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!
Roasted Kohlrabi Recipe
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!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Slicing my kohlrabi right now, and just turned on the oven!
valentina
Yay, Dorothy! Makes me happy. It's SO deliciously sweet. 🙂
Veena Azmanov
One of my absolute favorite ways to eat Kohlrabi. This looks so good!! Love how simple and easy this is.
valentina
Thanks so much -- it's my current favorite way too! I'm amazed at how sweet it becomes.
Deanna
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!
valentina
Yay! Thanks Deanna! I hope you enjoy them. 🙂
Beth
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!
valentina
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. 🙂
Monica | Nourish & Fete
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!
valentina
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. 🙂
Diana
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!
valentina
I hope you try it Diana. Thanks!
David
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!
valentina
This makes me so happy, David. I'm sure you'll use it in a perfect, beautiful way. Can't wait to hear! 🙂 Thanks!
Connie
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!
valentina
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
Carlos Leo
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!
valentina
Thanks for checking this out, Carlos! I hope you enjoy the kohlrabi cooked. I love it (and raw, too). 🙂
Kim
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!
valentina
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
Kiera
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.
valentina
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. 🙂
Peggy Loomis
I use kohlrabi in pasta salad and Cole slaw. Will try roasting. Thanks for the recipe.
valentina
Great, thanks! 🙂
Gerlinde
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.
valentina
Great! Thanks so much and hope you love it! 🙂
Linda
This looks soo great. Is it still good made in advance and warmed up?
valentina
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
Cathy Maxwell
Can Kolhlrabi get too big to taste good? I planted it in my garden and it's getting ahead of me
valentina
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
Natalia
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.
valentina
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
sharyn fireman
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.
valentina
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
Susie
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. 🙂
valentina
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
Gwyn Ellen
It’s summer here in Australia… could these be done on the bbq?? TI A!
valentina
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
Terri from Endicott
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!
valentina
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