Roasted Rutabaga and Thyme
Whose favorite vegetable is Rutabaga?
Think about it. Have you ever heard anyone say their favorite vegetable is Rutabaga?
Right?
Rutabaga is like the fabulous cousin that never seems to get their due no matter how much flavor they add to the mix.
For years I’ve been boiling or roasting rutabaga, adding it to soups or stews in all sorts of cool weather dishes. No one ever seems to push this golden root vegetable aside.
Yet I never hear folks trend it at the top of their favorites list? Maybe partly because we don’t often feature the rutabaga alone giving it the opportunity to stand on its own merits.
Today, before the weather actually succumbs to spring, and rutabagas won’t be in their prime season, I thought it would be a good time to make my case on this lovely veg and to share my easy recipe bringing out the natural flavors in true rutabaga glory.
The preparation is so simple roasting the peeled cut chunks tossed in some olive oil, salt and pepper in a preheated 375 degree oven for around 35-40 minutes until tender and a nice golden color, very lightly browned.
A sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves add a nice touch of flavor and color dimension to the mix.
The fun part about this rutabaga post, given my prior observations is the craziest thing that happened after having written this post.
A couple of weeks back, preparing this dish for the third time due to it being all eaten up on the first round, then, I didn’t like the photo on second try, so spotting some gorgeous rutabagas a few weeks back I decided to give the roasted chunks another go.
As the waxy orbs glided their way down the supermarket belt, long after having written my point of view in support of this often underrrated and delicious golden root, you won’t believe what happened. The cashier gently picked up one of the rutabagas admiringly and in a clear cheerful voice shared, ‘Ah, Rutabaga, one of my very favorites!’ What? Really? I enthusiastically shared her delight. Indeed. I agreed. Rutabaga is one of my very favorites too.
Golden Rutabaga, Thyme
Ingredients
- 2 rutabagas
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves peeled from stems
- couple pinches coarse kosher salt plus more to taste
- few grinds cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cut ends off of the rutabaga and peel off the outer waxy skin. Cut rutabaga in half then cut into even sized chunks.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the oil on the center, sprinkle over a couple pinches coarse kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Tumble the rutabaga pieces onto the center of the tray and toss well with the olive oil and seasonings. Place into oven.
- Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, more or less, until golden brown colored.
- Transfer to a bowl, spoon through the fresh thyme, check seasoning and adjust to taste. Serve hot.
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