Kohlrabi Home Fries Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you peel kohlrabi before cooking? ›

Whether you're cooking kohlrabi or serving it raw, you will need to completely peel and discard the thick, tough outer layer (you may need a sharp knife for this; the skin is quite tough and indigestible). Cut the kohlrabi. To enjoy the crunch of raw kohlrabi, you'll want to cut it into delicate pieces.

It may not look like the most delectable or visually stunning vegetable, but kohlrabi is nutrient-dense, subtly tasty, and worth adding to stews, curries, soups, pickles, and salads. Oh, and you can even eat it on its own — take a smaller springtime kohlrabi, peel back the leaves, and just bite it like an apple.

Kohlrabi, also called German turnip, is a cruciferous vegetable in the same family as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard greens, collards, and kale. It can be eaten raw or cooked and is a popular ingredient in salad or coleslaw.

Kohlrabi has a milder, sweeter taste than that of a turnip. It is crunchy with a texture similar to water chestnuts. Serve as sticks with dip or add to salads or slaws.

The best quality kohlrabi—sweet, crisp, juicy—results from fast growth without heat or moisture stress. If the plants are overheated or struggling to take up water, they will produce chemicals that have strong, bitter flavors.

Here's what you can do with kohlrabi

Food Network says once the bitter, outer layers are peeled away, kohlrabi tastes mildly of other vegetables in the family, and with a slightly spicy note like you might find in radishes or turnips. The leaves can also be enjoyed, prepared as you would do for Swiss chard or kale.

Eating kohlrabi in large quantities can cause bloating, gas, or even worsen diarrhoea. In addition, the fibre can lead to bloating as fibre takes a very long time to digest and break down. So if you have issues related to gastrointestinal problems like bloating or gas, you should avoid consuming it in raw form.

Kohlrabi is taken by mouth as an antioxidant and for cancer, heart disease, constipation, diabetes, gout, hemorrhoids, hot flashes, high cholesterol, liver disease, menstrual symptoms, a pain disorder called sciatica, scurvy, weight loss, and wound healing. Kohlrabi is applied to the skin for hair loss.

A study by Jung et al. in 2014 showed that the green and purple-red kohlrabi varieties have flavonoids and phenolics compounds that act as anti-inflammatory agents. The kohlrabi extracts also inhibit the production of compounds that are involved in inflammatory processes.

Is kohlrabi a superfood? ›

Kohlrabi is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber, vitamin B6 and potassium. Vitamin C plays an essential role in repairing wounds and forming scar tissue, as well as maintaining bones, teeth, and cartilage. Vitamin C rich foods also support absorption of iron.

Toss the kohlrabi sticks in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread them out onto a baking sheet so they are in one even layer. Reduce the heat in the oven to 425 degrees, and bake for 15-20 minutes, turning them once to get even browning. They may take up to 30 minutes depending on how thick you've cut them.

Cauliflower. Much like broccoli, cauliflower can also be used as a kohlrabi substitute with it's especially neutral flavor. As cauliflower florets tend to hold together more than broccoli florets, the entire head of cauliflower can be used in most kohlrabi recipes.

Kohlrabi may look like a root vegetable, but it is actually related to cabbage, with a cabbage-like smell and the taste of broccoli stems.

Leave whole or dice in 1/2 inch cubes. Water blanch whole 3 minutes and cubes 1 minute. Cool promptly, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.

It doesn't have to be peeled, but the peel can be tough so I usually do. You can eat it raw in slaws and salads, as well as roasted and stir-fried.

When serving raw, you may want to gauge the thickness of the skin—if it feels particularly thick and rubbery, you can remove it with a vegetable peeler. But the skin is perfectly edible. Many people actually eat kohlrabi right out of the garden, like an apple, in big crunchy bites.

For a simple side dish, sauté the sliced kohlrabi in a bit of butter in a skillet. Once it begins to show some caramelization, season it with salt, nutmeg, and a little sugar​ for increased sweetness. Continue cooking until slightly al dente, with a bit of crispness, and serve it immediately.