Shaved Kohlrabi Salad with Basil and Parmesan
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Kohlrabi once was a vegetable I stared at blankly. Now I seek it out. Last Sunday, I spotted a basket of the alien bulbs at the Barber’s Farm table at the Schenectady Greenmarket, and I bought half a dozen to bring with me to CT so I could make this salad. Yesterday I did the same.
Unless you subscribe to a CSA or grow kohlrabi yourself, you may not know kohlrabi very well, if at all—I’ve never seen it in a grocery store. It’s very mild in taste, almost like a cross between a turnip and an apple, but it doesn’t have the bite of a turnip—it’s sweeter and less assertive. (FYI: Kohlrabi is a variety of cabbage in the Brassica family—same family as turnips but different species.)
When shaved thinly and tossed with salt and vinegar, kohlrabi softens, becoming pliable in just about 10 minutes. And when it’s then tossed with olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh herbs, it is incredibly refreshing and delicious. I haven’t attempted any other dressing, because I find this one to be so nice and simple this time of year, but I imagine it would take to any number of dressings given its neutral flavor.
Barber’s Farm says they’ll likely carry kohlrabi through the fall, so if you live locally, you’ve got a source—woohoo!
PS: Pickled Kohlrabi
PPS: Chatting CSA Strategy with Margaret Roach
Here’s a play-by-play: gather your kohlrabi.
Remove the skin with a knife first, then a peeler.
Shave it thinly with a mandoline or a knife—you absolutely can use a knife if you don’t have a mandoline. Kohlrabi isn’t as tough as it looks.
Dressing ingredients: Olive Oil, Vinegar, Sea Salt.
Nice additions: basil and Parmigiano Reggiano:
Season the kohlrabi with salt and vinegar; then let it sit for 10-15 minutes:
Add olive oil and herbs and toss:
Add parmesan and toss again:
Transfer to a platter and serve:
Shaved Kohlrabi Salad with Basil and Parmesan
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Description
Kohlrabi tastes like a cross between a turnip and an apple, and when it’s shaved thinly and tossed with oil and vinegar, Parmigiano Reggiano, and some fresh herbs, it is so refreshing and delicious. If you live locally, Barber’s Farm at the Schenectady Greenmarket has it from late summer through the fall.
This is more of a guide than a recipe. The keys are:
- Sprinkle salt and vinegar over thinly sliced kohlrabi and let it sit for 10 minutes or until it softens and becomes pliable.
- Then add olive oil, herbs, shaved parmesan and toss.
- Use equal parts oil and vinegar or more vinegar—kohlrabi can take it. I actually use a 2:1 ratio of vinegar to oil. Colavita white balsamic is my preference.
- Sizes of kohlrabi bulbs vary, but you can estimate about 1 bulb per person, so if you want the salad to serve 4 people, use 4 kohlrabi bulbs.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 kohlrabi, or more or less (see notes)
- nice, flaky sea salt such as Maldon or kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or more as needed
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved with a peeler, to taste
- fresh herbs such as basil, chives, tarragon, or dill
Instructions
- Peel the kohlrabi: Use a paring knife to cut off each end to create a flat surface. Rest the kohlrabi on one of the flat surfaces and use the knife to cut off the thick skin. Peel the remaining skin with a peeler.
- Slice thinly: I like to use a mandoline, but you absolutely can use a knife to cut it thinly—kohlrabi isn’t as tough as it looks.
- Season it: Spread the slices out in a large bowl (I like this one—note: it’s huge), sprinkle evenly with the sea salt. If you have to layer up the slices for space reasons, season one layer, then season the layer on top. Sprinkle with the vinegar and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes or until the slices soften and are pliable.
- Add the olive oil and basil (or other herbs) and toss with your hands to coat. Taste. Add more salt and vinegar to taste as needed. If you want to add more olive oil, do so as well.
- Add the parmesan and toss gently. I like to add the parmesan at the very end or even shave it over top to prevent it from getting too broken up, but this is mostly for aesthetic reasons. Serve.
- Prep Time: Roughly 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Shaved
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
18 Comments on “Shaved Kohlrabi Salad with Basil and Parmesan”
How far ahead do you think you could make the salad in advance if you waited for Step 5 until serving time?
It keeps really well — it’s still good day old in the fridge, though I wouldn’t recommend making it that far in advance. I would make it nearly completely: hold the basil and the parmesan until you are ready to serve. When you are ready, add the basil and parmesan. Toss, taste, adjust as needed with more salt or vinegar, etc. Then serve. I think the kohlrabi salad without the parm and basil would be fine in the fridge for several hours. How long in advance are you hoping to making this?
