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🥬 Mastering German Cuisine with Kohlrabi: 6 Authentic and Creative Recipes

🖥️ Category: Cooking | German Recipes | Vegetarian

✍️ Author: Tiago Stocco Sanches Valentin

 

1. Introduction

Kohlrabi (or German turnip) is a cruciferous vegetable known for its crunchy texture and mild flavor, widely used in traditional German cuisine. Rich in fiber, versatile, and affordable, it can be served raw in salads, roasted, stuffed, breaded, or as the base for hearty dishes. In this comprehensive guide, you will find 6 German recipes that showcase Kohlrabi in various forms: light, creamy, crunchy, or stuffed. Each recipe includes suggestions for variations, technical tips, and practical applications – all to transform your kitchen into a true laboratory of German gastronomy.

 

2. Recipes

 

🥣 1. Stuffed Baked Kohlrabi

A classic from the home kitchens of Germany — delicious, nutritious, and ideal for family meals.

🧾 Ingredients:

  • 8 large Kohlrabis

  • 2 chopped onions

  • 125g mushrooms

  • 2 cups broccoli

  • 2 chopped carrots

  • 2 slices smoked cheese

  • 1 egg

  • ½ bunch of parsley or chervil

  • Herb salt, pepper, thyme, nutmeg

  • ¼ liter vegetable broth

  • 1 tablespoon oil

👨‍🍳 Preparation:

  1. Cook peeled Kohlrabis in salty water for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the core.

  2. Sauté onion in oil, add mushrooms, carrots, and broccoli until softened.

  3. Mix with cheese, egg, herbs, and half of the diced core.

  4. Stuff the Kohlrabis, bake in a preheated oven (180°C) for 40 minutes.

  5. Pour broth over them and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

💡 Tip: For a vegan version, substitute the egg with mashed potato or crumbled tofu.

 

🧀 2. Crispy Baked Kohlrabi with Cheese Crust

Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside — a tasty snack or side dish.

🧾 Ingredients:

  • 2 to 3 Kohlrabis

  • 5 tablespoons whole wheat flour

  • 1 egg

  • 100g grated Gouda cheese

  • Salt, pepper, and oil for frying

👨‍🍳 Preparation:

  1. Slice the Kohlrabis into 1 cm thick slices. Cook for 15 minutes and cool.

  2. Season, bread (flour → egg → breadcrumbs + cheese) and fry until golden.

💡 Tip: Bake in an oven at 200°C for a lighter version.

🥄 Serve with: Tomatenquark (tomato quark) and crushed potatoes.

 

🥗 3. Kohlrabi Salad with Fruits and Sprouts

Refreshing, slightly sweet, and rich in textures — perfect for hot days.

🧾 Ingredients:

  • 350g grated Kohlrabi

  • 2 apples cubed

  • 4 halved mandarins

  • 50g raisins

  • 25g chopped almonds

  • 150g yogurt

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • 3 tablespoons fresh sprouts (alfalfa, clover or arugula)

👨‍🍳 Preparation:

  1. Mix Kohlrabi, apples, mandarins, raisins, and almonds.

  2. Combine yogurt with honey and incorporate into the mixture.

  3. Top with sprouts.

💡 Tip: Add cranberries, goat cheese, or grated cucumber for more complexity.

 

🌿 4. Herbed Kohlrabi Gratin

An elegant side dish with herbal notes and creamy texture.

🧾 Ingredients:

  • 600g Kohlrabi sliced thinly (2–3mm)

  • 2 eggs

  • ¼ liter milk + ¼ liter cream

  • 1 bunch of parsley and chervil

  • Arugula sprouts

  • Salt, pepper, nutmeg

👨‍🍳 Preparation:

  1. In a greased dish, layer the Kohlrabi.

  2. Season, cover with egg, milk, and cream mixture.

  3. Bake at 180–200°C for 40–45 minutes until gratinated.

💡 Tip: Add grated cheese to the topping for an extra flavor boost.


🍲 5. Creamy Vegetable Pan (Kohlrabi Pfanne)

A practical and comforting one-pot dish with creaminess and vegetable flavors.

🧾 Ingredients:

  • 1 chopped onion

  • 1 tablespoon margarine

  • 400g potatoes cubed

  • 3 carrots cubed

  • 2 Kohlrabis cubed

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  • Herb salt, thyme

👨‍🍳 Preparation:

  1. Sauté onion, add potatoes and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes.

  2. Add Kohlrabi, season, and cook for another 15 minutes.

  3. Incorporate sour cream and finish with nutritional yeast on top.

🥗 Suggestion: Serve with a green salad.

 

🥘 6. Kohlrabi with Oatmeal Dumplings (Haferflockenknödel)

A traditional combination of sautéed vegetables with soft, nutritious dumplings.

🧾 Ingredients for Dumplings:

  • 600g boiled potatoes (from the previous day)

  • 50g oat flakes

  • 80g oat flour

  • 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs

  • 2 eggs

  • Chopped parsley, herb salt, nutmeg

🧾 Ingredients for Accompaniment:

  • 4 grated Kohlrabis

  • 60g butter or margarine

  • Chives to taste

👨‍🍳 Preparation:

  1. Mash the potatoes, mix with dumpling ingredients. Shape them.

  2. Cook in boiling water for 20 minutes.

  3. Sauté the Kohlrabi in butter with chives and serve with the dumplings.

💡 Tip: Add grated carrot to the dumplings for a colorful version.

 

3. General Tips for Working with Kohlrabi

🔪Choose wisely: Opt for firm Kohlrabis without cracks and with uniform light-green skin.

🔥Texture control: More cooking time = softer texture; less time = crunchiness.

🌿Herbs and spices: Use plenty of thyme, nutmeg, parsley, and chervil — they pair well.

🥛Versatility as a base: Substitute cream with yogurt, egg with tofu, or use lactose-free alternatives.

 

4. Conclusion

Mastering the use of Kohlrabi opens doors to a new dimension of German cuisine – healthy, versatile, and rich in tradition. Whether you're a curious beginner or an experienced chef, these recipes offer authentic flavors and techniques that can easily be adapted to your taste and creativity.

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