A tasty, lighter alternative to mashed potato, this creamy Carrot and Swede Mash is dairy-free and makes a wonderful side dish to a roast dinner.
Swede is a delicious, and often overlooked root vegetable, that has an earthy and slightly sweet flavour, a little milder than the taste of a turnip.
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This swede and carrot mash is a great side dish to accompany your Sunday roast when you don't fancy traditional roast potatoes or any weeknight family meal.
I have used dairy-free spread to make the mash deliciously creamy & buttery and have added a hint of nutmeg to give it a little kick!
If you are trying to get more vegetables into the kids (or yourself!) this mash recipe is a great way to do it!
Most children will love the sweet flavour of carrots even if they tell you they don’t like eating them, so disguising them with the swede in this mash is perfect.
Why not make my chicken, bacon & mushroom pie with potato topping and swap the regular mash for some nourishing carrot and swede mash instead?
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❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- ✔️ Low Carb Alternative To Mashed Potato: Since swede contains fewer carbs than regular potatoes, it makes a great low-carb option over traditional mash.
- ✔️ Allergy Friendly: I have made this mashed carrot and swede with a dairy-free spread so it is suitable for anyone on a milk-free diet and is also suitable for vegans. Depending on what spread you use, this recipe can be made free from the top 14 UK food allergens.
- ✔️ Contains 2 Of Your Five A Day: Both carrot and swede count as a portion of vegetables towards your five-a-day goal!
- ✔️ Can Be Made In Advance: This is the perfect dish to batch cook in advance and store in the freezer until you are ready to eat it.
❓ Swede V’s Turnip - What’s The Difference?
A lot of people think that a swede and a turnip are the same things & although they come from the same family, they are actually different!
Swede was originally called the “Swedish Turnip” as this is where it came from. The name was then shortened to “swede”.
Swedes tend to be bigger than turnips with a tougher outer skin and are usually purple or yellowy in colour, whilst the skin of a turnip is normally whiter and they are a smaller ball-like shape.
Fun fact: In the US a swede is known as a Rutabaga!
🍅 Ingredients
✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋
- Carrots - Carrots are a really versatile and affordable vegetable, packed full of vitamin A. They are a staple food in most households and are what gives the mash that gorgeous orange tone.
- Swede - A highly under rated and under used vegetable. Try and find a medium-sized swede around 600g, but don’t worry if it’s not exact as this won’t affect the recipe.
- Dairy Free Butter - I always use Flora Plant Butter, as I find the taste as close to butter as can be,but any dairy-free spread will work.
- Nutmeg - I have used ground nutmeg for ease, but you can also grate a little fresh nutmeg into the mash. Go easy though, as fresh nutmeg has a much stronger flavour so you will only need half as much of fresh nutmeg.
- Salt & Pepper - Season to taste. If you are cooking for small children skip this and just season your own when eating.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
⚡ Variations & Substitutions
- Dairy - There are a variety of dairy free spreads available in the supermarkets. I love Flora Plant Butter. If you don't have any dairy-free spread on hand, you can swap it out for an equal amount of olive oil. If dairy isn't an issue for you, go ahead and use regular butter.
- Herbs & Spices - Instead of using nutmeg, why not try a pinch of cinnamon or curry powder for something a little different? A tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander also works really nicely.
- Potatoes - If you aren’t able to get hold of any swede, just use 500g of standard or sweet potatoes instead, along with the carrots.
- Roast - Rather than boiling, roast the carrot and swede in the oven with some olive oil for 30-40 minutes @ 200˚C / 180˚Fan / 390˚F for a more intense flavour.
✏️ How To Make - Step-By-Step Instructions
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
Step 1 - Prepare The Swede & Carrots:
Begin by peeling the swede with a vegetable peeler. Then chop the swede into 1-inch cubes. Swedes are known for their toughness when raw, so you will need a really sharp knife to do this.
For the carrots, you have the option to peel them or simply give them a good scrub.
The skin of carrots holds many of the nutrients, so if they are well-cleaned, you can leave the skin on.
Similar to the swede, chop the carrots into 1-inch cubes too.
Step 2 - Boil The Vegetables:
Place the chopped swede and carrots in a saucepan and add water to cover them.
Boil the vegetables for approximately 20-25 minutes.
It's important not to overcook them; they should be tender but not too soft.
Overcooking can lead to watery mash, so keep checking their doneness by pricking a fork into both the carrots and swede.
Step 3 - Drain The Vegetables:
Once they are tender, carefully drain the vegetables in a colander. Leave them in the colander to air dry for a few minutes.
Do not skip this step, as excess moisture can lead to watery mash.
