Jan 1, 2021

Stuffed Kohlrabi

Enjoy this delicious stuffed kohlrabi recipe when this autumn vegetable is at its peak of flavour.

Kohlrabi is an unusual-looking vegetable that many people are unfamiliar with. Akin to a cross between a cabbage and a turnip ("kohlrabi" is German for cabbage turnip incidentally), it has the aroma of cabbage and tastes something like the stalk part of broccoli. This is because it is part of the same family as these other vegetables.

Just about every part of the kohlrabi is edible. The only parts to trim off are the bud end and outer peel. The leaves and stocks are a great addition to salads and soups.

To prepare the kohlrabi for this recipe, cut off all the stocks (reserving the leaves) and peel each bulb. Trim the root/bud end of each kohlrabi so the bulb will stand upright. Using a spoon, or melon-baller, scoop out the interior of each bulb, reserving the pulp and leaving 1/4-inch-thick walls. Chop the interior pulp finely.

Ingredients

(Makes 4 servings)

4 kohlrabi, trimmed, peeled and hollowed out with centre pulp and leaves reserved
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1 cup white mushrooms, diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons avocado oil (or light vegetable oil)
1/2 pound ground pork (or meatless sausage, ground)
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon tomato paste
pinch salt and black pepper
2 cups vegetable broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.

In a saucepan, bring 1/2 a pot of water to boil with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the kohlrabi leaves and boil until they just start to become tender (about 3 minutes). Drain the leaves then chop them finely.

In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil then add the onion and mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms soften and the onion is translucent (about 10 minutes). In the final minute add the garlic.

Transfer the onion and mushroom mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the pork, quinoa, spices, tomato paste, 1/2 cup kohlrabi pulp, 1/4 cup kohlrabi leaves, and salt and pepper. Combine well.

Divide the stuffing among the kohlrabi shells, and stand the stuffed kohlrabi in a medium-sized casserole dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining pulp, leaves and the vegetable stock. Pour the stock mixture into the casserole dish around the standing stuffed kohlrabi.

Cover the casserole dish and cook in the oven until the kohlrabi is tender and can be easily pierced with a knife (about 1 hour). In the last 15 minutes of cooking, remove the cover to allow the tops of the stuffed kohlrabi to brown.

Serve and enjoy with some of the cooking liquid if desired.

Optionally, you can use the cooking liquid to make a sauce by transferring the liquid to a saucepot and bringing it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with about 1/3 cup of cold water and mix until it is smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan, stir well, and allow to simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Serve with the stuffed kohlrabi.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: