Interested in trying rutabaga? Although this vegetable is commonly served cooked, you can eat raw rutabaga too! It tastes delicious in this rutabaga salad with fresh, crunchy apples, finely chopped kale, and a honey vinaigrette.

If you aren’t familiar with rutabagas, they are very similar to turnips! In fact, they are also called Swedish Turnips, or swedes for short, and are a popular vegetable in Scandinavian cuisine.

Since I live in Minnesota, a state with a strong Scandinavian influence, I’ve taken a liking to this unique veggie over the past couple of years. They’re always popping up at farmers market and stores all over town, so it didn’t take long for me to give them a try.

You all know that I love cool veggies that don’t get a lot of publicity (#EatMoreBeets #KohlrabiForDays), so I’ve been dreaming up ways for you to try rutabaga! I’m hoping this Raw Rutabaga Salad with Apples will convince you to give rutabaga a chance.

What Does Rutabaga Taste Like?

Rutabagas taste like milder turnips. They add an earthy taste and slightly bitter punch to recipes, but in a less aggressive way than turnips. Some people argue that rutabagas also have a subtle sweet taste, especially smaller ones.

Personally, I wouldn’t go so far as to call them sweet, but I think bittersweet would be an appropriate adjective! For those of you who haven’t seen a rutabaga before, let alone tried one, check it out below.

rutabaga on top of a napkin on a counter next to salad ingredients

Can Rutabaga be Eaten Raw?

Rutabaga is typically cooked, but you can eat it raw! You can peel them if you prefer to get rid of the outside layer or if they have a coating of wax on them. However, outside skin without wax is edible.

For this raw rutabaga salad, I peeled my rutabaga and used a julienne peeler to make thin slices. Since it had been a while since I made my Breakfast Rutabaga Noodles, I was surprised by the faint yellow color of the flesh. It’s pretty!

But, I knew that the pale rutabaga paired with the white flesh of apples would not make for the most colorful dish. That’s why I threw in some finely chopped kale at the end. This led a festive look, which means you should probably make it during the holiday season ;-)!

julienned rutabaga and apples on a bamboo cutting board on a counter

How to Make Rutabaga Salad

Peel the rutabaga, and use a julienne peeler to slice it into thin strips. Alternatively, you can just slice the rutabaga into matchsticks with a knife or grate it with a box or hand grater if you don’t have a julienne peeler. Do the same with the apples.
Add the rutabaga and apples to a mixing bowl, then add the chopped kale, walnuts, and dates. Mix well.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until coated!

The final product is a crunchy, slaw-like salad that’s punctuated with just the right amount of earthy flavors and a sweet aftertaste. YUM!

Expert Tips

Equipment: Here is the julienne grater that I use if you are interested in getting the really thin veggie strips that you see in my photos. I personally love this tool for raw slaws that use firm veggies like this rutabaga salad, but of course you can just use a knife to make matchstick cuts instead. For information on other peelers you can use, check out my tutorial on How to Use a Julienne Peeler.
Substitutions: Feel free to substitute another kind of dried fruit in place of the dates. I think dried apricots would be delicious! You can also swap pecans or pistachios for the walnuts.
Storage: Rutabaga salad is best served right away, since the apples can start to brown after a while. However, I’ve had luck storing the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More Rutabaga Recipes

Love this fun salad? Check out the Rutabaga Fries with Zesty Cashew Dipping Sauce, the Herbed Carrot and Swede Mash, or the Root Vegetable Hash with Eggs. You may also enjoy the Celeriac Coleslaw for something similar!

📖 Recipe