Kohlrabi Side Dish in Creamy Sauce

Chicken and kohlrabi side dish
Luzia Ellert / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings

In the eastern areas of Germany, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Saxony, it has been traditional to serve cooked vegetables in a creamy sauce as a side dish. The recipe often is labeled "nach Hausfrauenart," (housewife style) meaning thrifty and simple.

These sauces are not necessarily high in fat, a white sauce thinned with vegetable broth has modest amounts of butter and sometimes just a touch of cream for flavor.

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 kohlrabi

  • 2 cups broth, or salted water

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

  • Salt, to taste

  • Fresh parsley, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Parboil the Kohlrabi

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Cut away the peel, being sure to remove any woody or stringy parts, just under the surface. If the bulb is young, you will not have to cut as deep as if it is old. If your kohlrabi is fresh, save some of the inner, tender leaves for garnish.
    Note: The younger the kohlrabi is, the better. Older vegetables become woody and very pungent. If you do have a large one, you will not need as many, but you may have to remove more of the peel. 

  3. Cut the bulb into thick slices with a large knife, then into strips or cubes, as you like.

  4. Heat the vegetable broth or salted water to boiling, then add the kohlrabi, reduce the heat and cook the vegetables until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving broth, and set aside.

Make a White Sauce or "die Mehlschwitze"

  1. Melt butter in a pan and stir in the flour. For a gluten-free sauce, use gluten-free flour, such as rice flour, brown rice flour or sorghum flour, all of which thicken just fine.

  2. Cook the flour in the butter over medium heat for several minutes, stirring constantly.

  3. Little by little add the saved broth or cooking water. Stir after each addition until smooth, then bring it back to bubbling. Add enough of the broth to make a velvety sauce, about 1 to 2 cups.

  4. Season to taste with freshly grated nutmeg and salt.

  5. Stir in the cooked kohlrabi and heat through.

  6. Chop the reserved leaves and some parsley and sprinkle on top of the vegetables for a little color and a nice presentation.

  7. Enjoy!

Serve the kohlrabi with salt potatoes or rice and a pan-fried schnitzel or "Frikadellen" (seasoned hamburger patties) or a couple of fried eggs. Breaded, pan-fried fish fillets would also be good.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
135 Calories
6g Fat
16g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 135
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 524mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 85mg 426%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 611mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)