Story by Meredith Clarke, Photo by Carole Topalian
You’ve probably seen this demonic-looking vegetable at the Ithaca Farmers Market or skulking around at the grocery store, and if you’re anything like me, its appearance probably frightened you. These guys aren’t nearly as scary as they appear though, and can be processed and cooked with relative ease. The vegetable is closely related to cabbage, collard greens and Brussels sprouts. The taste and texture are similar to broccoli stems, but kohlrabi is a bit milder and sweeter. Here are five ways to get this super nutritious vegetable onto your plate:
1. Eat It Raw
Hardly any prep required, and no cooking! My favorite! Kohlrabi makes a great addition to raw salads, slaws, and are delicious on their own with some olive oil and seasoning. When cutting up the vegetable, first cut off the stems, slice into quarters, cut out the tough core, then peel once more to get rid of any remaining skin. Raw kohlrabi is a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and potassium.
2. Put It In Soup
Have a favorite vegetable or creamy soup? Just toss some chopped kohlrabi in for extra crunch! The Kitchn suggests using it in pureed soup with mild spices so the kohlrabi flavor can really take center stage.
3. Make Fritters
A bit healthier than potato fritters, and you’ll hardly know the difference. Mix shredded kohlrabi with an egg and some flour or breadcrumbs, heat up some oil or butter in a frying pan, and flatten dollops into little pancakes. Fry up until both sides are crispy.
4. Roast It
Heap them in a pile all to themselves or mix in with other summertime veggies for a side dish. When roasted, the outer layers of the kohlrabi caramelize and sweeten the whole thing. Delicious!
5. Steam It
You can eat steamed kohlrabi on its own or add it to pretty much anything. The Kitchn loves steamed kohlrabi in frittatas, pasta dishes, stir-fries, and even empanadas and calzones. See what you can add it to!
Meredith Clarke is slowly learning how to cook, and her summer internship with Edible Finger Lakes proved fruitful.
2 thoughts on “What Am I Supposed To Do With This: Kohlrabi”
Kohlrabi is great. So are pea shoots. So are turnips and parsnips. And so many veggies!
Find out how to cook them – easy recipes with on hand ingredients – in my cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market. Find it at my web site wordsaremyworld.com under the Books tab! I also share recipes on my blog!
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