Discovering Kohlrabi (and 9 Delicious Kohlrabi Recipes)
You’ve probably seen kohlrabi in your CSA box or at the farmers market, eyeing you like a strange, pale green, baby alien (although purple varieties, like those depicted above, do exist!). While at first glance it may seem strange, kohlrabi is actually a delicious vegetable just coming into season, and there are many ways to add it to your daily meals.
Kohlrabi’s name is an indicator of its origin, as speakers of German may know. Kohl is German for cabbage, while rabi is Swiss-German for turnip, a moniker it got from its name.
While it may resemble the latter, it is a member of the former family: the brassicas we all know and love like cauliflower, broccoli and kale. It has a slightly sweet flavor and packs a good amount of crunch when raw. As for how to eat it… it’s up to you! Here are some of our favorite kohlrabi recipes, to get you started.
Use kohlrabi raw in salads to highlight its crisp, refreshing nature. Should you choose this sort of preparation, be sure to pick a smaller kohlrabi with thinner stalks, which will be more tender.
- Kohlrabi, apple and beetroot salad
- Kohlrabi salad with cilantro and lime
- Crunchy and refreshing kohlrabi salad
Use it cooked to highlight its sweetness, with these delicious kohlrabi recipes:
If you buy kohlrabi with the greens still attached, you can cook them as you would beet greens or mustard greens. Be sure that you select kohlrabi that are young and that the greens look very fresh.
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Image: Chris Betcher