Great recipe! I love kohlrabi and where I live (Germany) it is very common and you can find it easily in every supermarket. And it’s dirt cheap too! But I remember, when I lived in the US, it was very hard to find. I love to eat it raw, just as a snack with hummus or yoghurt dip. It’s also great when cooked. I reccomend going for smaller bulbs, they are more tender.
Barbara, hi! The last time I blogged about kohlrabi someone from Germany wrote in saying nearly the same thing. In fact, she said they eat kohlrabi like apples in Germany! I loved hearing that. When you cook it, how do you eat it? Roasted? As a purée? boiled?
Hi Alexandra! Yes we do eat it raw here a lot, especially now that it’s in season and so tender and sweet. You can eat it ‘like and apple’ as you said, but I tend to slice it and eat it like carrot or cucumber sticks, either plain or with dips, just as you would with carrot or other raw veggies. When I cook it, I sometimes sauté it in cubes or thickish slices, which works great with parsley or basil. That is great on its own or sautéed with sugar snap peas or carrots. Or I cut it into thick rounds and fry it in a pan much like a vegetarian schnitzel – with a coating of eggs/breadcrumbs . This is very common here as a vegetarian alternative to burger patties or schnitzel. My mom used to cook cubes of it in cheese/milk/cream sauce and serve it boiled potatoes, but I don’t like this very much. I have never tried roasting it in the oven. I think it contains too much water to get crispy. In a puree you would want to add something starchy like potato, for creamier consistency. It works great as a soup too, again, with something starchy and then pureed. Kohlrabi fritters are popular too. In a slaw, try it with crisp apples and sliced cheese. In low-carb cooking people use it in lasagna recipes to replace pasta sheets. By the way, the leafy parts are delicious too if you are lucky enough to get really fresh ones that are still firm and crisp. Funny side note: kohlrabi is so popular in Germany and so non-popular in the rest of the world that there isn’t even an english name for it – kohlrabi is actually the German name!
Ah sorry: I forgot: it works great pickled too – I actually did it the other week with your delicious easy-peasy pickle recipe! Just slice it thinly on a mandolin and pickle it with carrots and radish or on its own…
With my German ancestry I grew up eating kohlrabi (German for cabbage turnip). Our garden always had plenty and I loved it. Now I plant it in my garden. Doesn’t grow as well here in the South as it did in Iowa, but still tastes pretty darn good to me. Thanks for the recipe. Unfortunately, I never seem to have kohlrabi and basil in the garden at the same time!! I eat mine mostly raw in sticks or boiled with salt and butter.
As Barbara mentions in passing, kohlrabi makes a super easy cole slaw. Using the large grater attachment of your food processor, grate a kohlrabi, a carrot, and half an apple. Dress as your traditional recipe, or add a good teaspoon of sweet (Bavarian) mustard, 3 big tablespoons of thick yogurt (Greek style), a teaspoon of mayo, and be generous with salt and pepper. But, as sticks in hummous are the most popular way to eat kohlrabi in this house (also German). Steamed, it tastes a lot like broccoli stems, can be added to stirfries…
I love kohlrabi! I’ve never cooked it, I love it raw in salad and as a snack. My favorite is kohlrabi tossed with a blue cheese vinaigrette: EVOO, mild sweeter vinegar (I use orange Muscat) and crumbled gorgonzola or Roquefort cheese emulsified in a jar with an immersion blender. Soooo yummy!
That sounds amazing, Robyn!! Will definitely try it.
I have some Kohlrabi in the fridge and going to try this recipe. Been eating it raw with dips like the rest of the German crew, and looking for some new ideas. Thanks, Ali.
I love this one so much, Anna! Hope you do, too 😍😍😍
Loved it! My sister made it and I will make it too. Delicious!
Wonderful to hear this, Cheryl!
I’ve just made this for my lunch alongside a roast beef sandwich and it was better than the sandwich! Such a great recipe / method I’ll be keeping hold of.
So nice to hear this, Rachel! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂 I love kohlrabi so much… can’t wait for it to start arriving at the markets here.
What can I use in place of white balsamic vinegar vinegar? I don’t have any.
Rice vinegar, apple cider, white wine … really anything. You may, however, might want to add a teensy bit of sugar or honey as white balsamic lends a sweetness, too.