Mashed Kohlrabi with Roasted Garlic

This recipe was featured at our July 2024 meeting.

from The Rustic Foodie®
https://www.therusticfoodie.com/wprm_print/mashed-kohlrabi-with-roasted-garlic

Ingredients

• 2 large Kohlrabi
• 1 bulb Garlic
• Olive Oil
• ⅓ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• ¾ tsp. Kosher Salt (split)
• ½ tsp. Pepper

Instructions

Peel and Cut The Kohlrabi:

• Remove the stems and leaves from the kohlrabi. The leaves may be used in another recipe, or discarded in the compost bin or trash. Pull any fibrous shoots from the surface of the kohlrabi bulb off with your fingers and discard.
• Cut the top and bottom of the kohlrabi off with a knife, creating a flat surface on both the top and bottom.
• Placing one of the flat surfaces on a cutting board, remove the outer skin of the kohlrabi, cutting from the top to the bottom with the knife. Discard the tough outer skins. Continue until all of the skin has been removed from the kohlrabi.
• Cut the peeled kohlrabi bulb in half. Placing the flat surface on a cutting board, cut it in half again, and then into chunks, just as you would a potato. Repeat with the other half of the kohlrabi.
• Repeat the process with the second kohlrabi. Make sure that the chunks are relatively even in size to ensure that they cook evenly.Yields 6-8 cups chopped kohlrabi.

Roast The Garlic:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cut the top off a head of garlic, remove any loose outer skins from the garlic, and discard.
• Place the head of garlic on a small square of tinfoil and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top of it. Loosely wrap the garlic in the foil, place on a small baking sheet, and pop it in the oven.
• Roast the garlic for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Boil The Kohlrabi:

• Place the peeled kohlrabi chunks in a large pot and fill with cold water. Add ¼ tsp. kosher salt to the water.
• Place the pot on the stove top and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low boil and cook, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the kohlrabi is fork-tender.
• Once the kohlrabi is fork tender (but not mushy), place it in a colander and allow to drain completely.Cooking times may vary, depending on the size of the kohlrabi chunks. It should be easily pierced with a fork, but not mushy, when finished.

Mash The Kohlrabi:

• Add the drained kohlrabi back into the pot, place on the stove top, and turn the heat to low.
• Add 4 cloves of the roasted garlic (or as many as you like) to the pot, along with ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream and ½ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper.
• Mash the kohlrabi with a potato masher (this will result in a chunkier texture). Kohlrabi is slightly tougher than potatoes and will likely still be chunky if using a potato masher.
• If you prefer a creamier texture, puree the kohlrabi with an immersion blender. Place the blender in the pot (remove from stove top and turn off heat) and puree on medium speed until the kohlrabi is smooth and creamy.
• To Serve: Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Notes

It’s best to choose kohlrabi that is not too large or old, as it becomes tougher the older it gets. It’s best to choose kohlrabi that is green and smooth on the outside.

The water content of kohlrabi is slightly higher than potatoes, so the final dish may be a bit more watery than potatoes that are mashed.

Nondairy alternatives, such as almond milk or soy milk may be used in place of heavy cream if you’d like to keep this recipe vegan.

Add as many or as few cloves of roasted garlic as you like to the dish.