The humble swede is a very underused vegetable in the UK, with many Britons reserving it as a mashed side dish for a roast dinner.
But this root vegetable has much more to offer than its mashing capabilities. In season from October to late February, swede is a great source of vitamin C and makes a good alternative to potatoes if you’re on a low-carbohydrate diet.
Unfortunately, they’ve developed a reputation for being bland and bitter, partly due to a lack of enticing recipes.
A BBC Good Food contributor has put this right with a delicious one-pan recipe.
She said: “Forget boring bangers and mash. This seasonal traybake with roasted red onions, apples, and swede is much more colourful and just as easy to prepare.”
The recipe garnered plenty of four and five-star reviews, though those who tried the traybake suggested parboiling the swede first.
“Very tasty but I would recommend pre boiling the swede a bit to soften it up before roasting,” said one BBC Good Food member.
A second person wrote: “I par-boiled the swede and let it dry before putting it in the oven. I also added sweet potato and beetroot to be roasted and substituted balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. I cooked it for longer than advised and it was delicious! Will be making it again.”
Another commented: “I took the advice of others and parboiled the swede. Next time I would add the onion later, it was overcooked and much of it was inedible. Nevertheless this was an easy, tasty one-pot meal. I cooked it in the airfryer at 160C, checking it at five-minute intervals, but I was only cooking a single portion.”
Sausage and swede traybake recipe
Ingredients
One tbsp olive oil
Two tbsp maple syrup
Half a small pack of thyme leaves picked
One tsp cumin seeds
Two tsp red wine vinegar
One large swede (about 900g, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks)
Two red onions, cut into wedges
Eight pork sausages
Three sharp eating apples (Granny Smith or Pink Lady, cut into wedges and cored)
Cooked broccoli to serve
First, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas six, then take a large roasting dish ready to load up the ingredients.
Combine the maple syrup, thyme, cumin and red wine vinegar with seasoning in a bowl, then toss the swede and onions in the maple mix.
Spread out all ingredients in the roasting tin and transfer to the oven to cook for 15 minutes. Next, add the sausages and apple wedges and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more, stirring halfway through.
Keep cooking until the vegetables are soft and caramelised and the sausages are cooked through. Serve in warmed bowls or plates with a side of the cooked broccoli.
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