Roasted Kohlrabi Recipe

Jan 23, 2018 · by Valentina · 40 Comments

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Roasted Kohlrabi recipes deliver a powerful punch of natural sweetness in every bite. If you’ve ever wondered how to cook Kohlrabi, and thought it might be daunting, this recipe is the place to start. Roasted with only salt, pepper and oil, this vegetarian side dish couldn’t be easier or more delicious!I don’t always keep up with fashion trends. (GASP!) I do my best, but if I’m going somewhere special, I call in the troops — AKA, my stylish cousin — to find out “what the kids are wearing” these days.

Food trends, on the other hand — well, that’s where I’m in the know.

I've learned from Meilssa's Produce that Kohlrabi recipes have become a hot trend.

So I’ve been cooking up a storm with Kohlrabi -- I liked it before, and now I'm much more intrigued with it.

When we made Coconut Kohlrabi Lemon Soup last week, we talked about how incredibly versatile this unique vegetable is.

There are so many different ways to use it.

How to Use and Cook Kohlrabi

Roast it - As I mentioned above, if you’ve never worked with this interesting vegetable, I think this Roasted Kohlrabi recipe is the place to start. The result of this super easy recipe is a very, naturally sweet treat.
Purée it - It’s delicious in soups and sauces.
Sauté it - this will have a similar result to roasting, as it will caramelize nicely bringing all of the natural sugars to the surface.
Eat it raw - It’s wonderful in slaws, salads, or as a vehicle for delicious dips!
Spiralize it - A pretty way to serve it raw or cooked.

Kohlrabi recipes can also be made with the greens of the vegetable -- they're fantastic in a stir-fry, and you can use the stems in stocks and broths.

What Does Kohlrabi Taste Like?

In a word . . . cabbage.

In a few words, when it’s cooked, it tastes like a mix between green cabbage and cauliflower. They are all in the same family of vegetables, after all -- along with radishes, turnips, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and more.

When Kohlrabi is raw, while it still has a cabbage-like flavor, the texture is reminiscent of a very crisp apple and jicama.

Look at how beautifully it caramelizes. Perfect.

What to serve with Roasted Kohlrabi

Roasted Kohlrabi is a great side dish to serve with most meats, poultry or fish.
You can add it to grains, salads, or even top a pizza with it!
I think it would especially good with something like Mexican Blackened Salmon.
And if you want to keep it vegetarian or vegan, it would be lovely with Smoky Vegetable Lemon Quinoa.

What's in this recipe?

kohlrabi
salt, pepper
olive oil

That is all you need to make this what I think is one of the best kohlrabi recipes ever.

Oh, and if you love this, you won't want to miss Coconut Kohlrabi Lemon Soup (below). It's so delicious!

So even though I don’t know what shoes you should be wearing, I do know you should be learning how to cook Kohlrabi. 😉

Enjoy!

Valentina K. Wein

Roasted with only salt, pepper and oil, this vegetarian side dish couldn’t be easier or more delicious!

5 from 7 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 93 kcal

Ingredients

4 whole Kohlrabi (about ¾ pound each)
olive oil for the pan
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F, and adjust a rack to the top third.
Cut off the stems and greens from the Kohlrabi (saving them for another use, like stock and/or a stir-fry), and then peel them. Cut about ½ inch off each end, and then cut them into approximately ½ inch slices, horizontally. It’s important that they’re not too thin!
Generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan and then dredge each Kohlrabi slice in the oil to coat both sides. (They should not be “swimming” in the oil — just well coated.) Season both sides with salt and pepper, arranging them on the pan with about an inch between them.
Place the sheet pan in the preheated 450°F oven and roast until golden brown on the surface, and tender on the inside, about 8 to 10 minutes on the first side, and about 4 to 6 on the second. You can test them with a fork -- it should slid out easily when they're done.
Serve!

NUTRITION

Calories: 93kcal

Keywords best vegetables to roast, great side dishes for meats and stews

Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

More Side Dish Recipes

White Asparagus with Lemon and Dill
Satsuma Mandarin Recipe
Spicy Asian Slaw with Basil
Roasted Parsnips

Reader Interactions

Comments

Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
January 23, 2018 at 8:34 am
Slicing my kohlrabi right now, and just turned on the oven!
Reply
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- valentina
  January 23, 2018 at 8:44 am
  Yay, Dorothy! Makes me happy. It's SO deliciously sweet. 🙂
  Reply
Veena Azmanov
January 23, 2018 at 10:58 am

