Low Carb Swede Purée. Not as sweet as cauliflower mash, less wet, more potato-like. 3g net carbs per serving.
Swede (British) has a variety of names, the most common being rutabaga (American). In Scotland it’s neep. In Europe it’s a swedish turnip. Not to be confused with the white turnip, which is a totally different vegetable, despite similarities in terms of appearance.
If you’re tired of cauliflower everything, swede makes a nice change, and it’s a healthy, clean keto option. Try it alongside my Ligurian Chicken with Olives and Tomatoes.
Prepping it is simple: just slice away the top and bottom and then use a potato peeler to remove the outer layer and any green flesh (if any). I find smaller swedes usually tastier. Look for a dark colour all over, so you know it’s ripe. Boiling it takes about 30 minutes if you cut it into small chunks.
How to Make Keto Swede Purée
You need to cook the life out of it to make it soft enough for mashing. But apart from a longer boiling time, compared to cauliflower or broccoli, there’s nothing to it.
Crème fraîche adds fat and protein content, and also makes the purée lovely and creamy. If it’s not available in your part of the world, you can replace it with sour cream, but if you have a choice, reach for créme fraîche. It’s a different product – thick, not liquid, less tangy, and lower in carbs. It transforms any vegetable purée into a gourmet dish.
Parmigiano Reggiano is an Italian speciality product, made with the milk from cows that graze outdoors in a specific climate and in specific fields. These conditions create a unique high-fat milk with a particular flavour, so Parmigiano Reggiano cannot be made anywhere else in the world. Italian law stipulates certain stringent conditions before each individual cheese is authenticated and certified. Authenticity isn’t really a problem here in the U.K. and in Europe. Elsewhere, consumers should beware of cheap fakes, especially in the U.S., where the law allows imitation products.
In case you’re wondering, Grana Padano (sometimes inappropriately called Parmigiano Padano) is similar, but the cows graze in another region – different climate, different grass. And the ageing requirement is shorter. So the texture, colour and flavour are different – less intense, less pungent, slightly sweet. Although cheaper, to get the same result in a dish you need twice as much Padano as Reggiano. False economy.
This Low Carb Swede Purée is the perfect accompaniment for any protein-based, keto main course. And because it’s so flavoursome, you don’t need much.
Enjoy!
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- Yield: 4
- Serving: ¼th
- Calories: 75
- Fat: 5g
- Net Carbs: 3g
- Protein: 1.6g
- 450g swede (1 small) (375g net)
- 1 TBSP fine Himalayan pink salt (U.S. option HERE)
- 10g butter
- 10g Parmigiano Reggiano
- 25g crème fraîche or sour cream
- peel, top and tail the swede, then chop it into small cubes and transfer them to an adequately sized pot.
- top with water so all cubes are submerged, and place the pot over high heat, lid on.
- once you reach a fast boil, add salt, lower heat so you have a rolling boil, cover with lid, and cook for 25-30 minutes until the biggest pieces are tender enough for a fork to go through without resistance.
- drain, then purée using an immersion (stick) blender (U.S. option HERE).
- add butter, Parmigiano and crème fraîche, stir, and adjust seasoning to your taste.
Actually found a tiktok hack to place the swede in the microwave for 15-20 minutes and it comes out so soft you simply scoop out the mash. No additional water or peeling required!
Nice tip. Thank you!
Thank you for the recipe. This is my second time making this. It’s so delicious!
Thank YOU, Julie, for your feedback.
Want to try this recipe, but I can’t change it to American measures. HElp
Roughly… 1 medium rutabaga, 1 TBSP butter, 2 TBSP Parmigiano, 2 TBSP crème fraîche.
A Swedish turnip in Europe? That’s something I never knew … but this good old Swede Mash recipe is really, really good. I just can’t get used to cauli mash (although I love cauliflower cheese) and this is a really great alternative – wonderful with steak or a beef stew!
Beef or lamb stew is what I usually prepare with this mash. A match made in heaven. If you don’t mind a few extra carbs and like the sweet flavour, celeriac mash is another good option.
In Scotland it’s known as a ” Neep ” but whatever it’s called, it’s delicious !
LOVE your recipes !
Neep. Right. I’ll add it to the Google tags, so Scottish lovelies may find it more easily. Thank you!