So, last October Ross’ co-worker gave him two kohlrabi—two GIANT kohlrabi. Normally kohlrabi is about the size of an apple or orange, weighing about 6-10 ounces each. But these were HUGE, each one weighing twenty pounds! I would have expected them to be woody and not very tasty. But I was wrong. These mega-veggies were tasty, sweet and juicy.
What is kohlrabi???
You’re not alone if you ask “what is kohlrabi?” This poor orphan of the vegetable world is often ignored. (I had to search dozens of free clip art sites just to find one picture I could use in this post.)
As the name suggests, it’s in the brassica (or cabbage) family. It’s looks like a strange alien-looking green apple with kale leaves sticking out of the top. Think of it as a kind of swollen cabbage or broccoli stem with a few leaves on top.
You’ve peeled and eaten a broccoli stem, haven’t you? Well, the taste and texture of the kohlrabi is very similar. And, like a cabbage, it will store for a very long time after harvesting if you keep it in a (relatively) cool and humid environment. Our two 20-pounders lasted almost four months before we finally finished them off.
So what do you do with 40 pounds of kohlrabi?
A Google search gave me several ideas and I’ve compiled the recipes that we liked the best. Get your copy of my Kohlrabi Recipe Collection. The 21-page recipe collection has dozens of recipes using kohlrabi. It also includes additional information on nutritional content, storage and growing.
- Like scalloped potatoes? Then you’ll like Scalloped Kohlrabi. I actually preferred Scalloped Bacon and Chipotle Kohlrabi–the saltiness of the bacon and spicy peppers offset the sweetness of the kohlrabi.
- I’ve already written about Roasted Vegetables. This is a great way to use your fall veggies, so just add kohlrabi to the mix.
- Kohlrabi Slaw is basically cole slaw but you substitute 1/3 to 1/2 of the cabbage with kohlrabi. I also added a couple carrots–the dark purplish/black ones for added color and flavor.
- Kohlrabi Salad is like a slaw, but made with a yummy olive oil-vinegar-mustard dressing.
- Kohlrabi Fritters are a pancakey sort of mixture made with grated kohlrabi.
- Creamy Kohlrabi Soup is a pretty peach-colored soup and was a repeat favorite. Served with a loaf of homemade bread and it was the perfect meal for a cold winter day.
- My favorite dish was Parmesan Garlic Mashed Kohlrabi. Just substitute some or all of the potatoes in the recipe with kohlrabi. Lots of garlicky cheesy flavor, it’s a good substitute for mashed potatoes.
There’s more…
Because it has a sweet sort of crispy flavor, I substituted kohlrabi for apples when juicing. For juice recipes that called for two or three apples, I would use one or two apples and substitute a big chunk of kohlrabi for the rest of the apples. Yum!
Like all brassicas, kohlrabi is very cold hardy and benefits from a couple cold frosts. So if you want to enjoy this tasty vegetable in early spring, now is the time to start the seeds indoors. Or you can plant it in late summer for a late fall harvest.
Want more recipes using kohlrabi? You’re in luck! I have a whole recipe book filled with almost two dozen recipe just for kohlrabi. You’ll find recipes for including salads, soups and main dishes as well as information on how to grow and store kohlrabi.
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