Last week’s treasure from our Bryn Clovis Farm CSA was a bulb of kohlrabi. While I’ve eaten kohlrabi before, I had never cooked with it and I’m not even sure I knew what one looked like. With its leaf stems trimmed off, the pale green bulb looked a bit alien-like.
Fortunately, Farmer Ranney Moran had a suggestion: make a slaw. Even better, our CSA share also included apples picked from an orchard on the Bryn Clovis property where some of the trees are about 80 years old. A new-to-me vegetable plus locally grown apples sounded like a perfect fall combination.
Kohlrabi is a member of the brassica family along with cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. The round ‘bulb’ is actually a swollen stem. Its flavor is mild and slightly sweet—somewhere between a turnip and a broccoli stem—and its wonderfully crisp texture makes it particularly well suited for eating raw.
That crunch is what I liked most about this slaw. Kohlrabi and tart apple provide the base, while parsley and just enough mint add freshness. Toasted hazelnuts bring another layer of crunch and pair especially well with the apple and mint. Ed was particularly fond of them and went searching for additional hazelnuts to add to his serving. Always a good sign.
The dressing is intentionally simple: apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey and olive oil. I recommend dressing the kohlrabi and shallot first and letting them sit for about 15 minutes. This softens their flavors—particularly the shallot—without sacrificing any crunch. Add the apple closer to serving time to keep it from discoloring.
If you have a mandoline, this is a good excuse to pull it out. Mine has a julienne setting that made quick work of producing neat matchsticks. A knife works perfectly well, too.
We served this alongside pork tenderloin, and it was a great pairing. Crisp, crunchy and full of fall flavors, this slaw officially converted Ed and me into kohlrabi fans.
Kohlrabi and Green Apple Slaw
Ingredients
Slaw
- 1 medium kohlrabi bulb peeled
- 1 medium tart green apple unpeeled, such as Granny Smith
- 1 small shallot peeled
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts roughly chopped
Dressing
- 1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Using the julienne or matchstick setting on a mandoline, cut kohlrabi and apple into thin matchsticks. Alternatively, thinly slice kohlrabi and apple with a mandoline or knife, then cut the slices into thin matchsticks.
- Thinly slice shallot using a mandoline or knife.
- In a small bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey. Slowly whisk in olive oil until combined. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Place kohlrabi and shallot in a medium bowl. Add about three-quarters of the dressing and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. This mellows the kohlrabi and shallot.
- Add apple, parsley and mint and toss to combine. Taste and add additional dressing as needed. Take care not to over dress the slaw—you may have leftover dressing.
- Just before serving, add hazelnuts and toss gently.
Notes
- Look for a kohlrabi bulb and green apple that are roughly the same size. Medium-sized ones work particularly well and provide a nice balance of the two main ingredients.
- A mandoline makes especially quick work of preparing the kohlrabi and apple, but a sharp knife works just as well.
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