These kohlrabi fritters with avocado cream sauce showcase these purple veggies, they’re vegetarian and gluten-free.
Looking for kohlrabi recipes? Neither Alex nor I had ever heard of turnip greens when we first started shopping at our local farmers market. A friendly farmer saw me staring intently at the green and purple veggies, and he plugged in a lightbulb for free “just to see what I thought.” I’m embarrassed to admit that poor kohlrabi shriveled before I had the time or courage to eat it.
So the next year we started asking around at the farmer’s market, “What can you do with kohlrabi?” The first answer we heard was to slice the kohlrabi bulb and eat it raw over a salad. We tried it quickly and it turns out to be very tasty. The crispy slices have a refreshing taste, similar to a stalk of broccoli.
The next time we reached for kohlrabi, we figured we’d go for something a little more adventurous. Alex suggested the idea of a donut, so we came up with this recipe together. (After our experience making traditional latkes, we felt ready to up our donut game.) I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical — donuts can be hard to come by in terms of texture and flavor — and with kohlrabi? However, Alex’s creative venture paid off: the donuts turned out crispy and delicious. And even better was the accompanying avocado cream sauce — a sauce made simply from avocado, yogurt, and some freshly squeezed lemon juice that turned out to be incredibly addictive. We recommend using the sauce in any donut recipe of your choice.
How to make kohlrabi fritters
Speaking of which, a few tips on donuts since they can be notoriously difficult to make at home:
- Donuts are best eaten as soon as possible after frying. If you’re making them for a crowd or for entertainment, here’s a trick to keep them warm and crispy: Place a baking rack on a baking sheet, then place in a 300 F oven. When the donuts come out of the pan, set them on the wire rack until ready to serve. Using the grate ensures that excess oil drains off and both sides of the donuts remain crispy.
- Excess moisture is the enemy of donuts, so in this recipe we say to remove moisture from shredded vegetables before frying.
- Frying can be a bit messy, so using a splatter guard can help to avoid spitting out oil.
- Chopping vegetables in a food processor with a shredding disc or blade can speed up the process significantly compared to chopping vegetables by hand. (It also helps save joins!)
So if you come across some weird green or purple veggies like the picture above at the local farmer’s market, we encourage you to give them a try. Kohlrabi is becoming increasingly popular these days, even showing up in mainstream grocery stores. Note that the above bulbs have been stemmed; You can also find them in markets with their leaves still intact.
Have you cooked with kohlrabi? What are your best kohlrabi recipes? We’d love to hear suggestions on brewing methods you enjoy! See some of our favorite kohlrabi recipes below.
About purple vegetables
There is a lot of interest in purple vegetables like kohlrabi. Why? Purple vegetables contain compounds called anthocyanins. Research suggests that anthocyanins may help protect cells, heal the body, reduce inflammation, and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Some of our other favorite purple veggies: purple cauliflower and purple potatoes.
More kohlrabi recipes
Ever since we wrote the original post with this recipe, interest in green and purple veggies has skyrocketed! Here are a few of our other favorite turnip greens recipes that venture outside of the pancake:
- Kohlrabi salad Light, crunchy and tangy! It’s one of the best ways to eat this unique vegetable.
- Beet Hummus with Kohlrabi Sticks This recipe showcases one of our favorite ways to eat kohlrabi: as a condiment, similar to carrot sticks! They have a refreshing crunch and a nuanced, unique flavor. Cut them into rectangles and eat them with your favorite hummus or maybe the Greek yogurt ranch dip.
- Kohlrabi Salad with Grapefruit Dressing Another easy idea for kohlrabi recipes is to slice the bulb and use it to garnish a salad. It brings a subtle flavor and crunchy texture, enhanced here by the sweetness of beetroot and tangy grapefruit vinaigrette.
This kohlrabi recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten free.
The description
Looking for kohlrabi recipes? These kohlrabi fritters with avocado cream sauce showcase these purple veggies, they’re vegetarian and gluten-free.
For the kohlrabi fritters
- 2 Kohlrabi
- 1 carrot
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ cup Grape seed or vegetable oil (enough for ¼ inch deep in a large skillet)
For the avocado cream
- ½ Lawyer
- ¼ cup Natural yoghurt
- ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- spring onions (for garnish)
- Cut the leaves off the kohlrabi and peel the onion. 1 peel carrot. Grate the vegetables in a food processor or by hand on a grater. Squeeze the shredded vegetables in a kitchen towel (or with your hands) to remove the moisture, then place in a medium bowl with the egg, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix to combine.
- In a large pan, add oil (enough for 1/4 inch depth). Heat the oil over medium-high heat, then place small patties of the donut mixture in the oil. Fry on one side until golden brown, then fry on the other side. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- For the dip: pit the avocado and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. In a small bowl, combine avocado, plain yogurt, lemon juice, and kosher salt to make the avocado cream (or blend ingredients in a food processor).
- To serve, slice the spring onions. Serve the donuts with avocado cream and spring onions. Note: These donuts are best eaten warm the day they are made; they don’t save well. Like anything prepared with avocado, avocado cream sauce will turn brown with exposure to air. Be sure to cover the surface with plastic wrap when storing.
- Category: aperitif
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Kohlrabi fritters, kohlrabi recipes
