Kohlrabi Soup with Coconut and Lemon

Kohlrabi Soup with Coconut and Lemon is rich, creamy and deliciously soothing. If you're feeling under the weather, it'll pick you up -- and if you're feeling great, it'll simply be an incredibly tasty and cozy bowl of soup you will love.

If you’ve been following Cooking On The Weekends for a while, you know that I've attended dozens of media events at Melissa’s Produce over the years.

From cookbook authors and restaurant chefs, to produce experts and food stylists, it has kept me current in the always changing world of produce.

I especially look forward to an annual presentation about produce trends in the new year.

A few years ago it was the Shishito pepper. And the same year, "color in produce" was another trend.

For the last couple of years Kohlrabi has held a strong position in the top ten list of trending produce, and I've transformed this firm bulbous vegetable into a luscious, creamy Kohlrabi Soup.

What is kohlrabi?

The is a delicious and versatile vegetable — but, you might wonder what it is if you haven't seen or cooked with it before. So let's break it down.

• Kohlrabi is a Cruciferous vegetable. Also included in this family of vegetables are cabbage, turnip, cauliflower, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, horseradish and kale.
• The name Kohlrabi comes from a combination of cabbage and turnip in German and Latin, respectively. “Kohl” means cabbage in German, and the word “rapa” means turnip in Latin.
• Though it might look like it, Kohlrabi is not a root vegetable — the bulb grows above the ground -- and is actually an enlarged portion of its stem.
• You can find green and purple Kohlrabi.
• It can be eaten both raw and cooked and should be peeled before use.

What does kohlrabi taste like?

Many describe the flavor of Kohlrabi to be similar to broccoli stems — I think it tastes more like a mild cabbage when cooked, and almost like a very crisp apple, without the same level of sweetness, when raw.

I love Kohlrabi roasted at a high temperature or sautéed — these methods will bring out a lot of sweetness from caramelizing. It can also be steamed or fried.

How to Make Kohlrabi Soup

- Trim the stems off the kohlrabi and the peel them. About ½ inch should be cut off each end, and then roughly chop them into approximately 1 inch cubes. These do not have to be pretty as they well be puréed later — the important thing is that all be about the same size, so they cook evenly. Remove about 1 cup of the chopped Kohlrabi and cut into a smaller dice. Set both aside, separately.

* Pro Tip * Save the kohlrabi stems for another use, like making vegetable stock or a stir-fry.

- Coat the bottom of a large pot, with olive oil and place it over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Then add the roughly chopped Kohlrabi (not the smaller dice), to the pot and stir to blend. Mixing often, saute for about 7 minutes.

- Add the wine, lemon juice, vegetable stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaves to the pot, and stir to blend. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer until the Kohlrabi is soft, about 40 minutes.

- While the soup in simmering, coat the bottom of a small sauté pan with olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the small diced Kohlrabi, and stirring often, cook until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

- Remove the bay leaves! Then carefully pour the contents of the pot into a powerful blender and blend it’s completely smooth, about 10 seconds.

- Pour the puréed soup back into the pot and add the coconut milk, sugar and nutmeg. Stir to blend and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here’s how.)

- Serve each portion of the soup with a few pieces of the small diced, sautéed kohlrabi on top with a drizzle of olive oil.

Making it Ahead and Storage

• This soup is even better the next day, so it's a great one to make a day ahead of time.
• It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to about 4 days.
• It can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. The soup should be thawed in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before you reheat it.

When is Kohlrabi season?

Kohlrabi can usually be found year-round, but it especially shines during the winter months.

Other Delicious Vegan Soup Recipes

• Creamy Mushroom Soup
• Asparagus Soup with Lemon
• Creamy Chestnut Potato Soup
• Roasted Red Kuri Squash Soup
• Spiced Parsnip Soup
• Cream of Jalapeño and Cauliflower Soup

The next time you see kohlrabi in the market, I hope you grab a few and try this lovely Kohlrabi Soup with Coconut and Lemon.

Enjoy!