Crisp tender kohlrabi noodles draped in a creamy, spicy, and tangy Thai peanut sauce topped with succulent shrimp. Each bite offers a delightful blend of textures and bright flavors. This vibrant and flavorful dish is my absolute favorite way to enjoy this unique seasonal vegetable!
Featured Comment:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Wow, this was great!! It plated up so pretty too! I reduced it to 2 servings, omitted the fish sauce, and drizzled a bit of extra tamari in there. Excellent flavor! Thank you!"
- Suzy
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What is Kohlrabi?
Kohlrabi is a cruciferous vegetable in the Brassica family. (includes cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.) Kohlrabi is also sometimes referred to as a German turnip or cabbage turnip. It is a round bulb with leaves that shoot up off the sides and tops of the vegetable. While it looks like a root vegetable, it actually grows above ground.
Purple kohlrabi is one of my favorite vegetables to grow because they're low maintenance and they thrive in my garden zone (5a). You're more likely to find this unique vegetable at your local farmer's market or in CSA boxes from local farms but you can sometimes find them at your local grocery store too.
Kohlrabi tastes similar to broccoli stems with a hint of radish-like spiciness. When it's cooked, it typically has a more mild flavor than when eaten raw. Kohlrabi bulbs have thick skin and a crisp texture that lends itself to a variety of dishes. There are many tasty ways to prepare kohlrabi! Here are a few ideas:
- Add kohlrabi to stir fry or spiralize them into noodles like in this kohlrabi noodle recipe.
- Make a kohlrabi salad with a lemon juice vinaigrette, fresh herbs, sunflower seeds, and parmesan cheese.
- Use it in a simple recipe like roast kohlrabi with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Make kohlrabi fries for a unique potato alternative.
- Blend it into cream of kohlrabi soup.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
Pasta Alternative: Vegetable noodles are a great low carb alternative to regular pasta. But you don't have to stop at zucchini noodles! The possibilities for spiralizing vegetables are infinite and you'll love these kohlrabi noodles. They hold up great when cooked and have a great tender texture that's very similar to pasta.
Flavorful: This recipe is bursting with flavor from the homemade Thai peanut sauce. It's creamy, spicy, tangy, and oh-so delicious. It's the perfect complement to tender kohlrabi noodles.
Unique: Most people don't turn to kohlrabi as a go-to ingredient. But, once you try this unique recipe, you'll want to make it over and over again!
Ingredient Notes:
- Kohlrabi: Large bulbs of kohlrabi will work better for spiralizing than smaller bulbs. Kohlrabi is a unique vegetable but it can be substituted. For a similar texture, you can use broccoli stems. However, you probably won't be able to spiralize them. But you can julienne them for a similar outcome. This recipe also works great with rice noodles if you're not into vegetable noodles. You also don't have to toss the leaves! You can use them like you would collard greens or Swiss chard in raw or cooked preparations.
- Peanut Sauce: This recipe uses a homemade Thai peanut sauce that's zesty and flavorful. If you have a peanut sauce you like to buy or make, you can use that instead.
- Shrimp: I like to use shell-on raw wild-caught Argentinian shrimp for this recipe. You can use your favorite shrimp or other proteins like chicken or steak. Or you can omit the protein completely.
- Toppings: I like to add extra flavor and texture by topping this dish with roasted peanuts, toasted coconut, chili crisp, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. These are all optional and you can mix and match as you please!
Equipment Notes:
- Vegetable Spiralizer: The standard "as seen on TV" plastic spiralizer won't cut it (literally) for kohlrabi. You need a stronger metal spiralizer to cut through the tough kohlrabi. Alternatively, you can shred the kohlrabi in a food processor for a similar outcome.
Step by Step Instructions:
How to Cut Kohlrabi Noodles:
Kohlrabi is the perfect vegetable to spiralize because it holds its shape well. Read below for how to make them!
Step 1: Cut off the top and bottom of the kohlrabi to make 2 flat ends. Be careful with the root side because it can be tough to cut through.
Step 2: Peel the outer skin of each bulb of kohlrabi with a vegetable peeler.
Step 3: Set up the spiralizer. Put the root side of the kohlrabi towards the handle of the spiralizer so that you start spiralizing the top of the kohlrabi. The root side can be too hard to cut through.
Step 4: Turn the handle clockwise to cut the kohlrabi with the spiralizer.
Step 5: Store kohlrabi noodles in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to cook them.
Step 6: You can also spiralize the carrots if your carrots are big enough.
Pro Tip: Use larger bulbs of kohlrabi instead of smaller bulbs. They fit the spiralizer better and will have a better yield.
How to Make Kohlrabi Noodles with Peanut Sauce:
Once you've made the kohlrabi noodles, it's time to cook!
Step 1: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 2: Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
Step 3: You may need more or less water depending on how thick your peanut butter is. Set sauce aside.
