Kohlrabi is getting more press these days for good reason. Not only is it crunchy, flavorful, and versatile in the kitchen, but it’s also easy to grow in the garden. If you can grow broccoli or kale, then you can grow kohlrabi. Many gardeners first ran across kohlrabi at farmers’ markets or specialty grocery stores. Now this vegetable is on the rise and is used in many restaurants. But the big question is, how do you eat it? My answer is, don’t make it complicated. There are many simple ways to use kohlrabi in the kitchen to enhance a meal. The first step is to peel the round, swollen stem. Once you do this, you can use the white-fleshed insides in a variety of dishes. Here are some ideas:
Go raw. Kohlrabi that’s peeled and thinly sliced makes a great raw vegetable. Add a little salt and pepper and even consider serving it with dips. It has a mild radish-like flavor that’s not overwhelming.
Fry it. Almost any vegetable tastes great dipped in batter and fried, and kohlrabi is no exception. Peel and slice it, dip it in an egg batter, flour it lightly, and fry. Your kids will love it, too.
Soup it. Late summer is the perfect time to make multivegetable soups. Kolhrabi is a great addition to any vegetable soup because it keeps its crunch if not overcooked and has a mild flavor. Try it also mixed with broccoli or potato in cream soups.
Roast it. Roasting is one of my favorite ways to eat many root crops and brassicas like kolhrabi and broccoli. Roasting brings out the sweetness in vegetables like kolhrabi. You can either thinly slice the kohlrabi or cut it into cubes; then coat the slices or cubes with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt, and roast away.
Steam it. This is possibly the simplest way to cook kolhrabi. Once steamed, it can be mixed with other steamed vegetable and tossed with butter or olive oil, or used in frittatas, omelets, or pasta.