An easy roasted swede soup recipe, flavoured with smoked paprika and thyme! It's healthy, nutritious, and packed full of flavour.
The soup is ultra creamy, velvety-smooth, and hug-in-a-bowl comforting, but most importantly it tastes absolutely delicious, especially on a chilly winter's day!
Delicately spiced and fragrant, this creamy roasted swede soup is so easy to make with a few simple ingredients, many of which you will already have on hand!
The sweet potato and carrots add sweetness against the earthiness of the swede. Parsnip would also work well in this soup.
👩🍳 Love swede? Try my easy roast swede recipe too!
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What is swede?
Swede, also known as rutabaga or neeps, is a root vegetable and a member of the cabbage family! It is round in shape and has a purple-green skin, with a yellowy-orange flesh.
✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- A winter warmer root vegetable soup recipe.
- Roasting the swede brings out its natural sweetness.
- Easily adaptable - vary the spices and root vegetables to suit your own taste.
- Perfect for batch cooking and freezing.
- It's generally considered a frugal and low-cost vegetable.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Swede - one swede, peeled and cut into small dice (about 2cm).
- Sweet Potato - peeled and diced. Swap for 3 parsnips if you prefer.
- Olive Oil - for roasting the root vegetables and frying the onion.
- Onion - one brown onion peeled and finely chopped.
- Carrot - peeled and finely chopped.
- Garlic - two cloves peeled and finely chopped.
- Smoked Paprika - or use normal paprika. Swap for other spices such as baharat.
- Thyme - one teaspoon of dried thyme, or one tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves finely chopped.
- Stock - vegetable stock made with a stock pot or stock cube. Use homemade vegetable stock if you have it available!
- Salt and Pepper - for seasoning.
- Double Cream - for a creamy silky smooth texture.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat the oven to 200c (180 fan/ Gas 6) and place the diced swede and sweet potato into a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and then roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, shaking halfway through cooking.
Two: Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the onions, carrots, and garlic until soft. This should take 4 -5 minutes.
Three: Add the smoked paprika and thyme and give it a stir.
Four: Stir in the vegetable stock and roasted swede/sweet potato mix. Simmer on a low to medium heat for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Five: Blitz with a stick blender for a smooth soup. You may want to add a little boiling water to get just the right consistency.
Six: Season with salt and pepper and finally stir in the cream. Heat through and serve!
💭 Expert tips
- Mash the vegetables first before blitzing with the stick blender. This will prevent splatters all over your kitchen!
- You can also wrap a clean tea towel around the pan when blitzing the soup to prevent splatters.
- Try making the soup in your slow cooker. There is no need to reduce the quantity of stock. Cook on high for 3-4 hours until the vegetables are tender enough to liquidise.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the swede soup with crusty bread or homemade focaccia. Air fryer cheese toasties are great for dunking in the soup too!
📖 Variations
- Use different combinations of root vegetables. Parsnip and swede work well.
- Swap the sweet potato for butternut squash or celeriac.
- Add chopped fresh ginger to the soup for warmth and spice.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg.
- Like your food spicy? Add a chopped red chilli or garnish the soup with chilli flakes.
- Drizzle the soup with extra double cream when serving and sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley.
- Make a double batch and freeze half.
- Make the soup vegan and leave out the cream, or use a dairy-free alternative.
🥡 Storage
Store: The roasted swede soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Place the soup in a microwaveable bowl and reheat on high until piping hot. You can also reheat the soup in a pan on the hob.
Freeze: Allow the soup to cool, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Swede is particularly high in vitamins C, E, K and B6, as well as being a good source of manganese, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, carotene and fibre.
If swedes are young and fresh then you don't need to peel them, but I prefer to do so. For older, tougher ones, you definitely should remove the skin with a sharp knife or potato peeler.
Although swedes and turnips do come from the same family, they are not the same vegetable. Swedes are generally bigger, tougher skinned, with yellow-orange flesh. Turnips are smaller, with smoother skin and white flesh.
Swede can be eaten raw if it is fresh and young. It's best to shred it into fine pieces and use it in salads and coleslaw.
😋 More easy lunch recipes
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Recipe
Easy Roasted Swede Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Swede peeled and diced (2cm dice)
- 1 Sweet Potato peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 Carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Thyme dried
- 750 ml Vegetable Stock
- 30 ml Double Cream
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c (180 fan/ Gas 6) and place the diced swede and sweet potato into a roasting tin. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and then roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, shaking halfway through cooking.1 Swede, 1 Sweet Potato, 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the onions, carrots, and garlic until soft. This should take 4 -5 minutes.2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 1 Carrot, 2 Garlic Cloves
- Add the smoked paprika and thyme and give it a stir.2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 1 teaspoon Thyme
- Stir in the vegetable stock and roasted swede/sweet potato mix. Simmer on a low to medium heat for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.750 ml Vegetable Stock
- Blitz with a stick blender for a smooth soup. You may want to add a little boiling water to get just the right consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper and finally stir in the cream. Heat through and serve!30 ml Double Cream, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Notes
- Mash the vegetables first before blitzing with the stick blender. This will prevent splatters all over your kitchen!
- You can also wrap a clean tea towel around the pan when blitzing the soup to prevent splatters.
- Try making the soup in your slow cooker. There is no need to reduce the quantity of stock. Cook on high for 3-4 hours until the vegetables are tender enough to liquidise.
- Use different combinations of root vegetables. Parsnip and swede work well.
- Swap the sweet potato for butternut squash or celeriac.
- Add chopped fresh ginger to the soup for warmth and spice.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg.
- Like your food spicy? Add a chopped red chili or garnish the soup with chili flakes.
- Drizzle the soup with extra double cream when serving and sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley.
Natalie
Nothing gives me more pleasure during the colder days than a good nourishing soup. Loved your recipe, thanks!
Toni
This is a really amazing soup!! I can't wait to try it!! I am sure my whole family will love it!
Carrie
This was soooo delicious, thank you! And really easy to make!
Beth
Now we're finally coming to the days of soup again, and I think this is going to be the first one I make! It looks delicious.
Aimee Mars
So excited that we are in soup season! Bookmarking this to make later this fall.