How to Cook Kohlrabi - Sharon Palmer, The Plant Powered Dietitian (2024)

FAQs

How do you prepare kohlrabi for eating? ›

There are several ways to cook kohlrabi, most of them similar to how you cook potatoes: boiled, steamed, roasted, fried or mashed. Slices and sticks can be stir-fried, and the whole stem can be hollowed out and stuffed with a veggie and rice or meat filling and baked like stuffed peppers.

Kohlrabi Basics

The bulb kind of tastes like broccoli stems (my favorite part of broccoli!) 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.

How to Cook Kohlrabi. This versatile vegetable can be roasted, steamed, stir-fried, or puréed in a soup. 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.

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 is a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. The former is water-soluble and helps maintain healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels. On the other hand, insoluble fiber isn't broken down in your intestine, helping add bulk to your stool and promote regular bowel movements ( 19 ).

Harvest kohlrabi when the bulb is two to three inches in width. If the bulb gets too large, it will become tough, woody and bitter. Spring-planted kohlrabi harvested in summer is more likely to become fibrous if you allow them to become over-mature. Fall-harvested kohlrabi can grow a bit bigger without losing quality.

Kohlrabi is a healthy ingredient, and it's low in calories. Eating too much of any cruciferous vegetable can cause gas that can make you uncomfortable. Moderate your portion sizes to help ensure that you are able to enjoy the benefits of kohlrabi without negative digestive effects.

Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread kohlrabi in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in order to brown evenly.

The canonical application for kohlrabi that I'm familiar with is soup, for which you shred the vegetable (or if you're feeling fancy, julienne it). Naturally, the smaller pieces then get pretty soft when cooked.

Place kohlrabi in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable crisper section. Kohlrabi with the leaves attached will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 weeks, without the leaves 2 to 3 months.

How long does kohlrabi last after picking? ›

Storage and food safety

Wash thoroughly and store with leaf stems removed. Kohlrabi can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.

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.

Storing kohlrabi in the fridge will help it stay at its best for a week or two. It may even last for a month. Trim off any leaves and store them separately, as they can draw moisture away from the bulb.

What Does Kohlrabi Taste Like? Kohlrabi tastes similar to a broccoli stalk, but a bit more tender and sweet. Don't forget to remove the tough outer peel, then use the bulb either raw or cooked. It can be prepared much like a broccoli stalk, too—if raw, shred it and use it in slaw or thinly slice and use in a salad.

All parts of the kohlrabi are edible, though most people just stick to the bulbous bottom. The leaves and stems are best sautéed or added to a stir-fry. The bulb can be eaten raw, which maintains its super-crisp texture and mild bite, or it can be roasted, sautéed, steamed, or boiled and mashed like a potato.

Storage and food safety

Kohlrabi can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks. Storage life can be extended if kohlrabi is placed in sealed perforated plastic bags. To prevent cross-contamination, keep kohlrabi away from raw meat and meat juices.