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    Home » Recipes » Rutabaga

    Rutabaga Fries with Zesty Cashew Dipping Sauce

    Published: Jan 8, 2019 / Modified: Jul 1, 2021 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN / This post may contain affiliate links / 11 Comments

    • 42
    Jump to Recipe Print
    Baked Rutabaga Fries

    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.

    rutabaga fries on an oval serving tray drizzled with spinach cashew cream on a counter

    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.

    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?

    a rutabaga in between two lemon halves and garlic cloves on a white counter

    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.

    rutabaga slices on top of each other and cut into fries on a counter

    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.

    Spinach Cashew Cream

    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.

    Baked Rutabaga Fries

    More Rutabaga Recipes

    If you like these fries, you’re in luck! Check out my other recipes featuring swede:

    • Raw Rutabaga Salad with Apples
    • Herbed Carrot and Swede Mash
    • Spiralized Rutabaga Breakfast Bowls

    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.

    📖 Recipe

    Baked Rutabaga Fries

    Rutabaga Fries with Zesty Cashew Dipping Sauce

    A vegan snack made with crispy roasted rutabaga, coupled with a creamy cashew and spinach dipping sauce.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
    Total Time: 45 minutes mins
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 514kcal
    Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

    Ingredients

    • 1 rutabaga - 1.5 to 2 pounds
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • Sea salt - to taste

    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
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    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

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 1173mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1407IU | Vitamin C: 83mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 6mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @its_a_vegworld_afterall and follow me today!

    Enjoy!

    Lizzie

    More Rutabaga Recipes

    • swede and potato soup in a bowl topped with crispy onions
      Swede Soup with Crispy Onions
    • rutabaga cut into different shapes on a cutting board under text box with post title
      How to Cut Rutabaga
    • square image of rutabaga noodles topped with a fried egg in a dish
      Breakfast Rutabaga Noodles
    • square image of root vegetable hash topped with four eggs in a skillet
      Root Vegetable Hash with Eggs
    • 42

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    1. Julie PEESKER

      January 14, 2020 at 5:20 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        January 14, 2020 at 5:53 pm

        So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Julie!! And I love the name for the sauce, haha :-)! Thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
    2. Karen

      May 25, 2019 at 2:47 pm

      Lizzie, the spinach cashew sauce sounds delicious! However, I’m allergic to citrus! What could I use instead?

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        May 26, 2019 at 10:55 am

        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 :-).

        Reply
        • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

          May 26, 2019 at 10:56 am

          Oh and I’d recommend using a tablespoon of vinegar.

    3. Nina | feel good eating

      January 09, 2019 at 3:41 pm

      I haven’t had swede in aaaaaages. Thanks for the reminder that it exists haha!

      Reply
      • Lizzie

        January 10, 2019 at 9:18 am

        Aren’t they delicious?!! Haha I’m glad this was a good reminder!

        Reply
    4. Tara | Tara Rochford Nutrition

      January 09, 2019 at 12:22 pm

      These look fantastic! I LOVE rutabagas!! And that cashew cream…dreamy!

      Reply
      • Lizzie

        January 09, 2019 at 12:30 pm

        Thank you!! The fries and the cream are such a tasty pair!

        Reply
    5. Sarah @ Bucket List Tummy

      January 09, 2019 at 9:10 am

      What a fun way to try a new vegetable. I don’t think I”ve ever had rutabaga!

      Reply
      • Lizzie

        January 09, 2019 at 10:21 am

        It’s so tasty! I had never even heard of it until I moved to the Midwest :-)!

        Reply

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