minutes, or 7 minutes for large chunks.
  • Serve. Do a quick pressure release, remove the rutabaga from the basket and then serve with a little butter.

And I am sure you can see now how simple and easy it is to cook rutabaga in instant pot and why you should be doing the same.

How Long Do You Cook Rutabaga In Instant Pot?

The instant pot rutabaga cook time is JUST 5 minutes. Which is pretty good considering that it feels like rutabaga takes a lifetime to cook.

And I can not find a quicker method for rutabaga than in the instant pot.

Listen To Instant Pot Rutabaga

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More Instant Pot Veggies

I love instant pot veggies and there are so many different ways to you can put veggies on the dinner table. Here are a few more ideas:

  • Instant Pot Carrots
  • Instant Pot Cabbage
  • Instant Pot Beets
  • Instant Pot Cauliflower
  • Instant Pot Broccoli
  • Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli
Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (6)

Your rutabaga instant pot recipe is below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.

Though before you do, don’t forget to subscribe, and grab your FREE VIP Pass to Recipe This. You will get access to our latest recipes first, you will be able to request recipes, you will have access to free mini courses, free instant pot ebooks and useful instant pot cook time charts and so much more.

Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (8)

Print Recipe

4.84 from 12 votes

Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede)

How to steam instant pot rutabaga. Also known as swede or neeps, rutabaga is delicious served with some butter for the ultimate veggie side dish or transformed into a veggie mash.

Prep Time8 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time13 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Instant Pot

Servings: 4

Calories: 63kcal

Author: RecipeThis.com

Ingredients

  • 1 Rutabaga/Swede
  • 1 Tbsp Thyme
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Butter optional

MetricImperial

Instructions

  • Place 1 cup/240ml of water or veggie stock into the bottom of your instant pot inner pot. Add in your steamer basket.

    Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (9)

  • Peel and then gradually slice and dice your rutabaga or swede, until it is into medium sized chunks. Season well with salt, pepper, and thyme.

    Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (10)

  • Load the rutabaga chunks into the instant pot, place the lid on the instant pot and set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook for 5 minutes.

    Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (11)

  • Do a quick pressure release and do a fork test to make sure your rutabaga is fork tender.

    Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (12)

  • Then transfer the cooked rutabaga onto a serving plate and then add little bits of butter and let it melt over the rutabaga.

    Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (13)

Video

Notes

Liquid. We used water because we were using it for a quick steam of rutabaga for lunch. If making mash or something specifically flavoursome then swap for veggie stock.

Thanks for reading our instant pot rutabaga recipe on Recipe This. We have many more instant pot recipes for you to check out next. Though if you would like to see more instant pot veggies then do check out our instant pot frozen veggie soup recipe next.

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition InfoPlease Note: Nutrition values are our best estimate based on the software we use at Recipe This and are meant as a guide. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (14)
Recipe This | Instant Pot Rutabaga (Swede) (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a swede and a rutabaga? ›

Swede is actually a cross between a turnip and cabbage. They are known as rutabaga in the United States but are called swede throughout the rest of the world. They are one of the hardiest root vegetables to harvest, they grow seasonally - autumn through to winter.

How long does it take to cook swede in a pressure cooker? ›

Programme 10 minutes (if your swede is rather large, you may want to increase the time). At the end of pressure cooking time, do a quick pressure release (this means venting the steam trapped inside manually). Slice and dice for other dishes.

How do you take the bitterness out of rutabagas? ›

How Do You Get the Bitter Taste Out of Rutabagas? If you find that rutabagas are too bitter for you, add up to a tablespoon of sugar to accentuate the sweetness and stir to combine. This will help to counteract the bitterness.

What's the best way to cook swede? ›

Cut off the root, then peel, and cut into chunks.
  1. How to cook swede. Cut into chunks and boil (12-15 mins), roast (40-55 mins) or steam (10-15 mins).
  2. How to store swede. In a perforated or brown paper bag in the fridge – it will keep for about a week.
  3. When is swede in season? ...
  4. Choose the best swede.

