Kohlrabi Slaw – Love That Crunch!
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Kohlrabi Slaw
Kohlrabi – another vegetable that is wrongly passed up at the grocery store. Too bad. It is a tasty vegetable that everyone should be eating – both cooked and raw. There are many kohlrabi descriptions including a crucifer in bulb form or a hint of jicama with notes of broccoli stem with essence of cauliflower and a hint of sweetness. They are not exactly wrong, but the best of them is simply – great in a slaw! Kohlrabi gives you the distinct impression that broccoli woke up one day unhappy with his inner self and decided to transition to something more bulbous. Or perhaps it was a cabbage who, facing the existential threat called stuffed cabbage, decided it best to take a leafless form. Except for those weird tentacle looking things protruding from its bulbous area, the transition went well. It is a tasty root that can be eaten raw and cooked in so many different ways.
One must still ask who names these vegetables. Really, why choose the name Kohlrabi? The name turnip never helped the turnip become popular and certainly anything that might translate to German Turnip (as kohlrabi does) is bound to be unhelpful when searching for inner happiness or outer consumption. It is fun to say, but in a society where names matter, it is simply not sexy. Just look at the gooseberry. Call it a gooseberry and it is a goose egg, call it a kiwi and bingo!
I have said many times that nothing brings folks together like a slaw and if you really want a party, add some kohlrabi. A kohlrabi slaw is a brilliant riff on regular slaw especially for those leaf haters. The cabbage taste in matchstick form intensifies the crunch of a slaw by removing the need for shredded cabbages. Of course, a kohlrabi slaw can have cabbage in it, but using a julienne of kohlrabi instead makes it a bit more substantial. I like to take a page from celery remoulade and use a julienne of celery root in my kohlrabi slaw. The addition of a slightly tart apple helps bring the whole slaw together. Yes, our hands quiver at the thought of having to julienne all that, but that is what a food processoror mandoline
Here is a little video that shows the making of this tasty kohlrabi slaw!
Here is the recipe…
- 1 medium kohlrabi - about 1 lb
- 1 medium celery root - about 1 lb
- 1 large or 2 medium red apples like pink lady
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- 1 cup of your favorite mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp of your favorite grainy mustard
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
- Peel the celery root.
- Core the apples.
- Finely chop the parsley.
- Using a chef's knife, mandoline, v-slicer or food processor with a grater wheel, julienne the kohlrabi, celery root and apple. Mix them in a large bowl.
- Zest the lemon using a rasp or the fine grate side of a box grater. Cut the lemon in half.
- In a medium bowl mix the mayonnaise, mustard, the lemon zest toghether. Squeeze in 2 tbsp of lemon juice or to taste. Mix well.
- Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
- Dress the vegetable/apple mixture with the dressing. Toss well.
- Season as needed with more salt and pepper. Cool in the refrigerator as long as possible to help the flavors meld.
- Serve cold.
I Hope You Enjoy!
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