One of my absolute favorite ways to eat Kohlrabi. This looks so good!! Love how simple and easy this is.
Reply
- valentina
  January 23, 2018 at 11:41 am
  Thanks so much -- it's my current favorite way too! I'm amazed at how sweet it becomes.
  Reply
Deanna
January 23, 2018 at 11:35 am
I saw these at the grocery store and wasn't sure how or what to do with them!! Thank you!! Now I know I can't wait to try this recipe!
Reply
- valentina
  January 23, 2018 at 11:41 am
  Yay! Thanks Deanna! I hope you enjoy them. 🙂
  Reply
Beth
January 23, 2018 at 12:21 pm

Oh wow! You sold me!! i have never eaten kohlrabi before but love all the related plants! We found romanesco a few weeks ago and totally love it! I'm headed out to go find some kohlrabi!! Thanks for the inspiration!
Reply
- valentina
  January 23, 2018 at 12:46 pm
  That's awesome, Beth! So fun you tried Romanesco -- I think that's the coolest looking vegetable in existence. Those geometric shapes are so pretty and bizarre, all at once. I hope you find Kohlrabi, and that you love it. Thank so much for checking out my recipe and writing. 🙂
  Reply
Monica | Nourish & Fete
January 23, 2018 at 1:20 pm

Haha, I completely hear you - I'm much more on trend when it comes to my food than anything else, and even there I think I lag behind most everyone, ha! But I have been wanting to try kohlrabi, and roasting it looks absolutely perfect for an introduction!
Reply
- valentina
  January 23, 2018 at 3:19 pm
  Thanks, Monica! I love it! We're all good at something, right? At least I know fashionable people to help me. 😉 Then those folks can call us with their cooking questions. 🙂
  Reply
Diana
January 23, 2018 at 6:35 pm
I've never seen a Kohlrabi before, but now after seeing this recipe I will have to look for it next time I go grocery shopping!
Reply
- valentina
  January 24, 2018 at 2:56 pm
  I hope you try it Diana. Thanks!
  Reply
David
January 27, 2018 at 6:18 am
Honestly, Valentina, I can’t wait to try this. I have all sorts of ideas for using it... like the base of a first course, topped with a cheese mousse. Will report back for sure!
Reply
- valentina
  January 27, 2018 at 2:33 pm
  This makes me so happy, David. I'm sure you'll use it in a perfect, beautiful way. Can't wait to hear! 🙂 Thanks!
  Reply
- Connie
  July 21, 2020 at 11:56 am
  See Also
  30 of Our Best Fudge Recipes
  I'm going to use this recipe to make the base for a keto friendly kohlrabi eggs benedict!
  I've made "fries" before, but this would be a great breakfast option, thanks!
  Reply
  - valentina
    July 21, 2020 at 9:56 pm
    Hi Connie, Thanks for writing in. What a fantastic and delicious idea to use this as a base for Eggs Benedict. I love it! Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
    Reply
Carlos Leo
January 27, 2018 at 2:35 pm

I love kohlrabi but I just had it in salads. I will definitely try this recipe and the other ones your recommended. Thank you for this amazing post!
Reply
- valentina
  January 27, 2018 at 2:43 pm
  Thanks for checking this out, Carlos! I hope you enjoy the kohlrabi cooked. I love it (and raw, too). 🙂
  Reply
Kim
August 05, 2018 at 8:39 am

We brought home kohlrabi from the farmers' market yesterday even though we weren't sure what to do with it. A Google search brought us to this site and we prepared it just as you instructed with a little sprinkling of garlic powder on one side. The delicious kohlrabi was devoured! Thank you!
Reply
- valentina
  August 05, 2018 at 1:26 pm
  Hi Kim! This makes me happy.Thank you for sharing, and I'm so pleased you loved it. The touch of garlic powder is a great idea. 🙂 Enjoy! ~Valentina
  Reply
Kiera
October 23, 2018 at 4:26 pm
I got this in my csa this week and had no idea what to do with it. This was great! Even my husband, who doesn’t like veggies, ate it happily.
Reply
- valentina
  October 23, 2018 at 9:53 pm
  Thanks so much for sharing, Kiera. I love hearing this! And so awesome your husband liked it too. Such a compliment to you, the cook. 🙂
  Reply
- Peggy Loomis
  August 28, 2019 at 3:49 pm
  I use kohlrabi in pasta salad and Cole slaw. Will try roasting. Thanks for the recipe.
  Reply
  - valentina
    August 29, 2019 at 12:11 pm
    Great, thanks! 🙂
    Reply
Gerlinde
January 02, 2019 at 6:48 am

