What Is Kohlrabi and Where Does It Come From?

You may have noticed this vegetable before and might've even wondered what it is. Well, kohlrabi is a cruciferous vegetable, just like cabbage, broccoli, and kale. Kohlrabi is more noticeable during the summer as this is the season that it comes into. It has a thick outer layer (skin) that can range from a pale-green color to purple. However, the insides of both are always a pale-yellow.

The smaller bulbed kohlrabi are more tender and flavorful while the larger bulbed kohlrabi are best cooked. Everything about this vegetable is completely edible including its leaves. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked just like any greens. The kohlrabi is packed with fiber, vitamin C, potassium and even protein.

What is purple kohlrabi? Purple kohlrabi ranges from a deep violet to a pale lavender color. Just like the green kohlrabi, they also need to be completed peeled before consuming. While it may be purple, they taste just like green kohlrabi. What do they taste like? The kohlrabi has a peppery taste similar to the insides of a broccoli stem. It has the sweetness of broccoli with a hint of peppery spice of turnips and radishes. To emphasize its sweetness, add a pinch of sugar while cooking it.

How do you prep kohlrabi?

• Peel the kohlrabi completely and discard the thick outer layer before cooking or consuming it raw. (May need a sharp knife as the skin is tough and indigestible)
• Cut the kohlrabi however you want to.
• Raw: cut into delicate pieces
• Can be cut into Julienne matchsticks.
• You can shred it.
• To Cook: try cutting them into coin pieces or wedges.
• Raw kohlrabi:
• Shaved or shredded into slaw or tossed into salads.
• Common ways to cook kohlrabi:
• Similar to how you cook potatoes.
• Boiled, steamed, roasted, fried or mashed.
• Slices and sticks can be stir-fried.
• Stem can be hollowed out and stuffed with a veggie and rice or meat filling and baked like stuffed peppers.
• Kohlrabi leaves:
• These can be cooked like spinach or thinly sliced and added raw to salads.

For more information on what kohlrabi is and what you can make with it, please follow the link(s) below.

Kitchen, F. N. (2022, January 27). Everything to know about kohlrabi. https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/kohlrabi