Creamed Kohlrabi
Adapted from Luisa Weiss’s Classic German Cooking
Serves 2-4 as a side dish
Prep/cooking time: about 30 minutes
Please see notes, below, for discussion of ingredients and recipe variations.
You will need a medium bowl, a strainer, a medium lidded saucepan, and a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife to make creamed kohlrabi.
3-4 green or purple kohrabi, with or without leaves
2 cups/500 ml unsalted chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons sweet butter
3 tablespoons AP flour
2 cups/500 ml dairy (see notes)
salt and pepper to taste
Wash the kohlrabi to free it of any grit. If your kohlrabi has leaves and they’re in good condition, you can set a few aside to include later. Otherwise, trim kohlrabi so you’re left with the circular portions.
Peel the kohlrabi, then slice into roughly 1/2 inch/1.5cm batons. You don’t need to measure precisely, but take care to cut the batons into similar sizes so they cook evenly.
Put the batons into the saucepan. Pour the broth over. The broth may seem to barely cover the vegetables. That’s okay.
Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then turn down to a medium simmer. Cover the pot and cook until kohlrabi are easily pierced with a fork, 10-15 minutes.
Put the strainer in a bowl. Strain kohlrabi, saving the cooking liquid.
Make the bechamel:
I use the same pan I cooked the kohlrabi in.
Over low heat, melt the butter in the pan.
Scatter the flour over the butter. Using a whisk or a wooden spoon, whatever you prefer, whisk or stir until flour and butter blend. If flour clumps into a mess, turn the heat down and trickle in a little of the kohlrabi cooking liquid. Whisk or stir, and the sauce will smooth out. You are looking to cook the flour so the final sauce has no floury bits.
Gradually add the kohlrabi cooking liquid, stirring until you have a thin sauce. Add the dairy and stir until blended–this will happen quickly.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Add the kohlrabi, stir, and taste again for seasoning.
Fold in leaves, if using, and serve.
Weiss notes creamed kohlrabi is delicious with plain boiled potatoes, and she’s right. We’ve eaten it with roast chicken, alone for lunch, and cold from the fridge. It keeps well, refrigerated in a covered container. Do not freeze.
Notes:
Weiss uses 3/4 cup/200ml whole milk in her recipe. I preferred less dairy, and used half-and-half, which is half whole milk and half whole cream, because it’s what I have in the house.
The kohlrabi were delicious cooked in broth, and I would definitely prepare the dish up to this point and serve it as is.
The original recipe includes nutmeg. I omitted it because I’m not fond, but feel free to add it back in.
Creamed kohlrabi is easily made vegan: replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Prepare the bechamel using a vegan spread and your preferred nut milk.
Weiss notes the flour may be replaced with a gluten-free product, making this dish safe for celiac sufferers.