The Hairy Bikers: bubble and squeak

Name: Hairy bikers bubble and squeak
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings

The cooking duo share their delicious but lighter version of this classic dish which is great for using up leftovers.

An opened egg with the egg running over a portion of bubble and squeak

By The Hairy Bikers | Published - 4 May 2026

There’s nothing like a good bubble and squeak – it’s a great favourite of ours. In this recipe we’ve upped the carrot and swede and cut down on the potato so it’s a bit lighter than usual but still tastes mega.

Cooking Time

20 mins

Serves

Calories

195

Ingredients

200g swede, peeled and diced
200g carrots, peeled and diced
200g potatoes, peeled and diced
200g cabbage, shredded
1 tsp olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
4 eggs (optional)
1 tsp white wine vinegar (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Layer the root vegetables in a steamer – swede on the bottom, carrots next, potatoes on top. Steam them over boiling water for 10 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. If you don’t have a steamer, boil the vegetables until tender, then drain them really well.
Season the veg and then mash. You don’t want the mixture tobe too smooth, so don’t be too vigorous about it.
Put the cabbage in a saucepan with a couple of centimetres of just-boiled water and simmer it for a few minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly. Add the olive oil to a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onion until it is translucent and taking on a little colour. Tip the onion into the mash, along with the cabbage, and stir.
Heat the grill to its highest setting. Pile all the mixture into the frying pan and cook over a medium heat for several minutes until you see that it is browning around the edges. Put the pan under the grill until the top has crisped up a bit and is a good deep brown.
If you want to top the mixture with eggs, try our great tip for successful poaching. Half fill a medium non-stick saucepan with water, add a teaspoon of vinegar and bring it to the boil. Place the eggs, still in their shells, into the boiling water for exactly 20 seconds – this helps the whites stay together. Remove them with a slotted spoon and turn the heat down so the water is simmering gently.
Crack the eggs into the water and cook for 3 minutes. The water should be gently bubbling and the eggs will rise to the surface when they are nearly ready. Remove them with a slotted spoon, drain briefly and place an egg on top of each helping of bubble and squeak.

Notes

Swede can go a bit mushy when boiled, so we like to steam the veg, but if you don’t have a steamer, just be sure to drain it all well.
You could dry-fry the eggs instead of poaching them, if you prefer.

Recipe extracted from The Hairy Bikers Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes by Si King and Dave Myers (Seven Dials), RRP £12.99.

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(Hero image credit: The Hairy Bikers)

Written by: The Hairy Bikers

Si King and Dave Myers, the Hairy Bikers, became national treasures with their blend of enthusiasm and humour.
They hosted more than 30 TV series combining motorcycling and cooking, and sold more than 6 million copies of their books. In February 2024, Dave Myers passed away after a long battle with cancer.

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