What is kohlrabi used for?

Kohlrabi is an annual vegetable, grown for its sweet, crunchy and swollen green or purple turnip-like stem which is eaten raw or cooked. The leafy greens and stalks are also edible.

It’s usually sold bunched with the leaves attached at the top of the swollen stem as seen in the picture above.

Kohlrabi is a descendant of the wild cabbage Brassica oleracea and is closely related to cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower and collard green.

How to Prepare Kohlrabi

The swollen edible stem is cut on both ends then peeled to remove the hard outer part. The remaining edible portion is cut into pieces or grated and either eaten raw (the way you would eat carrot, celery and cucumber) or cooked until just tender and served as a side or with other vegetables.

Eating kohlrabi raw or cooked

You can peel and slice the swollen stem into sticks and eat them raw on their own or in a dip.

You can also grate them and add them to salads or use them to make slaw.

You can sauté the cut up pieces with butter or olive oil, onions and garlic until just tender or bake them on their own or with other root vegetables.

You can also add them to soups or stews or steam them, on their own

What about the leaves and stalks?

The leaves and stalks are also edible. Cook the leaves as you would spinach or kale.

What does it taste like?

It has a mild taste, more like the broccoli stem.

Nutritional Value

Kohlrabi is rich in vitamin C and fibre, and low in calories. 100g (3.5oz) portion provides 75% of the daily recommended vitamin C and only 27 calories.

How to Make Chicken Kohlrabi Salad

Here is my favourite you-tube video. I made this salad but omitted the onions and added red bell pepper. I am not really a fan of raw onions. Enjoy watching, I really loved her garden…