Carrot and Swede Mash

This Carrot and Swede recipe is in my top five foods ever. It may seem an innocuous root vegetable mash but for me it sums up comforting homely cooking and I look forward to the winter months where it really shines. My parents and both sets of grandparents made it every Sunday, so it didn’t matter where we were eating Sunday lunch growing up, Carrot and Swede Mash would be served.

I'll show you the simple steps to make this perfect side dish and we keep it on the lighter side of things here so no heavy cream added, just an easy recipe:

• I'll give you the perfect timings to cook the vegetables.
• A simple trick to use stock to cook the veggies in to infuse more flavour.
• How to best serve this root vegetable mash.
• And an alternative way of cooking this recipe in the Instant Pot for really quick results.

Ingredients Needed

Swede. Use a fresh swede purchased on the day you buy it if possible as the texture does get quite leathery if left in the fridge for too many days.

Carrots. The higher quality your vegetables the better your mash will be. Inferior vegetables have excess moisture which can lead to watery mash. If you can get organic or even vegetables from the farmers' market then that's ideal. However, I regularly make it with supermarket vegetables and I still love the dish. Just opt for higher quality.

Chicken stock. You can substitute for vegetable stock or just use water. If you are using a stock cube then you might not need as much salt at the end. If I am making this in the Instant Pot which requires less liquid then I will use fresh chicken stock (as I re-use the stock for gravy). If I am making it on the hob I use a stock cube as it needs significantly more liquid.

Unsalted butter. Use unsalted as then we can control the salt content.

Salt and pepper. If I am using a stock cube then I won't season this dish until the end and then add salt and pepper to taste.

How To Make Carrot and Swede Mash

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Chop up the carrot and swede so the pieces are about 1.5 inches in size and are all equally sized.

Place the peeled and diced carrot and swede in a large saucepan and pour over enough stock to cover the vegetables.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Once cooked, drain the carrot and swede, and return them to the saucepan.

Add the butter, salt, and pepper, and mash the vegetables until relatively smooth consistency.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley if desired.

Expert Tips

• Do use organic vegetables if you can. Very good carrots especially make such a difference.
• Use either fresh stock or a stock cube. Growing up my family just used to boil the veg in water but the stock infuses the vegetables with so much more flavour. And do not discard the stock after draining but re-use for the gravy.
• I find a lot of recipes I look at don't cook the swede enough. For best results and to avoid a watery result you want the cooked vegetables to be fork tender.
• You can add a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg which adds a lovely flavour.
• Try adding a couple of tablespoons of whipping cream to the finished mash if you want a version that is really creamy and delicious.
• Don't forget to serve with an extra knob of butter on top when you bring the dish to the table.

How To Prepare a Swede

1. The best way to peel a swede is using a sharp knife. A vegetable peeler just doesn’t cut it.
2. Keep the knife at an angle and move it gently around the vegetable, taking care to only remove the skin.
3. Using a good sharp chef’s knife cut into the swede about a third into the circumference, then turn the swede so the flat sides are on the chopping board. This makes the swede a more manageable size to cut.
4. Dice the swede into about 1.5cm cubes, although I’m not totally uniform about it.

Make It Ahead

This side dish is great for making ahead. I make it most Sundays for our Sunday Lunch and prepare a huge batch so we can enjoy it throughout the week. It lasts about 5 days in the fridge.

Freeze It

Absolutely. Let the mash cool then store in an airtight container in the freezer. It will be good for about 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

• If you are avoiding heavy carbs then this is a lighter alternative to regular mash made with white potatoes.
• It's always one of our Christmas dinner side dishes so I heartily recommend it for the holidays.
• Make a double batch on the Sunday so you can enjoy mid-week. It's delicious with grilled pork chops.
• It's a great option as a topping to fish pie in lieu of potatoes (or add them into the mix!).

Recipe Variations

I like this recipe best plain and simple. However, that's not to say i haven't experimented over the years. Here are ways you can adapt it:

Ground nutmeg. I have a friend who swears by adding a little nutmeg into swede so I tried this and liked the depth it gave.

Fresh herbs. Add fresh thyme sprigs into the cooking liquid and add a sprinkling of parsley to the finished dish.

Double cream. I prefer it without the extra dairy but if you are looking to make it into a more luxury dish then 3-4 tablespoons of double cream is the way to go.

More Vegetable Side Dishes You'll Love!

This Gluten-Free Cauliflower Cheese is quick and easy to make. It's rich, creamy, cheesy and infused with roasted garlic, dijon mustard and a final stir of crème fraiche.

Spiced Red Cabbage is a sweet and tangy side dish for a wintry Sunday roast dinner. It tastes wonderful alongside a roast turkey but equally well with rib of beef, game or even a nut roast. 

Cheesy & Creamy Brussels Sprouts Gratin is easy to make without the need for a béchamel sauce. Shredded brussels are gently cooked in butter with finely cut leeks then smothered with a rich and creamy cheese sauce. Grilled until golden and bubbling.

Cream Baked Roast Potatoes are a step beyond the perfect roast potato. The potatoes are baked in luscious garlic, cream and herbs to fork tender then drained and roasted to perfection in a hot oven. The result is the creamiest roast potatoes that are beautifully rich with a fluffy interior but with the gorgeous golden crunch that we need from our roasties.