Piqued your interest? Rutabaga ‘fries’?! Yes, I’m serious. Rutabaga fries are exactly as they sound, fries made from rutabaga! 

Before I go any further, you might be wondering what the heck a rutabaga is. Rutabaga is very similar to turnip and the two are often confused. While they look and taste very similar, rutabaga has a rougher texture than turnip and  tends to be a bit starchier. While turnips typically come white-fleshed, rutabagas are more yellow-fleshed (although you can come across yellow-fleshed turnips and white-fleshed rutabagas as well.)

 I’ve been a little obsessed with incorporating a wider variety of vegetables into my diet lately, so  at a recent trip to the market opted for rutabaga as my root veg for the week  (I had previously been on an artichoke kick.)

I love putting a healthy twist on beloved conventional foods (evident by my current love affair with sweet potato toast!) As a result,  I was very intrigued when stumbling upon the idea of rutabaga fries during a recent search for recipe inspiration. While you can find a number of variations online, I immediately set out to the kitchen to create a recipe of my own. I definitely was not disappointed… rutabaga fries are delicious!

These little sticks of goodness are bursting with flavour given the slightly sweet taste  rutabaga  offers – they actually remind me very much of sweet potato fries.  I’ve been making these on a regular basis in our house and my family can’t seem to get enough of them (our 21 month old devours them!)

The best part about these fries is they’re baked using heat-stable coconut oil instead of deep-fried vegetable oils that are loaded with trans fats and increase your chances of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, elevated ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol, inflammation and a wide variety of other health problems. 

Not only do they taste great, but rutabagas are a low calorie vegetable loaded with fiber, minerals and antioxidants.

Have I convinced you yet? Give ’em a try and let me know what you think!

Cumin-Paprika Rutabaga Fries

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium-sized rutabaga                
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cumin

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 425
• Peel rutabagas and cut into ‘sticks’ (approx. 1/4 ” thick/wide)
• Mix all spices and coconut oil together in a small bowl
• Place rutabaga in a ziplock bag or large bowl with a lid
• Pour in oil and spices
• Shake for several minutes until evenly coated, gently massaging seasoning into rutabaga as needed
• Spread rutabaga in a baking dish careful not to overlap the fries too much. (I used two baking dishes.)
• Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crispy, (flip fries after 15 minutes)