I book marked this recipe because Kohlrabi was a stable of my childhood and I have never roasted it like this . Thank you for the recipe.
Reply
- valentina
  January 02, 2019 at 10:12 am
  Great! Thanks so much and hope you love it! 🙂
  Reply
Linda
March 21, 2019 at 9:55 am
This looks soo great. Is it still good made in advance and warmed up?
Reply
- valentina
  March 21, 2019 at 2:01 pm
  Hi Linda, you can make this a couple of hours in advance and warm it in the oven, but I wouldn't do it much sooner than that. It's best right out of the oven, though. Thank you for checking out the recipe. I hope you love it! 🙂 ~Valentina
  Reply
Cathy Maxwell
July 23, 2019 at 7:07 am
Can Kolhlrabi get too big to taste good? I planted it in my garden and it's getting ahead of me
Reply
- valentina
  July 30, 2019 at 1:17 pm
  Hi Cathy. My apologies for not getting back to this sooner. I've been on vacation. I don't know too much about this -- but, my guess is that the smaller it is, the sweeter and more tender it might be. I would say that the kohlrabi I use are about he size of tennis balls (though not as round). Hope this helps and that you try the recipe. Cheers! 🙂 ~Valentina
  Reply
Natalia
September 17, 2019 at 4:17 pm

Great, but 8-10 mins+ 4-6 mins was not nearly long enough. It took about an hour to get golden brown and tender like yours.
Reply
- valentina
  September 17, 2019 at 5:15 pm
  Hi Natalia, thanks so much for writing in. I'm surprised it took that long -- could the slices have been thicker, or the oven cooler? I'm sorry it probably made your meal later than expected. I'm still happy you liked the taste, though! 🙂 ~Valentina
  Reply
sharyn fireman
October 09, 2019 at 2:41 pm
As a Home chef, I love to experiment with lots of veggies. Moving from Boston to Delray has unearthed a myriad of fresh veggies from farmers daily. I love K as it can support any manner of my crazy imagination. It's great in Chinese Stir fry, awesome in Pot-au-feu, great chopped in chicken salad (raw for crunch) etc. It is one of the healthiest and most versatile of all veggies. YOUZA! Roasting it tonight with a little garlic butter, skillet Pompano with Capers and Lemon, and a nice rosé. Key lime pie for desert.
Reply
- valentina
  October 09, 2019 at 3:06 pm
  Hi Sharyn, I love the Kohlrabi enthusiasm! Making it with capers and lemon sounds so delicious! And we are big Key lime pie fans over here. Enjoy! Thanks for sharing. 🙂 ~Valentina
  Reply
Susie
March 13, 2021 at 4:02 am
When I saw kohlrabi for the first time it looked like something alien with its antennae!
I decided to make a pseudo apple pie (only bottom crust). I marinated the kohlrabi wedges in apple juice and added cinnamon. I did not reveal the real ingredients to my guests and asked them to guess what kind of pie it was. Some said apple pie and most said it was a delicious pear pie!
I like to substitute potatoes with kohlrabi in goulash in order to cut calories.
Thanks for your recipe. I shall definitely try it. 🙂
Reply
- valentina
  March 13, 2021 at 11:00 am
  Hi Susie. Thanks so much for writing in. Wow, so cool you about the pseudo apple pie -- I love that people only guessed apple and pear. I never would have thought to do that. And I bet it's fantastic in the goulash. Oh, and I complete agree about their alien appearance. That's too funny, and true! I hope you love it roasted, and you might like this soup, too. Cheers and have a great weekend. 🙂 ~Valentina
  Reply
Gwyn Ellen
November 29, 2021 at 12:14 am
It’s summer here in Australia… could these be done on the bbq?? TI A!
Reply
- valentina
  November 29, 2021 at 8:15 am
  Hi Gwyn. Thanks for writing in. Yes, you can absolutely make it on the BBQ. I would char the slices at first, then move them to a slightly cooler spot on the grill to finish the cooking until they're tender. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
  Reply
Terri from Endicott
August 11, 2022 at 3:57 pm
First year I’ve ever seen kohlrabi and I’m excited to try this. Tried a different recipe to roast it but I didn’t like it. Had it mashed with herbs and it was awesome. I have a ton of them from my FarmShare. Now I know what to do with them. Thank you!
Reply
- valentina
  August 12, 2022 at 12:58 pm
  Hi Terri. Thanks so much for writing in and trying my recipe. I'm so happy you liked this it -- it's probably my favorite way to eat Kohlrabi. 🙂 ~Valentina
  Reply

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Roasted Kohlrabi Recipe | Cooking On The Weekends (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to eat kohlrabi? ›

It may not look like the most delectable or visually stunning vegetable, but kohlrabi is nutrient-dense, subtly tasty, and worth adding to stews, curries, soups, pickles, and salads. Oh, and you can even eat it on its own — take a smaller springtime kohlrabi, peel back the leaves, and just bite it like an apple.

Keep Reading ›

What does kohlrabi pair well with? ›

Meat: Kohlrabi pairs well with meats such as bacon, chicken, sausage, and pork. Herbs: Fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, mint, rosemary, thyme, and chives complement the nutty, buttery flavour of kohlrabi and add a bright, fresh flavour.