Step 4 - Mash The Vegetables:
Add the dairy-free butter and nutmeg to the saucepan along with the drained vegetables and mash with a potato masher until most of the lumps are removed.
Step 5 - Extra Smooth Mash:
If you want a super smooth mash, use a stick blender to finish it off.
Give it a whirl until it's as smooth as you like. Swede can be pretty bumpy, so a blender does the trick for getting it super smooth.
If you prefer a chunky, more homemade version, a potato masher is good enough.
💡 Top Tips
- ✔️ Swedes have a tough outer skin, so make sure you have a sturdy vegetable peeler which will make peeling much easier. Chop the bottom off one end of the swede with a sharp knife to make it easier to rest the swede on a chopping board whilst peeling.
- ✔️ Leave the boiled vegetables to air dry. This lets a lot of the steam and water evaporate meaning you won’t get a wet watery mash. To speed this process up, you can tip the veg back into a saucepan without water and heat a little, stirring all the time, just be careful to keep stirring or they may burn.
- ✔️ Cut the carrot and swede into the same size chunks so they cook evenly.
- ✔️ Batch cook double the amount and place half in the freezer for another day.
- ✔️ Once you have mashed the vegetables with a potato masher, use a stick blender to finish it off and create a super smooth and silky mash.
🍴 How To Serve
Serve the mash as a side dish along with my Slow Cooker Roast Potatoes, Red Cabbage In The Slow Cooker, Gluten Free Cauliflower Cheese, roasted carrots & green beans & Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with this slow-cooked rolled lamb breast or slow cooked gammon in coca-cola.
Use instead of a potato topping in a shepherds pie, Chicken & Bacon Potato Topped Pie or this Dairy Free Fish Pie.
It’s also delicious served alongside a traybake like this Sticky Sausage or Lemon & Garlic Chicken traybake.
💬 Recipe FAQs
How do I reheat carrot & swede mash?
Re-heat the mash in the microwave in a microwave-proof container with a loosely fitting lid for a few minutes, stirring after each minute, until piping hot.
Can I freeze carrot & swede mash?
Yes! This is a dish that freezes really well.
Place in a freezer-safe, lidded container and place in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost the mash in the fridge overnight and reheat as above.
You may need to drain some of the water that has accumulated while defrosting before re-heating.
It could be that you have boiled the vegetables for too long. They need to be just tender and not soft. Check them by pricking a fork into the vegetables. Also make sure you let them air dry to give the steam and water time to evaporate.
🥕 More Delicious Carrot Recipes
Check out these other tasty carrot recipes.
If you loved this recipe, please leave me a 5🌟 rating or comment below. I really do appreciate it. 😊
📖 Recipe
Carrot & Swede Mash
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) carrots chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 1 medium swede peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 25 g ( 1 oz) dairy free butter
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the swede and chop into 1 inch cubes.
- You can either peel the carrots or just give the skin a good scrub. Chop into 1 inch cubes also.
- Boil the vegetables in a saucepan for around 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the veg to be too soft, just tender, as this can cause the mash to be watery, so keep checking by pricking a fork into the carrots and swede.
- When tender, drain into a colander and leave to air dry.
- Add the dairy free butter and nutmeg to the saucepan along with the vegetables and mash with a potato masher until most of the lumps are removed.
- To make the mash extra smooth, use a stick blender and blend until smooth.
Notes
- Swedes have a tough outer skin, so make sure you have a sturdy vegetable peeler which will make peeling much easier. Chop the bottom off one end of the swede with a sharp knife to make it easier to rest the swede on a chopping board whilst peeling.
- Leave the boiled vegetables to air dry. This lets a lot of the steam and water evaporate meaning you won’t get a wet watery mash. To speed this process up, you can tip the veg back into a saucepan without water and heat a little, stirring all the time, just be careful to keep stirring or they may burn.
- Cut the carrot and swede into the same size chunks so they cook evenly.
- Batch cook double the amount and place half in the freezer for another day.
- Once you have mashed the vegetables with a potato masher, use a stick blender to finish it off and create a super smooth and silky mash.
- Dairy - There are a variety of dairy free spreads available in the supermarkets. I love Flora Buttery. If you don't have any dairy-free spread on hand, you can swap it out for an equal amount of olive oil. If dairy isn't an issue for you, go ahead and use regular butter.
- Herbs & Spices - Instead of using nutmeg, why not try a pinch of cinnamon or curry powder for something a little different? A tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander also works really nicely.
- Potatoes - If you aren’t able to get hold of any swede, just use 500g of standard or sweet potatoes instead, along with the carrots.
- Roast - Rather than boiling, roast the carrot and swede in the oven with some olive oil for 30-40 minutes @ 200˚C / 180˚Fan / 390˚F for a more intense flavour.
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