What is swede called in America? ›

Rutabaga (/ˌruːtəˈbeɪɡə/; North American English) or swede (Southern England English and some Commonwealth English) is a root vegetable, a form of Brassica napus (which also includes rapeseed).

Why do Americans call swede rutabaga? ›

Hence, “Swedish turnip” or simply “swede.” The U.S. term “rutabaga” comes from the old Swedish word Rotabagge meaning “root ram.” Confusion arises because, although most varieties of turnip are white-fleshed and most varieties of rutabaga are yellow-fleshed, there are also white-fleshed rutabagas and yellow-fleshed ...

Do you peel swede before cooking? ›

The thick outer layer of this odd-looking veg is technically edible, although you might want to peel it off and compost it if it looks particularly tough or especially green. You can usually get away with keeping the skin on if you have a younger swede that you plan to roast in the oven.

Can you overcook vegetables in a pressure cooker? ›

Vegetables can overcook if you don't quickly release the pressure, so stay close to your Instant Pot or you may wind up with mushy vegetables.

Can you cook rutabaga with the skin on? ›

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.

Can you overcook rutabaga? ›

If they're overcooked, they will disintegrate [source: Leslie Beck]. Here are some ways to prepare rutabaga. Baking Slice the rutabaga and place it in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle it with a few tablespoons of water and bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176.6 degrees Celsius) until tender.

Are rutabagas healthier than potatoes? ›

A healthy alternative to potatoes, rutabaga doesn't have as many “empty” carbohydrates and provides a wide range of minerals and vitamins that benefit overall health.

Are rutabagas anti inflammatory? ›

Rutabagas are a hearty vegetable packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. They promote feelings of fullness, which can prevent weight gain. Furthermore, they contain powerful compounds that help fight inflammation, prevent premature aging, and are associated with a reduced risk of various cancers.

Is swede healthier than potato? ›

Swede is a versatile ingredient in the kitchen and is used in very similar ways to other root veggies in most recipes. This slightly sweet and earthy vegetable is a healthier and more interesting alternative to the classic potato.

What is the difference between a turnip and a swede? ›

Swedes and Turnips do come from the same family. Swede is a Swedish turnip, hence the name “swede”. They are bigger, tougher skinned, yellow fleshed and much hardier than a turnip. Turnips are the smaller ones, with smoother skin and white flesh.

What two vegetables make a swede? ›

The English word swede comes from the vegetable's origins in Sweden, around 500 years ago, probably in a field where brassica seed was being grown – swedes are a cross between cabbage and turnip. It has a range of names, including 'Swedish turnip' and 'neep' in Scotland, and is called 'turnip' in parts of England.

Is a turnip the same as a swede? ›

Swedes and Turnips do come from the same family. Swede is a Swedish turnip, hence the name “swede”. They are bigger, tougher skinned, yellow fleshed and much hardier than a turnip. Turnips are the smaller ones, with smoother skin and white flesh.

What is the difference between a rutabaga and a turnip and a swede? ›

The word turnip is a compound of the word "turn" and "neep", derived from Latin napus, the word for the plant. The word rutabaga, on the other hand, comes from the Swedish dialectal word rotabagge, from "root" and "bagge" (lump, bunch). Rutabaga is the common name for a swede in North America.

Do swede and turnip taste the same? ›

While turnips are smaller and whiter. ' In cooking, while a swede may retain a slightly bitter taste, turnips are more sweet and nutty. They are also softer, more like a potato - but both are relatively hard to peel and chop.

What does a swede rutabaga taste like? ›

It has a vegetal, earthy taste, often compared to a milder carrot, cabbage, or turnip (or amalgam of the three). It pairs well with other root vegetables but can also stand on its own. Don't let its size and shape intimidate you.

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