How soft does a Kohlrabi get when cooked?

Question

I'm told Kohlrabi will soften when cooked, but I cut it in medallions and it still seemed really firm after stir-frying. How soft can I expect it to get?

The canonical application for kohlrabi that I'm familiar with is soup, for which you shred the vegetable (or if you're feeling fancy, julienne it). Naturally, the smaller pieces then get pretty soft when cooked. Dunno if stir-frying is really an ideal cooking method for kohlrabi. — Marti, Jul 11 '14 at 17:30

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 11 '14 at 12:42

1

I spoke with the farm that sold me the kohlrabi; they have seen people make something akin to mashed rutabaga by boiling kohlrabi for ages and ages, so it gets about that soft. Note that mashed rutabaga is apparently still firmer than mashed potatoes, but obviously soft enough to mash into a pulp.

For a stir-fry, they suggested a match-stick shape rather than medallions; my second such stir-fry found them to have about the texture of halfway-cooked onions, soft enough not to crunch anymore but firm enough to hold their shape on a fork.

answered Jul 11 '14 at 12:42

Yamikuronue

8,776
20
71
108

Perhaps a par boil would help with frying medallions. – ElendilTheTall Jul 11 '14 at 12:54
I always find wet cooking methods most effective with kohlrabi. They're great in braised dishes, as they'll hold up pretty well to lengthy cooking. A fairly long roast works well too. – logophobe Jul 11 '14 at 13:18

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 11 '14 at 15:53

Kohlrabi is essentially like a giant broccoli stem.

If you steam it or boil it, the texture will be like the "tree trunk" part of a broccoli stalk.

You can use a potato peeler to get thin ribbons and steam those. That should be flexible enough to use as a non-gluten pasta substitute.

It is also good shredded with a tart apple and some carrot and tossed with a slaw dressing, but you don't cook that.

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 12 '14 at 11:29

I've had kohlrabi with a very pleasant texture without boiling forever. It behaves a bit like carrots, but needs some more time.

I can't imagine stir fry being enough for the kohlrabi to soften, it just needs its time. Maybe 20 to 30 minutes of boiling should be enough for the medallions. You can possibly add them to a stir fry afterwards, although if you want them from the pan, tempura might be the tastier option.

How soft does a Kohlrabi get when cooked?

3 Answers3