garlic sautéed kohlrabi greens

oven roasted kohlrabi chips

In my last Challenges post, try a new vegetable, I had bought kohlrabi, a strange looking vegetable that I have always wondered about whenever I browse the produce aisle. It looks a bit intimidating – gnarly bulbs and giant greens –

but actually, it’s easy to prepare and has two distinct parts that taste completely different. How cool is that…two veggies in one! The bottom bulb part is root vegetable like – sort of a cross between a radish/daikon and turnip. The top leafy green sautés beautifully, firmer than spinach but more tender than kale. The root part made a perfect pre-dinner snack – chips (everyone’s always hungry 20 minutes before dinner’s ready! this avoided the usual opening a box of crackers by my husband!) – and the greens were a                                                                                              great veggie side to our main.

what you need:

• kohlrabi
• 2 cloves of garlic
• grape seed oil (or olive oil)
• salt & pepper

what to do:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Separate leaves from bulbs. The middle section of stems can be discarded.
3. Remove tough exterior of bulbs with a paring knife – you don’t have to cut too deep to get to the edible part of the bulb. The inside will be a milder green colour compared to the outside.
4. Slice into thin rounds to resemble chips. Use a mandolin if you have one. Toss in a bowl with 1 tsp of oil and a little bit of salt and pepper. Place rounds on a cookie sheet, making sure they don’t overlap. This way, they will become crispy and crunchy. Roast in the middle rack for about 20-25 min, flipping twice at least and checking occasionally to avoid burning. When they are ready, remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve immediately once they are cool enough to handle, enjoy!
5. Meanwile, thoroughly wash leaves, roughly chop, then spin in a salad spinner to get rid of excess water.
6. Smash garlic and remove peel. Roughly chop.
7. In a pan on medium, heat up 1 tsp of oil. Add garlic, and sauté for about 30 seconds. Then add the kohlrabi greens. They won’t take very long – just until they soften and become a vibrant green colour.
8. Remove from heat and serve greens as a side to your meal. Enjoy!