Kohlrabi and Watercress Salad
For as my much and often as I sing the praises of kohlrabi, I have a teeny, tiny confession to make: I had never eaten it uncooked. My dad would always tell us that that is how he had it as a kid, so I knew it was a thing, but somehow it always made me think of eating raw potatoes. I don’t know why. It just did. Not a pleasant thought. Once again, I’m happily, blissfully wrong.
Raw, kohlrabi reminds me somewhat of jicama, or any other crispy, only slightly watery vegetable. It’s got a gorgeous crunch, so refreshing after months of mealy grocery store apples and slow-cooked root vegetables and always slightly wilted salad greens from the plastic bins. Refreshing is the perfect word to describe it. With a creamy, brightly acidic dressing and a handful of peppery watercress, it reminded me of potato salad… but fresher and brighter and more spring-like. The raw kohlrabi is slightly sweet, but still with an earthy root vegetable flavor that makes it perfect for a salad like this. And all this, with a big old supermarket kohlrabi… I can’t imagine how delicious this will be as soon as I can get my hands on some at the farmers’ market.
And did I mention that this salad was good, even as leftovers? Sure, the watercress was a bit wilted, but that wasn’t really a bad thing. It was perhaps even better the day after I made it, much to my surprise. So I’m imagining this would be the perfect picnic or potluck food-versatile, sturdy, and actually interesting. Now if only April would cooperate, move along, and make way for picnic weather, I will happily test this hypothesis for you. Or, if you are one of the lucky ones (who live, say, anywhere that’s not Chicago or farther north), I’d love for you to test the theory, too. Come on, guys, it’s the least you can do, while we’re still busy thawing out our toes and fingertips.
Kohlrabi and Watercress Salad
Ingredients
- 2 medium kohlrabies, peeled and diced into 2/3" pieces
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped mint
- 1 tsp dried mint
- approx. one cup baby watercress
- 1/4 tsp sumac
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Put the yogurt, sour cream, garlic, lemon juice, fresh and dried mint, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper. Whisk until smooth. Add the diced kohlrabi and watercress and toss until coated with the dressing.
- Plate the salad either individually or on a platter, and sprinkle the sumac over the top.