The QT on Kohlrabi
Don’t be intimidated by kohlrabi! If you’ve been to a farmer’s market, or if you’re a member of a CSA, OR if you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably come across the unusual looking vegetable called kohlrabi. Part green, but mostly bulb, this veggie is like if jicama, turnip, and a radish had a baby, (what a hot three-some). The bulb also tastes like broccoli stems. When raw, kohlrabi has a crunchy texture with a hint of spice in taste. In my experience, they grow great in the Northeast area of America and it comes in both green and purple varieties like cabbage. Here are some FAQ’s that I get about kohlrabi (I love that I have a job where I can say that sentence:
Are the kohlrabi leaves edible? The smaller leaves can be used in a meal when the plant is young. They can be used much like spinach, collard greens, or beet greens. They taste best when they are cooked, as the leaves are thicker than spinach, but if they can be eaten chopped in a salad if they are very young.
Can kohlrabi be frozen? Yes! Sometimes my kohlrabi bulbs are huge, so I want to freeze some of the bulbs so that it doesn’t go to waste. Just remove the tops and the roots; wash and peel and leave whole or cut into ½-inch cubes; blanch for three minutes (if whole) or one minute (if cubed) and chill quickly in ice water; drain off any excess water and moisture, package in airtight containers and freeze right away.
How do I cut kohlrabi? Cut off the stems: If the stems and leaves are still attached to the kohlrabi, cut them off. (Save the leaves if they are young by steaming or sauteeing); Slice in half: Cut the kohlrabi head in half down through its center. Slice into quarters: Place the halved kohlrabi cut side down and slice into quarters. Discard the tough center. Peel the kohlrabi: Now that you have small, manageable quarters, use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the tough skin. Then, slice it depending on how you plan to use them in a recipe.
What should the bulbs look like? They should be firm, the smoother the better, and avoid picking bulbs with holes. If they are really small and young, you don’t have to peel them, but mine are often big and need to be peeled.
Kohlrabi is kind of the weirdo of the vegetable garden and that’s kind of why I love it so much. It has an extraterrestrial, yet whimsical appearance and it has great nutritional properties. Key nutrients include vitamin C, which helps to fight infection, vitamin E, vitamin K, and B-complex vitamins. These B-vitamins help us fight off stress. Kohlrabi is also full of nutrients like copper, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium. It can be eaten raw in slaws and I often add it to my salads in its raw form. I shave them very thinly on the mandolin and just eat them right off the cutting board or I matchstick them and throw them in my salad. They can be used in a stir-fry, the leaves included, but my favorite way to eat kohlrabi is in a soup. I make a red lentil kohlrabi soup that makes me weak in the knees with every bite. Simply roasting pieces of kohlrabi in the oven after mixing them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper is wonderfully delicious. This vegetable is great most times of the year where I live, so it’s a big bonus that if you live in the Northeast of America, you will be eating seasonally most of the time every time you incorporate them into meals.