Is Kohlrabi a ... Veggie or Space Alien?

By Pam Baytos

OSU Extension master gardener

Every year I try something in our garden that we’ve never grown before. This year we choose kohlrabi. I think it’s really cute and looks like a cartoon space alien. Those are great reasons to try anything.

Kohlrabi may look like a root vegetable, but it’s related to cabbage. Koh means “turnip cabbage” in German. It’s taste and texture resemble that of a sweet broccoli stem, and it’s high in vitamins and minerals.

Kohlrabi can be green or purple, is a bulbous vegetable surrounded by two layers of stiff leaves attached in a rosette, like cabbage. It has long leafy greens that shoot out from the top. This is what I think gives it the cartoon space alien look. All parts of the kohlrabi can be eaten, both raw and cooked. Try it steamed, sauteed, roasted, stuffed or creamed in soups and stews. It sounds like a pretty versatile vegetable.

Smaller sized kohlrabi tends to taste sweeter; it develops a sharper, more radish-like flavor as it matures. If purchasing from a grocery store or farmers market, look for fresh leaves, which indicate recent harvest, and a firm bulb.

To prepare and store your kohlrabi, first cut off the greens and wrap in a damp paper towel that you insert into a plastic bag. These leaves can be stored in the refrigerator a few days, but the sooner you use the better. Tender raw leaves add flavor to salads, or you can saute or steam them as you would other greens. When I saute greens, I always add a little Italian salad dressing.

The bulbs will last a few weeks when stored loosely in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

Before you use your kohlrabi bulb, you need to remove the tough skin with a sharp knife. A potato peeler will not be strong enough for this job. Both green and purple varieties resemble a turnip on the inside. When you cut your bulb in half, it should be solid all the way through. Thinly sliced kohlrabi cooks faster so this should be used when you saute or in your stir fry. Small, thinly cut pieces of your bulb can add crunchy texture to salads and slaws. When you cut larger cubes of kohlrabi, these are best used in stew or for roasting. You can even hollow out the interior of your bulb to be stuffed with a meat or vegetable filling and roasted in the oven.

I’m hoping with our wet delayed start to the planting season our little “space babies” grow. I’ve already found a few interesting recipes that I’d like to try.

For details on growing this interesting vegetable, go to: http://go.osu.edu/kohlrabi.