Rutabaga fries make a delicious snack that’s easy to prepare! Serve them with vegan cashew cream, made with spinach, lemon, and garlic, for a healthy and flavorful treat.
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I’m not joking when I say that I practically ate the whole tray of these rutabaga fries after I tested them! Oh my gosh, they are incredible. And the dipping sauce? YUM.
But let’s back up a little, because you might have a few questions before you totally commit to making rutabaga fries.
Like, do they even taste good? (Ahem, yes). Are they hard to make? And so on and so forth.
Want another recipe for homemade fries? Check out the Baked Shoestring Fries with Fresh Chives while you’re here!
What do Rutabaga Fries Taste Like?
Rutabaga, also known as swede, is a root vegetable that tastes similar to a turnip, but with a less pungent flavor. So, no, rutabaga fries don’t taste similar to potatoes, but they’re delicious in their own right!
And rutabaga does have a yellow flesh that looks very similar to regular ‘ol French fry potatoes. Fun, right?
How to Make Rutabaga Fries – Expert Tips
This recipe is really too easy! You just need to find a rutabaga, peel it, slice it into fries, toss the fries in olive oil and seasonings, and bake them in the oven.
How to Cut Rutabaga Fries
- Peel the rutabaga, then cut it into ¼″-½″ slices.
- Stack those slices on top of each other and then slice them into fries.
- It works best if you are using all “flat” slices on top of each other. If you have some slices that contain the rounded rutabaga sides, you can slice those separately so they don’t make the whole stack slippery/more difficult to cut.
How Long to Cook Rutabaga Fries
Bake rutabaga fries for 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees F. I recommend using a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking. This also helps them get a little crispier! For more tips on roasting vegetables, check out my Guide to Vegetable Roasting Times.
Cashew Dipping Sauce
Now let’s talk about the zesty cashew dipping sauce I paired with these rutabaga fries. If you do a lot of plant-based cooking, you may know that cashews can be used to make things incredibly creamy.
To make the dipping sauce:
- Soak your cashews in a bowl with enough water to cover them for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature. This will make them soft enough to blend.
- Add them to a blender with spinach, garlic, and lemon. BOOM.
BUT if you’re like me and constantly running out of time/forgetting to soak your cashews 2 hours before making a recipe, you can try a quick soak. To do this, you will need to boil water, and then remove it from heat for a few minutes so that it stays very hot but not boiling hot. You can then can soak the cashews in that water for 15-30 minutes. I’ve used both methods, and each has worked for me!
If you have leftover dipping sauce, it tastes amazing on pasta, salmon, drizzled on top of a burrito bowl, etc. Who knows how many applications it could have.
More Rutabaga Recipes
If you like these fries, you’re in luck! Check out my other recipes featuring swede:
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how you like it! Please rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments section.
Rutabaga Fries with Zesty Cashew Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
For the dipping sauce:
- 1 cup cashews - soaked for 2-3 hours or quick-soaked for 15 minutes (see notes)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon - juiced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest - from about ½ of a lemon
- 1 cup spinach - loosely packed
- ½ cup water - more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the rutabaga by slicing off the ends, peeling it, and then slicing it into ¼-1/2" slices. Stack the slices on top of each other and slice into fries. Transfer the fries to the lined baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with sea salt.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the fries are tender and begin to brown.
- While the fries are baking, make the cashew cream by combining the soaked cashews, garlic, lemon juice and zest, spinach, and water in a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend for 60 to 90 seconds until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Serve the fries warm with the cashew dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Soak the cashews in a bowl with enough water to cover them at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, you can boil water, let it cool for a few minutes, and soak the cashews in this for 15 minutes to soften them.
- Leftover dipping sauce tastes great on pasta, salmon, grain bowls, and more. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
Enjoy!
Lizzie
Julie PEESKER
Oh my but this was so good. The dipping sauce was awesome. My husband and kids called the sauce, The Kermit Sauce, because its green. I added a little more spinach to mine so it turned out to be a deeper green. So fresh tasting!! Its a keeper and one to share. Thank you.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Julie!! And I love the name for the sauce, haha :-)! Thanks for letting me know.
Karen
Lizzie, the spinach cashew sauce sounds delicious! However, I’m allergic to citrus! What could I use instead?
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Karen! I’d recommend using a vinegar in place of it…apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar would work well! Hope that helps :-).
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Oh and I’d recommend using a tablespoon of vinegar.
Nina | feel good eating
I haven’t had swede in aaaaaages. Thanks for the reminder that it exists haha!
Lizzie
Aren’t they delicious?!! Haha I’m glad this was a good reminder!
Tara | Tara Rochford Nutrition
These look fantastic! I LOVE rutabagas!! And that cashew cream…dreamy!
Lizzie
Thank you!! The fries and the cream are such a tasty pair!
Sarah @ Bucket List Tummy
What a fun way to try a new vegetable. I don’t think I”ve ever had rutabaga!
Lizzie
It’s so tasty! I had never even heard of it until I moved to the Midwest :-)!