Kohlrabi has to be one of the coolest looking vegetables around. It looks a bit alien-like and it has a great name. It is delicious too. It has a mild and refreshing taste, a bit like broccoli stem hearts (see my comment about using these in the Method for my Broccoli-Cauliflower Penne with Dill Mayo recipe) and it is well paired with citrusy dressings (and I’ve also had it mixed with cantaloupe and that was delicious too). Kohlrabi is part of the cabbage/broccoli/kale family and it is in season now.
Warm weather is obviously perfect for salads and, for British summers, I prefer combining something cooked and warm along with my raw salad ingredients because it creates a lovely balance of temperatures and textures. Broad (or fava) beans are in season right now and they’re terrific simply sautéed.
This salad owes its creaminess to avocados and tang to nutritional yeast and lemon. The toasted walnuts and the crispy fried onions add extra texture variation and crunch. The maca powder heightens the nutty flavour of the dish. Serves 2 as a main. Recipe after the photos.
Ingredients
- 4-5 heritage (or other variety) small to medium sized tomatoes, quartered
- 1 small kohlrabi, thinly sliced and chopped into bite sized pieces
- 150g shelled broad beans (aka fava)
- 1 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 ripe avocado, chopped
- 2-3 spring onions, chopped
- handful of toasted walnuts (a note about toasting below)
- 2-3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1-2 teaspoons maca (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons crunchy fried onions (or other crunchy ingredient) (I purchased mine at London Star Night, a Southeast Asian market)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- glug of olive (or other) oil for the salad
- vegetable oil of your choice for the sautéing of the broad beans
- salt & pepper to taste
Method
First toast the almonds. For ease and speed, I toast nuts in the microwave. Place a handful of nuts in a plate and microwave on high for about 5 minutes. The taste isn’t as “toasty” as when you do so in an oven, but it’s fine and it saves you from starting up the oven in the summer.
In a small frying pan, over medium-high flame, heat a small amount of vegetable oil and sauté the asafoetida (this spice helps with digestion and it always must be cooked first – I use the powdered version available at any supermarket) and the broad beans, mix well and continue to sauté for approximately 10-12 minutes. Let the broad beans cook until their skin appears slightly wrinkly.
As the walnuts are toasting and broad beans sautéing, peel the kohlrabi to reveal the whitish/very light green interior. Slice it as thinly as you can, but don’t worry if not all the pieces are paper thin. A variety of sizes will give your salad varied textures. Chop into pieces no larger than your finger tip (to the first knuckle).
Chop all other ingredients and place them all into a salad bowl along with the walnuts. When the broad beans are ready, add them to the bowl. Finally, add the nutritional yeast, maca, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and lemon. Mix thoroughly, sprinkle the crunchy onions, mix again and serve immediately.
If you like your salad a bit more macerated, then wait 3-5 minutes (but only add the crunchy fried onions at the last minute otherwise they lose their crunchiness). The salt and lemon juice will break down some of the cell walls and release the juices from the vegetables. If you wait too long, the salad will get mushy.
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