How To Cook Swede In Microwave

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Swede In Microwave. Let me introduce you to the most delicious and fastest way to cook swede using the microwave and a steamer basket.

Also known as rutabaga or neeps, swede is delicious when cooked in the microwave and perfect for a quick Sunday dinner side dish.

Swede In Microwave

I remember it like it was yesterday.

It was Christmas 2009, and it was our very first Christmas in Portugal in our own place. We had an apartment in a small town with a balcony big enough for a small barbecue and our satellite dish for our TV.

It was 2 bedrooms so fine for us and our then 8 year old son. (time goes too fast he is going to be 21 this year!)

I wanted to have the traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Roast turkey, roast potatoes, stuffing, veggie bake and of course swede and carrot mash.

But you know what??? This is of course Portugal that rarely has any food that you are craving and that you want.

In the end Dominic went to four different supermarkets all with a big drive from each, just so that we could have swede mash and swede in our Christmas veggie bake.

Dominic out getting swede was a bit like the Christmas film with Arnold Schwarzenegger called Jingle All The Way.

But he got it.

And now we have moved back to the UK, and we can get swede whenever we want, we can’t stop eating it and appreciating how delicious it is.

Today, I wanted to show you how easy it is to cook microwave swede and have a quick way to cook swede for whatever you plan on serving it with.

What Is Swede?

If you have not heard of swede, then note it’s a delicious root vegetable that is from the turnip family.

It is not boring like the classic turnip and has a great depth of flavour.

Though, if you are in the US you will call it microwave rutabaga, whilst in Scotland it is known as neeps. You can read all about the comparison here between swede and turnips.

Can You Steam Swede?

Yes, you can. Steaming swede is the easiest way to cook swede. There is no easier or faster way.

Whilst I love instant pot steamed swede, you still have the time to pressure, and can’t check on your swede during cooking, once it has gone to pressure.

Can You Cook A Swede In The Microwave?

Yes, you can. Cooking swede in the microwave is my new favourite way. You can peel and dice your swede, toss it in your favourite seasoning and microwave in a steamer basket.

The swede keeps its flavour because it is not being boiled and you will wish you had microwave swede every time you cooked it.

Why Does Swede Take So Long To Cook?

This is the annoying thing about cooking swede. Its such a slow process compared to faster cooking veggies such as our air fryer frozen green beans.

The reason why swede takes so long to cook is that it’s a root vegetable and is rather dry when you first peel it before you cook it.

This means a swede takes longer to cook than potatoes of the same size.

For example, I was making an air fryer breakfast casserole last night to make ahead for me and Dominic for a few days. I steamed diced potatoes and swede at the same time and found the swede was only 60% cooked when the potatoes were done.

Best Way To Cook Swede?

The best way to cook a swede….yes you guessed right, the best way to cook a swede is using the microwave.

You see (like I have just mentioned above) swede is a very slow cooking vegetable and takes FOREVER.

By cooking swede in the microwave you can speed up the process and then you will want to eat swede for dinner more often as its not as much of an effort as it used to be.

How To Prepare Swede?

Even though its popular to cook a singing swede in the microwave, I prefer to cook diced swede in the microwave.

Firstly, cut the top and the bottom off the swede and then peel the rest of the skin from the swede. A swede is similar to a potato for how easy you can peel it and a good vegetable knife will do the trick.

Secondly, slice your swede into large slices, then cut each of those long slices into cubes.

Finally, have a look at your diced swede. Do you feel like some bits of swede are too big? If that is the case, trim down some of the bigger bits until you have loads of medium chunks.

Your swede is now diced and ready to be seasoned before you steam your swede in the microwave.

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Microwave Swede Recipe Ingredients

Swede – I recommend any medium sized swede, or rutabaga as you might call it. Aim for one in good condition as it will reflect on how good your swede tastes once you have cooked it in the microwave.

Water – To steam swede in the microwave you will need a tablespoon of water into the bottom of your steamer basket.

Seasoning – Then for seasoning your diced swede I recommend you keep it simple with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Optional – I love to cook my microwave swede with some butter. I add it in after the initial cook and then it will cook with the swede making a delicious side dish.

Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this microwave swede recipe it has just been our Panasonic Microwave Oven. We have this one and its wonderful for many types of microwave recipes.

As well as your microwave you will need a good steamer basket that will fit in your microwave. We recommend this one.

How To Cook Swede In Microwave?

• Liquid. Start by adding a tablespoon of water to the bottom of your steamer basket. This is so that you can perfectly steam your swede.
• Prep. Start by peeling and dicing your swede into medium sized chunks. Avoid having diced swede of different sizes as some will cook quicker than others. Then load into the steamer with your seasonings and then with your hands mix the seasoning into the swede.
• Microwave. Then place the lid on your steamer and then load your steamer basket into the microwave. Microwave your swede for 5 minutes. Then remove the lid, add butter and microwave for another 5 minutes.

And I am sure you can see now how easy it is to steam swede in the microwave and why it is a firm favourite of mine for a quick veggie side dish for dinner.

How Long To Cook Swede In Microwave?

The microwave swede cooking time is JUST 10 minutes. You start with 5 minutes, then add in butter and then the swede cooks for a further 5 minutes.

You can also add in other extras at the 5 minute mark such as cheese, extra seasonings etc.

More Microwave Vegetable Recipes

• How To Steam Carrots In Microwave
• How To Steam Broccoli In Microwave
• How To Steam Cauliflower In Microwave
• How To Steam Cabbage In Microwave
• How To Steam Green Beans In Microwave
• Microwave Frozen Broccoli

Plus, we also have a fantastic FREE microwave cooking times chart, and you can receive it for FREE and download it in PDF when you subscribe to the Recipe This Newsletter.

Your microwave swede recipe is below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.

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