Kohlrabi Salad
The beauty of this salad is its speed, simplicity, and freshness.
It’s a little like a green papaya salad — only here, kohlrabi steps in as a wonderful substitute for the water-rich papaya. The result? Crisp, bright, and utterly moreish.
To make sure your salad sings, here are the essential components:
A good acid
A salty element
Spring onions
Sesame oil (non-negotiable!)
For the acid, I used lemon, but lime would be magical. A good apple cider vinegar with depth could work beautifully too.
For the salty note, I went with sea salt — though don’t be shy about adding fish sauce, soy sauce, or tamari.
Spring onions are key, bringing savoury depth that balances the sweetness of apple and kohlrabi. Fresh herbs are also welcome — I used mint, but coriander would be equally delicious.
And then there’s sesame oil. In my opinion, it simply cannot be replaced. Its flavour is what gives this salad its true personality.
For garnish, I recommend roasted peanuts for that authentic green papaya salad crunch. Sesame seeds worked fine, but something with more body (like toasted almonds) would be even better. A little grated carrot could also be added if you want extra colour, though I like the monochrome look.
Serve alongside chicken, pork, fish, grilled tempeh, or even duck for a beautiful meal.
I hope this inspires you to grab some kohlrabi next time you see it at the market.
Ingredients
1 medium head kohlrabi (or ½ large), grated
1 apple (red or green), grated
2 spring onions, sliced
2 tbsp fresh herbs (mint or coriander), chopped
1 lemon, juiced (or substitute lime or apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp sea salt (or substitute fish sauce, tamari, or soy sauce)
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp sesame oil (essential!)
2 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped (or substitute toasted almonds or sesame seeds)
Instructions
Combine the grated kohlrabi, apple, spring onions, and herbs in a large bowl.
Add the lemon juice, salt, sesame oil, and chilli.
Toss well to combine, then taste and adjust with more acid, salt, or sesame oil as needed.
Garnish with roasted peanuts and serve immediately.
