Kohlrabi recipe round up - cooked and raw
It's an alien potato!
It's a dinosaur cabbage!
Nope. It's a kohlrabi!
Kohlrabi is a funky little vegetable that has been around for many hundreds of years.
The earliest mention is from 1554, by a european botanist. It’s thought to have developed from a wild cabbage. And, loosely translated from german, kohlrabi means cabbage turnip.
Kohlrabi is very easy to grow which is why many people are first introduced to the vegetable when it shows up in their local CSA basket.
While it looks like some kind of funky root vegetable, the bulb grows above ground and the entire plant is edible. The texture is kind of like a broccoli stem, but juicier like a radish.
It has a mild, sweet flavor and, just like a carrot, kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked.
If you like the freshness of a raw carrot or radish, and you like the soft, yet firm texture of a roasted potato or winter squash, you should try kohlrabi!
Prep
The whole plant is edible, so simply cut off the leafy stems and save them to chop up in a salad or saute for a side dish.
Wash your kohlrabi like you would any other veggie. Peel the skin and cut or shred the bulb according to your recipe.
The skin of a kohlrabi is edible, but it can be tough in some varieties. Just like parsnips, it’s common to peel the skin off but it’s not strictly necessary.
Large kohlrabi that have been in storage for a while can get woody. If you find one that seems a little tougher than usual, keep peeling the outer flesh of the bulb after you peel the skin until you notice the texture change. It should be soft and crisp toward the center.
Scroll down for some excellent raw and cooked Kohlrabi recipes, plus two extra recipes for when you're feeling adventurous!
Eat it Raw
Kohlrabi fits in very well with raw carrots, radish, and cabbage. Actually a grated mix of all of those things makes a terrific slaw!
Spicy Kohlrabi Noodles from Love and Lemons
Eat it Cooked
Kohlrabi has a texture similar to a potato or winter squash when cooked. It’s mild, sweet flavor makes it great mixed in with stronger flavored vegetables like butternut squash or tomatoes.