Have you tried rutabaga yet? Often called yellow turnip rutabaga is a mild tasting root, with a creamy interior. Often enjoyed roasted or mashed, rutabaga is incredibly versatile and also great raw! Here rutabaga and other root vegetables are shaved and tossed with a creamy dressing. If you prefer a vinaigrette would also work nicely.
Any combination of root vegetables will work, I went with turnips and rutabaga. If you want to make it more colorful try carrots or beets. Parsnips and celeriac would work well. I used a y-shaped vegetable peeler, these are my favorite
Altogether you should have 4 – 5 cups shaved vegetables. Tossing them with salt and letting them sit helps soften the vegetables and draw out the moisture. Rinse and squeeze dry with your hands or use a salad spinner. The very simple dressing is similar to a classic remoulade. Whisk together and toss with the vegetables just before serving. This dish would pair well with fish and a dry white wine.
Shaved Root Vegetable Salad
1 medium sized rutabaga + 2 turnips or other root vegetable combination of your choice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Peel root vegetables. Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to shave the roots into bite size pieces. You’ll probably have a few pieces leftover at the the end. Toss the shaved roots with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with water and then spin dry with a salad spinner, or squeeze the shreds dry with a towel.
Mix the dressing ingredients together. Toss the dressing and roots together, then season with salt and pepper to taste. I like a lot of black pepper. Serve immediately.
