Crisp Apple & Kohlrabi Salad
This super simple kohlrabi salad features honeycrisp apple, lemon, tarragon and olive oil! It's a delicious and unique fall side salad. You'll love it!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 10, 2024
Kohlrabi. It’s one of those alien-like vegetables that I avoid eye contact with when I’m walking down the produce line. Remember that scene from E.T., when his face shows up in the middle of all the stuffed animals? It’s like that. Eeeek.
What is kohlrabi, anyway? The name is a fun combination of German/Swiss words for cabbage and turnip, which is perfectly descriptive. It’s a knobby, imperfectly round, tennis ball-shaped vegetable with a spout of leaves, which makes it looks like a turnip from Jupiter.
Kohlrabi comes in green or purple, but the flesh is white either way. Its dense insides remind me of a broccoli stalk. It smells kind of radish and tastes ambiguously cruciferous.
I almost couldn’t find kohlrabi at the store, but I finally spied one sad, limp bunch and took it home with me. I used a vegetable peeler to peel off the rough brown spots and sliced it up, along with an apple. The crisp radish/sweet apple thing seemed a little odd at first, but soon I couldn’t resist snacking on it.
Then I added some fresh tarragon, which has the most wonderful lemon-licorice flavor to it, as well as toasted sunflower seeds, lemon and olive oil. It was good. Strangely good. Crisp, sweet, a little savory. I added some Gouda cheese on a whim, after the photo shoot, and that cheese took the salad into this-salad-is-not-safe-around-me territory. I’d recommend adding Gouda if you’re a cheese eater. This kohlrabi salad/slaw makes a great light side salad for warm fall days.
The recipe comes from a new book called Cooking with Seeds: 100 Delicious Recipes for the Foods You Love, Made with Nature’s Most Nutrient-Dense Ingredients by Charlyne Mattox. It’s filled with creative ways to add seeds to both familiar and more exotic recipes. I expected a seed-focused book to utilize more whole grains and a little less butter, but it’s probably more approachable as written. Check it out if you’d like to learn how to work more seeds into your diet!
Crispy Apple and Kohlrabi Salad
This super simple kohlrabi salad features honeycrisp apple, lemon, tarragon and olive oil! It’s a delicious and unique fall side salad. You’ll love it! Recipe yields 4 side servings or 2 large.
Ingredients
- 2 small kohlrabi (about 1 pound, I used the green variety but purple would be prettier), cut into matchsticks about ¼″ wide
- 1 large Honeycrisp apple (about ½ pound), cored and cut into matchsticks about ¼″ wide
- ⅓ cup grated gouda cheese (optional, not shown)
- ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves
- 3 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds*
- Lemon zest, to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- Flaky sea salt (like Maldon) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl, combine the kohlrabi and apple matchsticks. Add the cheese, if using, and the tarragon leaves and sunflower seeds. Shave lemon zest liberally over the bowl (I probably used about half of a small lemon’s worth or more).
- Drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, then sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper. Use your hands to gently toss the salad, then add another drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice if the salad seems dry. Finish with another light sprinkle of salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cooking with Seeds by Charlyne Mattox, with permission.
*How to toast your own sunflower seeds: If you only have raw, unsalted sunflower seeds at home (like me), toast them in a small skillet over medium heat with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until they’re turning lightly golden on the edges, about 5 minutes.
Storage suggestions: This salad keeps well for a day or two, provided that you use enough lemon juice to prevent oxidation (I used closer to 2 tablespoons and day-old leftovers were still great).
Make it dairy free/vegan: Skip the optional cheese.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I made a version of this last night as I was looking for kohlrabi recipes after my husband came home from the farmers market with a kohlrabi the size of my 4 year old’s head. I added some ACV and sherry vinegar along with lemon and oil and didn’t use tarragon as I didn’t have it. I do have tarragon vinegar I may try next time. Had it with roasted chicken and roasted vegetables. My 1 and 4 year olds loved this slaw! They couldn’t get enough! It was excellent, such a great combination.
I’m glad you found a recipe to use it for! Thank you for your review, Anna.
I’ve made this Twice already it is so fresh and crunchy a perfect winter salad that pleases everyone who tastes it!
Last night I forgot to add cheese and it was Still outstaNding, good to know for my vegan friends….
I recommended this salad to a stranger at the grocery store and what do you know she bought a kohlrabi and apples!
Thanks for helping me and others to overcome our fear of Kohlrabi!
My husband made this recipe the other day. I couldn’t find kohlrabi, so he made it with a fennel bulb. It came out great, I would definitely recommend that as a good substitute.
Yum! Made this tonight and it was quick and delicious. Adding the gouda is an inspired touch! Our 5yo ate it, too, with a bit of prompting. Thanks for another great recipe!
