Learn All About Kohlbrabi, Including How to Prepare It (2024)

FAQs

Learn All About Kohlbrabi, Including How to Prepare It? ›

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.

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 is equally tasty raw or cooked. Brad likes to thinly shave the peeled, raw bulbs into matchsticks (you can use a mandoline for help with this) and toss them into a slaw.

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.

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 ).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Why is my kohlrabi bitter? ›

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.

Unfortunately, many gardeners allow kohlrabi to grow too large before harvesting it. Large, older kohlrabi is tough and woody and it may have an off-flavor. Begin harvesting (pull or cut at ground level) when the first stems are about one inch in diameter. Continue harvest until the stems are 2 to 3 inches in diameter.

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.

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.

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 ).

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.