Step 4: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add sliced garlic and cook until slightly softened.
Step 5: Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add kohlrabi noodles and grated carrots. Saute until tender, about 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times.
Step 6: While the noodles are cooking, heat oil for the shrimp in another skillet. Add in sliced ginger and garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add shrimp to the pan and season with salt. You may have to work in batches depending on the size of your pan.
Step 7: Cook shrimp until pink and no longer translucent and golden brown on the outside, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm until ready to serve.
Step 8: When kohlrabi noodles are tender, add sauce to the pan and cook on low heat until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Step 9: Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and green onions.
Step 10: To each bowl, add kohlrabi noodles and shrimp. Drizzle with chili oil (optional). Top with peanuts, coconut, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: Prep the vegetables and sauce in the morning to make cooking at dinner time a breeze!
How to Serve Kohlrabi Noodles:
This dish is a full meal on its own! It can be served as a main course or in smaller portions as a side dish. The noodles in the sauce can be served hot or as a cold salad. No matter how you choose to serve them, you're going to love this unique recipe for this hearty vegetable!
Recipe FAQ's:
While kohlrabi can be on the peppery side when eaten raw, it's quite mild when cooked. Cooking kohlrabi brings out its sweetness and tastes similar to broccoli stems.
Kohlrabi is great in a variety of recipes. It can be spiralized and used as a pasta alternative, eaten raw in salads, roasted, blended into soups, and more!
While most people would say zucchini makes the best noodles, kohlrabi is a great contender! It's mild-flavored, holds up its shape when cooked, and has a texture similar to rice noodles.
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to me and fellow readers. And if you want more delicious wild game recipes, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Recipe:
Kohlrabi Noodles with Shrimp and Thai Peanut Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Kohlrabi Noodles
- 2 medium kohlrabi (or 3 small)
- 2 cup carrots, grated (3-4 medium carrots)
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
Thai Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime zest
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (i.e. sambal oelek)
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 tsp garlic, grated (about 1 clove)
- ¼ cup water, divided
Shrimp
- 2 lb raw shrimp, shell on
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- salt, to taste
Toppings
- chili crisp
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut, toasted
- lime wedges
- cilantro
Instructions
Spiralizing Kohlrabi:
- Cut off the top and bottom of the kohlrabi to make 2 flat ends. Be careful with the root side, it can be tough to cut through.
- Peel the outer skin of each bulb of kohlrabi with a vegetable peeler.
- Set up the spiralizer. Put the root side of the kohlrabi towards the handle of the spiralizer so that you start spiralizing the top of the kohlrabi. The root side can be too hard to cut through.
- Turn the handle clockwise to cut the kohlrabi with the spiralizer.
- Store kohlrabi noodles in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to cook them. You can also spiralize the carrots if your carrots are big enough.
Noodles and Shrimp:
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. You may need more or less depending on how thick your peanut butter is. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add sliced garlic and cook until slightly softened.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add kohlrabi noodles and grated carrots. Saute until tender, about 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times.
- While the noodles are cooking, heat oil for the shrimp in another skillet.
- Add in sliced ginger and garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add shrimp to the pan and season with salt. You may have to work in batches depending on the size of your pan.
- Cook shrimp until pink and no longer translucent, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm until ready to serve.
- When kohlrabi noodles are tender, add sauce to the pan and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and green onions.
- To each bowl, add kohlrabi noodles and shrimp. Drizzle with chili oil (optional). Top with peanuts, coconut, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- The standard "as seen on TV" plastic spiralizer won't cut it (literally) for kohlrabi. You need a stronger metal spiralizer to cut through the tough kohlrabi. Alternatively, you can shred the kohlrabi in a food processor for a similar outcome.
- Use larger bulbs of kohlrabi instead of smaller bulbs. They fit the spiralizer better and will have a better yield.
- Kohlrabi is a unique vegetable but it can be substituted. For a similar texture, you can use broccoli stems. However, you probably won't be able to spiralize them. But you can julienne them for a similar outcome. This recipe also works great with rice noodles if you're not into vegetable noodles.
- Prep the vegetables and sauce in the morning to make cooking at dinner time a breeze!
- This recipe uses a homemade Thai peanut sauce that's zesty and flavorful. If you have a peanut sauce you like to buy or make, you can use that instead.
- I like to use shell-on raw wild-caught Argentinian shrimp for this recipe. You can use your favorite shrimp or other proteins like chicken or steak. Or you can omit the protein completely.
- I like to add extra flavor and texture by topping this dish with roasted peanuts, toasted coconut, chili crisp, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. These are all optional and you can mix and match as you please!
Suzy
Wow, this was great!! It plated up so pretty too! I reduced it to 2 servings, omitted the fish sauce, and drizzled a bit of extra tamari in there. Excellent flavor! Thank you!
Annie Weisz
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad the recipe worked out for you!!