You’re welcome, Christine! Thank you for your review.
Will the Crispy Apple and Kohlrabi salad keep for any amount of time? I make it at home and take it to a pot luck meal about 45 minutes away.
I had never had Kohlrabi before so I was anxious to try this recipe. It was delicious. Such a great combination of flavours! I had no tarragon or sunflower seeds so I substituted fennel and pumpkin seeds. Tasted great and so easy.
I used twice as much lemon juice and also took an extra step and chopped the apple and kholrabi down using the chop function of a food processor. I just pulsed two or three times and had spoon friendly sized pieces.
Do you peel the kohlrabi?
Hi, see the process photos as there is still the peel on it. Just cut it into matchsticks. Trimming off the harder layers, of course. I hope that helps!
I was always told here in Germany that you have to peel it totally, as the skin is not edible?
Crispy apple and kohlrabi salad
Yummy, didn’t realize how good kohlrabi was. Got one at farmers market along with fennel. Followed your recipe minus cheese due to allergy and added the fennel. Loved the flavors. Husband did as well. He added cheese to his. Thank you!
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Edwina!
I liked this recipe even in summer. Tried a bit with Kaseri cheese- it was nice. Also tried a bit with strawberry slices-pretty and tasty
I think making a vinaigrette may be a good idea too as mentioned in another review.
My hubby’s is not a big fan of fruit so I left out the apple and this was delicious. Thanks for a great recipe.
You’re welcome, Regan!
Haven’t made this recipe, but thought I’d share what I did with both kohlrabi and fennel bulb, fresh from our own garden. As I was prepping it I thought of adding apple… but the quantity was going to defeat the two of us. However I added the peeled stems of asparagus (the bits you usually discard, that were crisp but not tough), spring onions (also out of the garden), and dressed it with lemon zest, and my *yoghurt and honey dressing*.
** I cup of greek yogurt, one tablespoon of honey, 1 tsp cumin, (omitted this time around as I was serving with a dish I didn’t want to add cumin to).
Going to try roasting my kolhrabi tonight. Stir fried it last week with normal stir-fry veges. It’s very versatile and international!
I love this salad but can I use dried tarragon instead of fresh? If so, how much would you suggest I try? Thank you!
Hi Anne, reference my 50 Pantry-Friendly Recipes & Substitutions That Work for substituting fresh and dried.
I’m making this salad tonight!
I hope you loved it, Mary!
So Kate, We had our first Kohlrabi ever and this recipe was yummy!! I had a large purple kohlrabi which was so crisp and snappy like the Green Apple, and the kohlrabi was so mild, it was just lovely. The vinaigrette was perfect, I only had dried tarragon so I used 2 Tbsp mixed to the oil/lemon and zest, perfect and loved the toasted sunflower seed, they really add a depth of flavour to the nice light and refreshing salad. Excellent recipe, Well done! Thanks so much! Linda V. BTW, I have been making your Tzatziki sauce regularly for a few years now… I actually use it as a side salad it’s that good! LOL!
Thank you for sharing, Linda! I’m happy to hear that.
I made this today and I could not stop eating. The crispy veg and the creamy cheese. The perfect mix of sweet (apple), the peppery hints of the kohlrabi, the subtle licorice of tarragon, the toasted flavour of the seeds, the freshness of lemon and the umami of the cheese. Oh. My. Goodness. Perfection!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Malin!
Made this today! Amazing! Highly recommend! I didn’t add in the optional cheese, but only because I didn’t have any. I’ll definitely make this again.
Great to hear, Jamie! I appreciate your review.
This was such a summer delight!
Everybody loved it :)
I served it next to this summer pasta: https://vakervegan.nu/vegan-spaghetti/
People really enjoyed my dinner, makes me so happy :)
I had a fresh lime so I used that instead of lemon. Tasty!
Made this and it was DELICIOUS! So crunchy and fresh. The tarragon and Gouda really make it unique.
Tried apple and kohlrabi salad and we really enjoyed it. Thankyou
You’re welcome, Leanne!
Was looking for a side dish to make with kohlrabi, found this and had the ingredients (except used dried tarragon) to make this, and it was light, fresh and delicious. Thank YOU!
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
That was very tasty surprise. I never liked kolrabi but now I do…thanks
Could something other than sunflower seeds be used. I am allergic to sunflower seeds. Thanks
You could try pepitas. I hope you try it!
Oooooh. I love trying something new & Kohlrabi is new to me! I think if I can’t find that in store (never have seen it) I’ll try this w jicama.
This is actually really good and a great.
I’m happy you loved it!
Of course this recipe is fabulous. I didn’t have Gouda and it was fine. Also, substituted pépitas for pistachios. Chefs kiss.