Kohlrabi – is a member of the cabbage family, the taste and texture are similar to those of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter, with a higher ratio of flesh to skin. The young stem in particular can be as crisp and juicy as an apple, although much less sweet.  They can be eaten raw (Johan likes to eat them raw like an apple) or just peeled, sliced and added to a salad or use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip. Grated kohlrabi can be added to slaw, but lightly salt it first and let stand for several minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water before adding dressing.  Try it cooked like a turnip or substituted in recipes calling for radishes. Kohlrabi can also be steamed, boiled or roasted. For this preparation don’t peel until after they are cooked. Steam or boil until bulbs are tender, peel skin, and season with butter, salt, and pepper, a cheese sauce, or just enjoy plain.

ROASTED KOHLRABI
1 1/2 pounds fresh kohlrabi, ends trimmed, thick green skin sliced off with a knife, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped green garlic
Salt
Vinegar
Set oven to 450F. Toss the diced kohlrabi with olive oil, green garlic and salt in a bowl.  Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and put into oven and roast for 30 – 35 minutes, stirring at the 20, 25 minute mark. Sprinkle with vinegar at the table.

Bev Ball, on July 11, 2011 at 2:29 pm said: Edit Comment

Kohlrabi in our bin last week was my first encounter with a new favourite vegetable! Loved snacking on it raw, and could have eaten it all that way.
However, since the leaves were included and are so nutritious, I tried a soup recipe which called for both bulbs + leaves. (Hungarian Kolhrabi Soup, p. 213 in Greene on Greens / by Bert Greene.)
The recipe is a bit long to include here, but basically, these are the steps:
1. First, make a blended soup:
>fry up a bit of chopped bacon, and saute some veggies (onion, garlic, celery, carrot, parsley, garlic scapes, etc.)
>simmer in chicken broth until tender
>blend mixture until smooth in blender or food processor
2. Add chicken parts ; simmer until chicken is tender (ca. 50 min.)
3. Remove chicken ; remove meat from bones + chop
4. Add chopped kohlrabi bulbs to soup and simmer until tender (ca. 15 min.)
5. Wash kohlrabi leaves ; cook in small pan of boiling water for 1 min. ; rinse, drain and chop
6. In a separate small pan, melt a bit of butter, add an equal amount of flour and toast it a bit, add a bit of hot soup. Add to soup to thicken.
7.Add chicken meat and chopped leaves to soup ; cook 5 min.
8.Add lemon juice and salt + pepper to taste

Although there are a lot of steps, this was worth it. For me, this turned out to be so thick that it wasn’t really a soup – more of a one-dish meal. Also, I added sauteed mushrooms (from the bin) on top. Yummy!

Stuffed Kohlrabi

 

(from cookit simply)

Ingredients: 
- 4 medium kohlrabi  – salt and freshly milled white pepper – 1 day old bread roll – 1 onion
- 350 g ground beef – 1/2 tsp paprika – 1 tbsp chopped parsley – 1 egg  -8 slices bacon

Preparation:

1. Peel the kohlrabi. Wash and chop the feathery leaves and keep them to one side in a covered dish. Boil the kohlrabi in salted water for 20 minutes, then drain, reserving  about 6 tablespoons of the cooking water, and leave them to cool.
2. Cut a lid in the top of each kohlrabi and spoon out the inside. Finely dice the insides.
3. Soften the roll in cold water. Finely chop the onion. Squeeze excess moisture from the roll.

4. Mix the minced meat with the chopped kohlrabi, the onion and the roll and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Work in the chopped kohlrabi leaves, the parsley and the egg.
5. Arrange the kohlrabi in a buttered ovenproof dish, fill each one with the minced meat mixture and cover the kohlrabi with the lids. Top each kohlrabi with 2 slices bacon.
6. Pour the reserved stock into the dish and bake at  400°F for 25 min.

Puree Kohlrabi

by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins

Ingredients:
-4 kohlrabi bulbs with leaves
-2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-4 oz mushrooms, quartered
-3 Tbsp cream (or milk, chicken stock, olive oil, or water)
-salt and pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

Directions:
1. Trim the kohlrabi bulbs, peeling them if the skins seem tough. Rinse the leaves (discarding any that are yellow) pat them dry, and coarsely chop. Set aside. But the bulbs into 1-inch chunks.

2. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, and add the kohlrabi chunks. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, another 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t let the garlic brown.

4. Add the mushrooms and the reserved kohlrabi leaves to the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes. Then uncover, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated, 3 minutes. Set the skillet aside.

5. Drain the kohlrabi chunks and place them in the bowl of a food processor.  Add the mushroom mixture and the cream.  Purée until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Transfer the purée to a saucepan and reheat over low heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Serve warm.