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Kohlrabi remoulade makes use of a less common but easy-to-love vegetable. This fresh, beautifully balanced, no-cook salad has become an absolute favorite.
Why we love this recipe
Celery root remoulade is one of those hardworking salads you learn to make in culinary school. It’s versatile and tasty and a little old-fashioned, so it somehow fits the curriculum perfectly.
This version of remoulade freshens things up with kohlrabi, a relative of broccoli and cabbage whose bulbous stem has a mild, friendly flavor and a nice crunch. Truth be told, we love it more than the original.
I first published this recipe here way back in 2009. I’ve updated the post for clarity and made the tiniest tweaks to the recipe.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Kohlrabi brings a fresh, crisp lightness to this dish. You’ll find it at farmers’ markets, in CSA boxes, and occasionally in better grocery stores. If you can’t get your hands on it, you could use broccoli stems or just make the classic version of remoulade with celery root.
- Use fresh tarragon. Just a little bit really elevates this recipe.
- White wine vinegar isn’t the same as distilled white vinegar. It has a milder, more nuanced flavor. You could substitute champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar if that’s what you’ve got.
How to make it
Here’s what you’ll do to make a beautiful batch of kohlrabi remoulade. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- In a medium bowl, make the remoulade dressing by stirring together all the ingredients except the kohlrabi.
- To prep the kohlrabi, remove the leaves and save them for another use. Then weigh out 1 1/2 pounds of stems. Trim the ends and peel thickly with a paring knife to remove all the woody exterior.
- Use the julienne blade of a mandoline slicer, the large holes of a box grater, or a chef’s knife to cut into matchsticks or shred.
- Add kolrabi to bowl and stir gently but thoroughly to coat.
Expert tips and FAQs
Kohlrabi gets its name from the German words for cabbage and turnip. It’s related to cabbages (along with broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables) but not to turnips.
It’s a biennial crop, and you may see people saying that it’s sweeter in the winter. In our area, this doesn’t matter much, since I can only ever find it in the late spring and early summer.
The leaves and bulbous stem are both edible. This recipe uses the stem, which you’ll need to peel thoroughly before shredding. Some varieties are green on the outside, while some are purplish-red. They all taste about the same once peeled.
You can eat the leaves raw or cooked. They make a great salad when thinly sliced and tossed with a punchy dressing like this one or this one. For an easy cooked dish, quickly sauté them with some olive oil, garlic, and salt. Or use them just about anywhere you’d use kale, collards, turnip or mustard greens, and other cooking greens.
I tend to make this recipe just before serving, but you can make it up to about 24 hours in advance and store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for three or four days.
More easy, summery salads
- Shaved fennel salad
- The best tuna salad
- Easy white beans
- Deconstructed hummus
- Tomatoes, nectarines, and burrata
- Burrata platter
- Raw beet salad
- Black beans, jicama, and corn
- Simple coleslaw
- Chickpea salad with Indian-inspired spices
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Kohlrabi Remoulade Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) kohlrabi stems (reserve leaves for another use)
- ¼ cup (60 grams) mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash kohlrabi well, trim ends, and peel thickly with a paring knife.
- Using the julienne blade of a mandoline slicer or the large holes on a box grater, cut or shred the kohlrabi.
- Into a large bowl, place the mayonnaise, mustards, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the julienned kohlrabi to the bowl and toss gently to coat well with the dressing.
- Serve cold or at room temperature as an accompaniment to grilled fish, shellfish, chicken, meat, and more.
Notes
- Kohlrabi varies tremendously in size, so it’s hard to suggest how many pieces to use. Weigh it after removing the leaves but before trimming and peeling to make 1 1/2 pounds.
- A mandoline slicer makes quick work of julienning the kohlrabi, but you can use the biggest holes of a box grater or even cut it into very thin matchsticks with a chef’s knife.
- I like to make this dish shortly before serving, but you can make it up to about 24 hours in advance and keep in the fridge.
- Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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