By: Svendblad Josephine
Entree, Food Wisdom, Health & Fitness, Paleo, Primal, Side Dish, , , ,

Kohlrabi Who?

Today let’s introduce a vegetable not very widely used here in the U.S. One of my absolute favorite vegetables: The Kohlrabi. This wonderful vegetable can be prepared in so many different delicious ways. Soups, Sautee, Raw, Steamed, BBQ, or just plain part of a stir-fry. Either way it is so delicious. Please pick some up and give it a try, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
The kohlrabi, Brassica olearcea, is a very popular vegetable and is originally from northern Europe. Most believe it to be a cross between wild cabbage and white beets. People have enjoyed this wonderful vegetable since the 16th Century in Central and Eastern Europe where it was most popular. Kohlrabi is not a root vegetable, it actually grows slightly above ground; it’s pretty.
The taste and texture of kohlrabi are similar to those of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter, with a higher ratio of flesh to skin. The young stem in particular can be as crisp and juicy much like an apple, although much less sweet. We used to pull it out of the veggie patch, clean it off and eat it as an afternoon snack while playing in the yard. I wish that kids today could experience how wonderful it is to grow your own veggies. Except for the Gigante cultivar, spring-grown kohlrabi much over 5 cm in size tend to be woody, as do fall-grown kohlrabi much over perhaps 10 cm in size; the Gigante cultivar can achieve great size while remaining of good eating quality. The plant matures in 55-60 days after sowing. Approximate weight is 150 g and has good standing ability for up to 30 days after maturity. It is tolerant to cracking.
The flesh is bright green in all varieties. There is almost no taste differences between the bright greenish-white kohlrabi and the reddish-purple colored ones, with the slight exception of the purple being a bit more sweet in taste. The slightly sweet, crisp taste of meat resembles that of radish, while stems and leaves taste a bit more like cabbage.
So what’s in a kohlrabi per 1/2 cup raw?
  1. It is low in calories: 19 per
  2. It is high in dietary fiber: 2.5 grams
  3. Potassium content: 245 grams
  4. Vitamins: 25 I.U. vitamin A, 43.4 mg. vitamin C, 11.3 mcg folic acid, and 16.8 mg. calcium
General: A good source of Thiamin, Folate, Magnesium, vitamin B6, Copper & Manganese

  • Kohlrabi Austrian Style
  • Ingredients
  • 4 Kohlrabi peeled (we used Gigante in this recipe @ 10cm in diameter)
  • 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
  • 1 large Garlic clove chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder
  • 1 pinch Sea salt to taste
  • 1 pinch Black pepper to taste
  • Preparation
  • You can use red or green kohlrabis, peel and julienne them. (cut large stalks off & discard) Chop small stalks for cooking as well. In a high-rimmed sauce or braising pan, add julienned kohlrabi and cover barely with water, cook on medium-high until tender. In a separate small skillet heat coconut oil with garlic (finely chopped) and cook until golden, add to kohlrabi. In a cup of water add Arrowroot powder mix, and quickly add to cooked Kolrabi. Sea salt and pepper to taste. You may wish to garnish with fresh dill, cilantro or Italian parsley.
  • Enjoy this fabulous side dish with any of your favorite meats or poultry!