10 Tasty Ways to Prepare Kohlrabi

updated Jul 18, 2023

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Credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink
Kohlrabi and Cabbage Salad with Maple Lemon Dressing

You’ve probably spotted knobby purple or green kohlrabi at the farmers market recently and wondered what the heck this odd-shaped thing with the weird name is!

From noodles to salads and slaws to fritters to stir-fries, and more, there’s no shortage of ways to put this versatile and nutritious vegetable to work. We think that it’s time for kohlrabi to step up and take a more prominent place in our cooking, and here are our 10 favorite kohlrabi recipes.

What is Kohlrabi?

For starters, it’s a fantastically versatile vegetable that deserves more love! It is a hardy vegetable that falls under the cabbage family, defined by its sturdiness and bulbous shape. Kohlrabi has a mild, somewhat sweet taste and crunchy texture somewhere between cabbage and broccoli stems.

How Do You Prep Kohlrabi?

While the kohlrabi bulbs are what you’ll usually see being sold, don’t pass up an opportunity to pick them up if you see the greens still attached — they’re delicious and can be eaten raw in salad if they’re young and tender, or sautéed or steamed like mustard greens.

Kohlrabi needs little prep, but you should always peel off the tough outermost layer of the bulb with a vegetable peeler first.

Learn how to cut kohlrabi: How To Cut Up Kohlrabi

1 / 10

Roasted Vegetable and Kohlrabi Noodle Bowls with Peanut Sauce

Inspired by the saucy peanut noodles in my regular dinner rotation, these plant-based bowls start with a big pile of crisp kohlrabi noodles.

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2 / 10

Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw

This cool, crunchy slaw is the perfect home for kohlrabi.

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3 / 10

Kohlrabi Bistro Salad

Borrowing flavors from the classic French frisée and poached egg bistro salad, this salad departs from the expected snarl of frilly greens and instead starts with a base of crunchy julienne-cut kohlrabi.

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4 / 10

Kohlrabi and Cabbage Salad with Maple Lemon Dressing

This salad is a great make-ahead side dish because the kohlrabi and cabbage are sturdy enough that they won’t wilt very much as they sit and the flavors just meld together really well.

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5 / 10

Chicory Salad with Anchovy Dressing

If you like Caesar salad, like real Caesar salad with plenty of anchovies and garlic, then this is the salad for you.

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6 / 10

Vegetable Fritters

Vegetable fritters are an easy way to eat more veggies - including kohlrabi.

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7 / 10

Easy, Classic Roasted Root Vegetables

Even though kohlrabi isn't a root vegetable (it's a brassica), you can use this step-by-step guide for roasting it til tender and browned.