Kohlrabi slaw with carrot and apple: a crunchy side for dinner
Kohlrabi tastes like a cross between a radish and young cabbage, and it is still underrated. Raw, it shows off its best quality: crunch. Two rules: peel it thickly, because under the skin lies a hard, woody layer of fibre, and squeeze it after grating, so the dressing doesn't turn watery within ten minutes.
Your own work in that: 15 min.
- Grating 12 min
- Dressing 3 min
- Settling 10 min
Step by step
0 / 5 donePeel the kohlrabi thickly
Cut off the top and bottom, then peel with a knife, not a peeler, going 3–4 mm deep. Just under the skin lies a layer of tough fibre that never softens and stays in the mouth like wood. Good flesh is pale, even and juicy.
Ingredients: 2 pcs kohlrabi · 1 pcs carrot · 1 pcs apple · ½ bunch chives
TipA kohlrabi larger than a fist is often woody at the core. Test with a knife: if the centre resists, cut it out and use only the outer part.
A knife, not a peeler; three to four millimetresGrate on the coarse side
Grate the kohlrabi, carrot and apple on the coarse holes. Fine holes press out the juice and give mush; coarse ones leave distinct shreds that crunch. Grate the apple last so it doesn't brown.
Coarse holes, distinct shredsSqueeze out the juice
Squeeze the grated kohlrabi in your hands over the sink and pour the juice away. Kohlrabi is over 90 % water, and without this step the slaw sits in a watery dressing within a quarter of an hour. Do not squeeze the carrot or apple — their juice is sweet and wanted.
TipKeep the squeezed juice if you are making soup: it has a mild, cabbagey taste and enriches any vegetable stock.
Only the kohlrabi gets squeezedMix the dressing
Stir the yogurt with the mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Even this small amount of mayonnaise thickens the dressing so it clings better to the shreds; a dressing of yogurt alone would be thinner and sharper.
Ingredients: 150 g thick natural yogurt · 2 tbsp mayonnaise · ½ pcs lemon, juice · 1 tsp honey · ¾ tsp salt · ½ tsp pepper
Two tablespoons of mayonnaise for bodyToss and let it stand
Combine the vegetables with the dressing and chopped chives, toss and leave 10 minutes. The kohlrabi softens just enough to stop tasting raw without losing its crunch. Season once more before serving.
Ingredients: 2 pcs kohlrabi · 1 pcs carrot · 1 pcs apple · ½ bunch chives
Ten minutes, then season again
Before you start
Use the leaves
Young kohlrabi leaves are edible and taste like kale. Chop them finely into the slaw or wilt them in butter as a side — they are usually binned for no good reason.
A sharper version
A teaspoon of grated horseradish or mustard instead of the honey. Kohlrabi takes heat well, being mild and slightly sweet itself.
Dairy free
Instead of the yogurt and mayonnaise, three tablespoons of olive oil with the juice of a whole lemon and a teaspoon of mustard. The slaw is then sharper and tangier.
How long it keeps
A day in the fridge, covered. On the second day the kohlrabi releases the rest of its water and the dressing splits — pour off the liquid and stir in a spoon of yogurt.
