Kohlrabi & Walnut Salad
Less is more. I find this is often true with recipes and ingredients, and this recipe has a short ingredient list with big flavor and texture.
Kohlrabi is in the Brassica family along with cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, and is a rather amusing looking little devil.
It has a subtle, earthy flavor, and its texture is versatile: great crunch raw, or sweet tenderness roasted. In this salad, from Michael Anthony’s terrific book “V is for Vegetables”, it is sliced super thin and dressed with toasted walnuts and walnut oil & lemon juice dressing.
The trick to a salad like this one, or any where a vegetable is called to be thinly sliced, is a mandolin. I very much enjoy weilding a knife on a regular basis and can’t deny the consistent and ultra thin results from a kitchen mandolin. My favorite is a simple, light, Japanese one from Benriner ($23 on Amazon). Once you trim and peel the kohlrabi, slice, very carefully, onto a cutting board.
A little whisking and then gently fold in the kohlrabi and walnuts. The recipe calls for toasted walnuts, which is I know sometimes feels like an extra step, but it is always worth it. A hot oven at 400F for 3-4 minutes or a 2-3min in a hot, dry pan on the stove will bring out their best flavor.
Loveliness, crunchiness, tenderness.
Crunchy Salad of Kohlrabi and Toasted Walnuts, serves 4
Michael Anthony, V is for Vegetables
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup walnut oil
2 T olive oil
salt & pepper
1 or 2 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced paper thin
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
Whisk together the lemon juice, walnut oil and olive oil in a small bowl, then add lots of salt and pepper. Combine the kohlrabi and walnuts in a medium bowl. Gently toss with enough of the vinaigrette so that the salad is quite moist, separating the kohlrabi slices.
I also like to add freshly grated Parmesan right before serving.
Enjoy!
Collier's Market 