Kohlrabi, Carrot And Apple Coleslaw

Kohlrabi, Carrot, And Apple Coleslaw is the perfect salad, side dish, or sandwich filling. I love it on a baked potato, with BBQ food, roast beef, cold ham, or simply eaten straight out of a bowl with a fork. It's full of flavor and texture and comes together in minutes.

Jump to:

• ❓What is kohlrabi?
• 🛒 Ingredients
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions
• Top tip
• 🍽 How to serve
• 🥣 Equipment
• ❄️ Storage and Freezing
• 📝 Related recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

❓What is kohlrabi?

Kohlrabi (also known as a German turnip or turnip cabbage) is part of the brassica oleracea family, so it is related to broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. As it grows on top of the soil, many assume it is a root vegetable, but it is not. It can be cooked or eaten raw and has leaves that are edible, too. When eaten raw, it has a great crunchy texture and a slightly peppery taste, which makes it excellent in salads and ideal for a kohlrabi coleslaw recipe. The purple variety resembles an alien space turnip and is incredibly beautiful and vibrant (as shown in this photo taken in my parent's vegetable patch).

🛒 Ingredients

For the kohlrabi slaw

1. Kohlrabi - I use purple kohlrabi because we grow it at home and have it in abundance at this time of year. But white kohlrabi works just as well. You will generally need to peel the skin off as it can be quite tough (although with purple varieties I find it is often soft enough to eat).
2. Carrot - Top and tail, wash and peel them before use.
3. Apple - Use an eating variety rather than a cooking variety. I like Honeycrisp apples or Pink Lady apples.
4. Shallot - This gives a mild, yet sweet onion flavor that isn't too strong or overpowering.
5. Fresh chives and parsley- I use fresh herbs to garnish food and add both flavor and color.

For the easy coleslaw dressing

1. Plain yogurt—I prefer a mix of yogurt and mayo for coleslaw dressing. It lightens it up a bit and makes it less rich while providing some vital acidity.
2. Mayonnaise - This gives that thick, rich texture to the slaw.
3. White wine vinegar - Feel free to swap out for apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar instead, but avoid using balsamic vinegar.
4. Dijon Mustard - Mustard is an emulsifier and key ingredient in salad dressings giving both taste and texture. I always use Dijon mustard for the best taste.
5. Lemon juice - A squeeze of citrus acidity heightens all the flavors and brings them out, as well as helps preserve the color of the vegetables.
6. Garlic powder - I add just a pinch, as I prefer not to use raw garlic in this recipe but still like to add a touch of garlic flavor.
7. Honey - A squeeze of runny honey just takes the edge off and sweetens the kohlrabi coleslaw ever so slightly.
8. Cayenne pepper—We use a pinch of cayenne pepper to add a subtle heat beneath all the other ingredients. You can also use paprika or chili powder.

👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions

🍽 How to serve

This recipe is very versatile and works as well in summer as it does in winter. I like to serve kohlrabi, carrot, and apple coleslaw on the side of a standing rib roast, as the mustard-based coleslaw dressing goes perfectly with roast beef. It also works really well as a BBQ side dish recipe or in a sandwich with some roast ham.

🥣 Equipment

Use a cheese grater to grate kohlrabi, carrots, and apples for coleslaw. I like mine relatively chunky to still have some bite, so choose your setting wisely. It can be mushy rather than crunchy if it's too fine a grate.

❄️ Storage and Freezing

Store carrot, apple, and kohlrabi coleslaw in an airtight container in the fridge and consume it within 3-4 days. This recipe doesn't freeze that well; it goes very mushy upon defrosting, and the dressing will separate, so it's best eaten fresh.

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📖 Recipe