I want to share the Traditional German Turnip (Kohlrabi) recipe with you today. Follow along to learn how to peel and cook the famous German Turnip and make the cream sauce to serve it with!
Why should you try this recipe?
- Kohlrabi is very nutritious; it contains vitamins C and B and potassium.
- German turnip consists of 90% of water and, therefore, is low in calories.
- Kohlrabi is easy and quick to prepare.
- You can keep raw German turnips for up to 7 days in the fridge.
Table of Contents
Traditional German Turnip Recipe
Prepare German Turnip
- 2 German Turnips medium
- 1,5 l water
- salt
Bechamel Sauce
- 20 g butter
- 20 g flour white
- 200 ml milk
- salt
- pepper
- nutmeg
- 1 tsp stock powder optional
- 100 ml cream
- Wash and remove the stems from German turnip with a sharp knife.
- Peel them and make sure you get rid of all woody parts! They are not eatable!
- Cut the turnips into long, 1 inch thick stripes.
- Pour to the pot water, add salt and German turnip stripes. Bring it to boil.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes check if the German Turnip is soft. If not cook additional 1-2 minutes, if yes - rinse it and set aside.
- Rinse and set aside.
- Prepare the roux by melting butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add flour and combine both ingredients. Let it cook for 3 minutes.
- Add milk and stir vigorously with a whisk until all ingredients combine.
- Season with pepper, nutmeg, salt, and vegetable stock powder if needed.
- Mix it with cooked and rinsed German Turnip stripes. Add cream or milk to improve the consistency.
German turnip is a cabbage turnip from the cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts species. It has nothing to do with regular turnips. The beauty of this vegetable is that it can be eaten either raw or cooked. The stems and leaves are edible. When eaten raw, Kohlrabi has a mild and sweet taste, and the texture is very similar to the apple, so crispy and juicy.
German Turnip Nutrition Facts
German turnips contain 90% water, 4% fibre and sugars, and very little fat. They also include a lot of vitamin C and B9, as well as Potassium, Calcium, and Sodium. German turnips are easy to digest, even when eaten raw.
But there are many other ways you can enjoy this seasonal vegetable. The most common way to serve the German turnip in Germany is as a side dish with a white sauce, either Béchamel or cream sauce. You can make this delicious Kohlrabi and Apple Salad if you prefer eating it raw. You can also roast it or make a soup out of it! Some even serve it breaded in a Schnitzel kind of way. Human creativity knows no boundaries.
If you are looking for some inspiration, I have a video showing how to cook German Kohlrabi.
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How to buy Kohlrabi?
When buying German turnips, make sure you choose the smaller ones. Small German turnips are less woody and, therefore, easier to peel. This seasonal vegetable tastes best from spring until late summer.
How to peel German Turnip?
Before you start peeling the German turnip, make sure you rinse it with called water. Tap it dry, cut off the stem and peel well. That means you must remove the green skin and all wooden parts. German turnip has more woody parts next to the stem, so remove all of them. For peeling I use a vegetable peeler, if you don’t have one, you can also use a small, sharp knife. After this has been done, you can cut it into stripes (around 1cm thick), and at this point, your turnip is ready to be cooked.
Cook to Perfection
Before cooking, cut it into strips (around 1 inch thick). Fill the pot with 2l of cold, salty water (If cooking 2 large turnips), add the turnip stripes and bring them to boil. German turnip has to simmer 10-12 minutes over medium-low heat. Please check if the turnip is ready by trying one of the stripes after 10 minutes have passed. The cooked turnip has to be soft.
Be aware that German turnip changes its texture after being cooked. It becomes softer but keeps its mild and sweet taste.
Be aware that German turnip changes its texture after being cooked. It becomes softer but keeps its mild and sweet taste.
Making Cream Sauce for Kohlrabi
While cooking German turnips, you have enough time to prepare Béchamel Sauce. For this, you will likely need a saucepan and a whisk. The base of the Béchamel sauce is a roux, and you will need butter and flour to make it. First, you need to melt the butter over medium heat, add flour, mix it well, and cook for at least 3 minutes under medium-low heat. Afterwards, vigorously mix the milk with a whisk until all ingredients combine well. After you are happy with the consistency, you can season it with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
By this time, your turnip should be ready. Drain it well immediately after cooking and mix it with the sauce.
Making a roux
Storage & Reheating
You can store Kohlrabi in Cream Sauce in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to three months.
Reheat German Kohrabi in Cream Sauce slowly on medium heat.
Serving
There are plenty of ways to serve German turnips with Béchamel Sauce. The side dish tastes best if served warm and goes exceptionally well with hard-boiled, mashed or pan-fried potatoes. You can also sprinkle it with parsley, chives, dill or chervil. For meat lovers, German meatballs would be the right choice.
Related Recipes
If you enjoy eating regional and seasonal food this time of the year, please make sure you also check my German Spinach Recipe and other German recipes for more inspiration.
