What vegetable looks like a cross between a cabbage and a turnip but tastes like a broccoli stalk? Kohlrabi, of course! Kohlrabi is actually German for “cabbage turnip”, or so I’ve been told.
Kohlrabi is readily available right now, and this interesting-looking vegetable is very healthy. An excellent source of fiber and Vitamin C, a half-cup serving of this veggie gives you 70% of the Vitamin C you’ll require for the day!
Kohlrabi also contains special phytochemicals called isothiocyanates. These compounds protect against certain types of cancer.
Though it’s both delicious and healthy, kohlrabi is unfamiliar to many home cooks here in North America.
Here’s what you need to know about buying and eating this veggie:
• The stem of the kohlrabi plant is shaped like a globe—that’s the part that you’ll most likely eat, though you can toss the leaves into a salad.
• You can find purple kohlrabi or light green kohlrabi—of the two varieties, the green one is sweeter while the purple has a bit of a spicy kick to it.
• Kohlrabi delivers different health benefits when cooked and raw, so I recommend eating it both ways! Try raw kohlrabi grated into a salad or served braised or roasted as a side dish.
• Kohlrabi tastes best when it’s small and young. As it gets older, kohlrabi gets tough and woody and takes on a bitter taste. Young kohlrabi has a juicy and crisp texture, almost like an apple.
Some people think that kohlrabi tastes like turnip, others say it tastes like broccoli. What do you think?
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