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Make our mashed rutabagas with miso butter – a perfect holiday or anytime side. These rutabagas are made with minimal ingredients and are packed with flavor!
I grew up on mashed rutabagas
Every Thanksgiving and Christmas my dad makes mashed rutabagas. It’s a Slattery family tradition that’s been passed down from generation to generation. I was never a big fan of them as a kid, but now that I’m older… I’m obsessed.
I’m so obsessed that every year I make them for the holidays and no one else cares – unless of course, I’m with my family. My family’s standard recipe is essentially a copy + paste of mashed potatoes. Usually, they use heavy cream which I sub out for coconut milk, and butter which I swap for Earth Balance. Then you’ve got your standard garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
I made mashed rutabagas this way for many years but decided to switch things up a bit with these mashed rutabagas with miso butter.
Patience my friend
Rutabagas surprisingly take a really long time to boil, and for whatever reason, they don’t always cook uniformly. If you’re not sure if your rutabagas are fully cooked, definitely give it 10-15 more minutes to be super sure. Nobody wants hard rutabaga bits when you’re supposed to be eating something smooth.
I’m going to try making this recipe again on Thanksgiving with my Instant Pot so I’ll be sure to add that variation here once I know how long it takes to pressure cook the rutabagas. It will probably save you a good chunk of time if you happen to have one on hand. Stay tuned!
What’s miso butter and why is it so good?
Miso butter is a new discovery of mine. I love drizzling it on top of roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, and mushrooms. This simple combination of miso and Earth Balance really ads a dimension to whatever you’re cooking. The more you use it, the more you’ll find ways to integrate it into your recipes.
My favorite thing about miso butter is the complexity of the flavors. You get this sweet and salty flavor first and it ends with a fatty umami vibe. What’s not to like! Miso butter really amps up the taste of mashed rutabagas making it into a super special holiday side.
What you’ll need to make mashed rutabagas with miso butter
Rutabagas: The star of this dish is naturally rutabagas. This root vegetable is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip and delivers a very unique flavor. The taste can be a little offputting if it’s your first time trying, but the miso butter really steps up to the plate and masks a lot of the bitterness.
Miso and vegan butter: To make the miso butter, you’ll need some white miso and vegan butter. For this recipe, I used Earth Balance buttery sticks. Any vegan butter would probably work well here except for the ones made with olive oil. Can’t imagine how that would taste haha.
Plant milk: My go-to for mashed rutabagas is full-fat canned coconut milk, but I had oat milk on hand so I went with that! Any plant-based milk will work though. Just make sure it’s not sweetened or flavored.
Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper: Lastly, the spices. Nothing too crazy here. Just some basics you probably have on hand to pull the mashed rutabagas together.
How do you make mashed rutabagas with miso butter?
Making mashed rutabagas with miso butter is super easy. All you need is a medium-sized pot, a potato peeler, a knife, a cutting board, a small bowl, a strainer, measuring spoons, a measuring cup, a small whisk, a hand mixer, and a casserole dish.
Start by bringing a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. While the water heats, turn to your rutabagas. Use a potato peeler to remove the skin from each rutabaga. If the ends are too tough to peel, remove them with a knife. Cut the rutabagas into smaller pieces about 2-3 inches apiece.
Next, add the rutabagas to the pot. Cover the pot and simmer the rutabagas for about 45 minutes to an hour until the rutabagas are soft. It does take some time to get there so be patient!
While the rutabagas cook, make the miso butter. In a small bowl, add some room temperature vegan butter, and some miso. Use a whisk to combine and toss back into the refrigerator until you’re ready to mash.
Once the rutabagas are ready, drain them with a strainer and return them to the pot. Next, add the miso butter, oat milk, and spices and use a hand mixer to combine. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Lastly, as an optional step, you can add the mashed rutabagas with miso butter to a casserole dish and broil the top until browned for 5-10 minutes in the oven. Definitely an unnecessary step, but if you’re going for presentation, it certainly adds some color.
Substitution ideas and more
Mashed rutabagas with miso butter is perfect, IMO but if you’re looking for adaptations or substitutions, I have some ideas.
Give it heat: Just a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper could add a nice heat kick to mashed rutabagas with miso butter.
Add more miso butter on top: Ever seen those photos of mashed potatoes and rutabagas with butter slopped all over the top kinda like olive oil on top of hummus? Yeah. You can do that with mashed rutabagas too! Simply make more miso butter and serve on top.
Skip the miso: If you leave out the miso, you’ll produce a result that’s very similar to the recipe I grew up with. You may have to add a little more vegan butter to compensate, but I promise it’ll taste amazing.
Sub potatoes: I get it, you don’t like rutabagas. Try subbing peeled Yukon potatoes in place of rutabagas for mashed potatoes with miso butter instead.
Pair mashed rutabagas with miso butter with…
Looking for a main dish to pair these mashed rutabagas with miso butter with? I have some ideas!
- Butternut squash orzo bake
- Sweet potato quinoa bowl
- Chickpea salad sandwiches
- Butternut squash pasta
- The best beet burger
- Cauliflower piccata
Recipe jam
In this segment, I suggest a song for you to listen to while you make mashed rutabagas with miso butter! You can even stream it right here in your browser. Today’s recipe jam is Neighborhood #4 (Kettles) by Arcade Fire.
If you try this recipe, I want to hear about it! Feel free to post your creations to Instagram or Facebook and tag Hell Yes It’s Vegan or #hellyesitsvegan. I look forward to seeing what you make!
Mashed Rutabagas with Miso Butter
Equipment
- medium-sized pot
- potato peeler
- knife
- cutting board
- measuring cup and spoons
- small bowl
- whisk
- strainer
- hand mixer
Ingredients
- 3 lb rutabagas
- 4 Tbsp vegan butter at room temp, (I used Earth Balance buttery sticks)
- 2.5 Tbsp white miso
- ½ cup unsweetened oat milk, (Or any kind of unsweetened unflavored plant milk)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. While the water heats, peel the rutabagas. If the ends are too tough cut them with a knife. Slice the peeled rutabagas into 2-3 inch pieces and place in the pot. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the rutabagas are fully cooked.
- If you forgot to leave out your vegan butter to thaw, microwave for 10 seconds. Add butter to a small bowl and whisk in miso until combined. Put the miso butter in the refrigerator to chill.
- Strain the water and return the rutabagas to the pot. Add oat milk, miso butter, onion powder, and garlic powder and use a hand mixer to beat the rutabagas until mashed. Taste the rutabagas and add salt and pepper to taste.
- (This last step is optional) Add the mashed rutabagas with miso butter to a casserole dish, and broil in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until you get some browning. Top with additional salt and pepper and serve.