Swede is a very underrated vegetable. It is nutritious, and can be incredibly tasty when cooked right! However, it can take a long time to cook it to perfection. Have you ever thought about how to cook swede in the microwave?
This is a great way to cook it, and it takes a much shorter time than doing it on the hob! Swede is a hard vegetable, with a tough skin and dense flesh, so chopping it up to boil it can be hard work.
Cooking your swede in the microwave removes all of these obstacles, and still leaves you with delicious results.
Can You Put Swede In The Microwave?
You may have already guessed that the answer to this question is a resounding yes! Cooking a swede in the microwave shortens the cooking time, and even means that you can avoid peeling it.
You can cook your swede whole in the microwave, thus completely avoiding any hard work peeling and chopping it.
If you don’t mind a bit of cutting, you can cook your swede chopped in the microwave too.
You can cook swede in the microwave with the skin on, and know that you can easily slip the skin off after it has finished cooking.
However you decide to do it, microwaving swede is a great option – it cooks the vegetable quickly, and you can avoid getting sweaty over the chopping board as you peel and dice it.
Cooking a swede in the microwave gives just as good results as does cooking it on the hob, and it takes a shorter amount of time too.
How Long Does Swede Take To Cook In A Microwave?
Cooking a swede in a microwave has many advantages over boiling it in the traditional way – and one of these advantages is the cooking time.
A whole swede can be microwave cooked – skin and all – in as little as 20 minutes. A larger swede might take a little longer, but in general this is all the time you will need.
Once the 20 minutes is up, insert a cooking skewer or thin knife into the swede – if it is soft then it is done.
You can always increase the cooking times if your swede is not quite done after 20 minutes; just pop it back in for another 5 minutes before checking again.
Cooking a swede in the microwave delivers just the same delicious results as cooking it on the hob, and will be much less hard work for you, as a bonus!
Make sure you leave it to cool for a few minutes after it has finished cooking, as it will be very hot when it first comes out of the microwave.
How To Cook Swede In The Microwave?
Amazingly, you can cook a whole swede in the microwave, in a much shorter time than it would take you to cook one with other methods – and, you don’t even have to peel it!
Peeling and chopping swede can be quite hard work, as they have very tough skins and hard flesh. This method of cooking removes pretty much all the hard work for you.
Interestingly, this method is known as the singing swede, because of the cute whistling noise it makes as it is cooking. Don’t worry, your microwave is not malfunctioning!
- Take a whole swede, give it a quick rinse and pat it dry.
- Place it on a plate, cut side down, or it will roll around in the microwave.
- Cook the swede on full power for 15 minutes, then turn it onto the other side and cook for a further 15 minutes.
- Test its softness by pushing a skewer into the flesh – if it is not quite soft enough then give it another 5 minutes.
- Remove the plate from the microwave, and let the swede sit for 5 minutes as it will be extremely hot.
- Cut the swede in half and scoop the flesh away from the skin – it should peel off very easily.
- Place the flesh into a bowl and mash in a knob of butter and salt and pepper to taste.
- You can add some softened, mashed carrot to the mash as well, for an added depth of flavour.
Here is a good video showing you the steps for cooking swede in the microwave:
How Do You Cook Chopped Swede In The Microwave?
Chopping a swede into small chunks is really the best way to cook it if you are boiling it, as the smaller pieces will cook more quickly than larger ones.
But can you cook chopped swede in the microwave? The answer, of course, is yes – and it’s very easy!
You don’t need to chop it into as small chunks as you would if you were boiling it; a half or a quarter is just fine, and means you spend less time chopping this hard vegetable.
- Chop your swede into halves or quarters, and place into a microwave steamer, or a dish with a lid (you will need an air hole for the steam to escape).
- Microwave on full power for 10 minutes, then turn it over and return to the microwave for another 5 minutes.
- Leave it to cool for a couple of minutes, as it will be very hot when it first comes out.
- Slide a large spoon in between the flesh and the skin – you should find that it comes off in one easy section.
- Mash the swede with butter, salt and pepper, and serve with the rest of your meal.
The next time you fancy swede with your roast dinner but can’t be bothered to wait for it to cook, why not just pop it in the microwave?
You will end up with an extra tasty vegetable side dish, and it won’t take forever to cook on the hob, and you won’t have to sweat over the chopping board!
