Autumn Slaw With Beets, Carrots and Kohlrabi
Image by Staci Valentine
Most Americans don’t know what to do with kohlrabi, a Martian spacecraft–lookalike tuber that offers a crisp nutlike flavor reminiscent of water chestnuts. In Israel, it is a popular addition to salads and pickled vegetable mixes. This is my cousin Michal Brayer’s favorite salad, and now one of mine, too. This refreshing magenta-and-orange slaw will take you through the fall and winter seasons. Use agave instead of honey for a vegan salad.
Serves 8
Parve or parve/vegan
FOR THE SLAW
½ pound carrots (about 3)
½ pound kohlrabi (about 1 medium-large)
1 to 2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, Spitzenberg, or Pink Lady, ½ pound total
½ pound beets (about 3)
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley or celery leaves, torn
FOR THE DRESSING
¼ cup mild oil, such as safflower or grapeseed
1 teaspoon raw or toasted sesame oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
2 teaspoons honey or agave, warmed
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
TO MAKE THE SLAW
1) Fit a food processor with the grating disk. Peel the carrots and kohlrabi, then grate them in the processor and transfer to a salad bowl.
2) Peel the apples, if desired, then quarter, core and grate in the processor and add to the bowl.
3) Peel the beets, grate them, and add to the bowl. You can prepare the salad up to this point early in the day, cover and refrigerate it. In this case, store the beets separately from the other ingredients, and cover the grated apples with the carrots and kohlrabi to keep them from turning brown.
TO MAKE THE DRESSING
1) In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable and sesame oils, lemon juice, honey or agave, about 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper.
2) Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Add the parsley leaves to the salad and toss again. This sturdy salad will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 hours, and the leftovers are delicious the next day.
Shopping tip: Look for juicy-looking carrots, beets and kohlrabi. The moisture factor is more important than their size, especially when you want to use them raw.
Reprinted with permission from “The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen” © 2015 by Amelia Saltsman, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
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