Raw Rutabaga Salad with Apples

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.

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 sliced it into matchsticks. Since it had been a while since I made my Spiralized Rutabaga Breakfast Bowls, 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 ;-)!

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!

Print

Raw Rutabaga Salad with Apples

A crunchy raw salad with earthy flavors and a sweet honey vinaigrette. Recipe yields approximately 4 cups. 

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Swedish

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 cups

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Ingredients

• 1 rutabaga
• 2 small apples or 1 large apple
• 1 cup kale leaves finely chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
• 3 pitted dates chopped, optional

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Prepare the rutabaga and apples by slicing them into matchsticks. Combine them with the finely chopped kale in a large bowl. Add the walnuts and dates (optional).

2. In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing and whisk until smooth. Pour over the salad ingredients and toss until coated. 

3. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature!

Recipe Notes

I did not add dates until after I tested the recipe, but loved how they tasted in the salad! I listed them as optional in the ingredients list because the salad tastes great without them too. 

Pin this Raw Rutabaga Salad with Apples now to make later! 

Enjoy your weekend!

Lizzie