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Do you peel kohlrabi before cooking? ›

Whether you're cooking kohlrabi or serving it raw, you will need to completely peel and discard the thick, tough outer layer (you may need a sharp knife for this; the skin is quite tough and indigestible). Cut the kohlrabi. To enjoy the crunch of raw kohlrabi, you'll want to cut it into delicate pieces.

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What cultures eat kohlrabi? ›

Kohlrabi has a long history and is popular in many cuisines including German, Irish, Indian, Chinese, and African. A European botanist first described kohlrabi in 1554. Records indicate that kohlrabi was grown on a large scale in 1734 in Ireland and in 1837 in England.

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Is kohlrabi inflammatory? ›

A study by Jung et al. in 2014 showed that the green and purple-red kohlrabi varieties have flavonoids and phenolics compounds that act as anti-inflammatory agents. The kohlrabi extracts also inhibit the production of compounds that are involved in inflammatory processes.

Learn More ›

Can you eat too much kohlrabi? ›

Kohlrabi is a healthy ingredient, and it's low in calories. Eating too much of any cruciferous vegetable can cause gas that can make you uncomfortable. Moderate your portion sizes to help ensure that you are able to enjoy the benefits of kohlrabi without negative digestive effects.

Read On ›

What does kohlrabi do for your body? ›

Kohlrabi is taken by mouth as an antioxidant and for cancer, heart disease, constipation, diabetes, gout, hemorrhoids, hot flashes, high cholesterol, liver disease, menstrual symptoms, a pain disorder called sciatica, scurvy, weight loss, and wound healing. Kohlrabi is applied to the skin for hair loss.

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Is kohlrabi a gassy vegetable? ›

Eating kohlrabi in large quantities can cause bloating, gas, or even worsen diarrhoea. In addition, the fibre can lead to bloating as fibre takes a very long time to digest and break down. So if you have issues related to gastrointestinal problems like bloating or gas, you should avoid consuming it in raw form.

Tell Me More ›

What does kohlrabi taste like cooked? ›

Here's what you can do with kohlrabi

Food Network says once the bitter, outer layers are peeled away, kohlrabi tastes mildly of other vegetables in the family, and with a slightly spicy note like you might find in radishes or turnips. The leaves can also be enjoyed, prepared as you would do for Swiss chard or kale.

What do we call kohlrabi in English? ›

Kohlrabi, also known as German turnip, is a cruciferous vegetable. Despite its secondary name, kohlrabi is not a root vegetable and does not belong to the turnip family. Instead, it belongs to the Brassica, or mustard family and is related to cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower ( 1 ).

Learn More Now ›

Why is my kohlrabi bitter? ›

The best quality kohlrabi—sweet, crisp, juicy—results from fast growth without heat or moisture stress. If the plants are overheated or struggling to take up water, they will produce chemicals that have strong, bitter flavors.

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What is the kohlrabi capital of the world? ›

According to Wikipedia, Hamburg Township, Michigan has titled itself the "Kohlrabi Capital of the World".

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How do Germans eat kohlrabi? ›

It's a regular snack for teething toddlers. Or we use it in a vegetable soup. But most of the time I use it as a side dish i.e. for Frikadellen (German meatballs) or other meat dishes. I first cut and cook the kohlrabi and then make a white sauce where I mix the cooking water and later add the kohlrabi.

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What is the closest vegetable to kohlrabi? ›

Cauliflower. Much like broccoli, cauliflower can also be used as a kohlrabi substitute with it's especially neutral flavor. As cauliflower florets tend to hold together more than broccoli florets, the entire head of cauliflower can be used in most kohlrabi recipes.

Keep Reading ›

How do you prepare kohlrabi to eat? ›

For a simple side dish, sauté the sliced kohlrabi in a bit of butter in a skillet. Once it begins to show some caramelization, season it with salt, nutmeg, and a little sugar for increased sweetness. Continue cooking until slightly al dente, with a bit of crispness, and serve it immediately.

What does kohlrabi taste like to eat? ›

What Does Kohlrabi Taste Like? Kohlrabi tastes similar to a broccoli stalk, but a bit more tender and sweet. Don't forget to remove the tough outer peel, then use the bulb either raw or cooked. It can be prepared much like a broccoli stalk, too—if raw, shred it and use it in slaw or thinly slice and use in a salad.

Read On ›

Does kohlrabi get soft when cooked? ›

Save the larger bulbs for cooking – they can be grilled, mashed, roasted, fried, sauteed, etc – so you can soften the tougher flesh. Kohlrabi's neutral taste means it's versatile enough to go into just about any savoury dish you can think of.

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Roasted Kohlrabi Recipe | Cooking On The Weekends (2024)

How to Use and Cook Kohlrabi

What Does Kohlrabi Taste Like?

What to serve with Roasted Kohlrabi

What's in this recipe?