I had this great idea that I was going to make beet chips to go with on of our dinners this weekend. I had a huge drawer filled with beets that I collected last week at various markets and through our CSA. And then Cullen took a long nap and I got all excited about meal planning and doing food prep, and before I knew it I had tossed the beets into the oven to roast – every last one of them. Oops!
So I peeked back into the fridge and realized that I still had two bunches of kohlrabi in there that I picked up at the market a few weeks ago.
The great thing about root vegetables like kohlrabi, turnips, rutabaga, etc. – is that they keep for a few weeks in the fridge. The greens didn’t last, but the veggies themselves stayed nice and crisp.
Two summers ago, when I worked at Poplar Ridge Farm, I had my first encounter with purple kohlrabi. After spending quite a bit of time googling, “What do I do with kohlrabi?” – I ended up trying it a few different ways – cubed and roasted in one dish, and grated into a slaw for another.
I wanted to do something different with these green kohlrabi, and since beets were off the menu, I thought they seemed perfect for slicing into chips. It turns out that I was right!
These are a great healthy alternative to traditional chips, and in my opinion they’re just as tasty. They are great paired with a sandwich or veggie burger, or even used as a dipper! I’m glad we still have two more kohlrabi left – can’t wait to make these again.
Baked Kohlrabi Chips
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40-60 minutes
Ingredients (2-3 servings)
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4 kohlrabi, trimmed and peeled
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2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
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salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Trim the kohlrabi greens and stems, and peel outer skin using a vegetable peeler or paring knife.
Using a mandolin, carefully slice the kohlrabi into thin slices – not paper thin, but you don’t want them too thick or they won’t get crisp.
If you don’t have a mandolin, you can try to slice them thinly with a chef’s knife, but be extra careful!
If you are using coconut oil, heat slowly until it melts. If you prefer olive oil, that works just as well! Brush the oil onto a sheet pan and then arrange the kohlrabi slices in a single layer with minimal overlap.
Brush another light layer of oil on top, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
I filled two large sheet pans with four kohlrabi, but it will depend on the thickness of your slices and size of your vegetables.
Bake for 40-60 minutes. Rotate the pans from side to side as well as top to bottom every 15 minutes or so. Keep an eye to watch for hot spots or chips that are browning quickly.
If some chips are thinner than others, you might want to remove them early and let the others continue to bake.
Once they are browning and beginning to shrivel, remove from oven and arrange on a paper towel (to absorb the excess oil). Sprinkle with a little extra salt, and allow them to cool for a few minutes. They will crisp up a bit more as they cool.
Serve along with your favorite veggie burger or sandwich!
We don’t eat a lot of chips in our house, simply because it’s something that I just never buy. But I can definitely see making more of these veggie chips for Cullen to munch on as he gets older and he starts getting into more snack food. Think I can convince him these are better than Lay’s?
I’m up for the challenge.
As always, enjoy!
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I love that your blog introduces me to foods I never knew existed! Will check our health food store next time to see if they may carry this.
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Kelly Reply:
August 29th, 2012 at 11:21 am
Erica,
They are in season right now, so even a regular grocery store or farmers market should all carry it!
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You can totally convince him they are better :) And if he never has Lays he’ll never know!
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What a great way to use kohlrabi! We get it in our CSA box starting around this time each year, and I’m not a big fan of roasted kohlrabi, so I’ll try the chips next time we get some!
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Yum! I haven’t thought to try this with kohlrabi but I’m not surprised that they’re good, because I love turnip chips (and also beet chips!). And anything with “chips” in the name is popular with the kiddos. :)
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We eat Kohlrabi raw — peel, dice, and add to homemade pico de gallo, or salsa!
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I also love kohlrabi raw – just slice it and eat it with just a little salt on
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These look delicious!
Every time I read one of your posts I am inspired to buy more vegetables. Thanks for being such a great inspiration!
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I am so curious about this veggie. Do you think I could slice it using the slicing blade on my food processor?
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So would you do beet chips the same way? I too am always after tasty use ups for my obscure CSA veggies!
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what’s the reason for the low cooking temp? just curious if cooking them higher would be bad – i roast small-diced root veggies at 425, normally.
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Not thought of of using kohlrabi for chips..or crisps as they are called in the UK. Great idea! Are they very crispy/crunchy?
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Yum- these look delcious! What a great way to prepare kolrabi. Question, what kind of mandolin is that? I’ve been in the market for one and have held off buying one for ages bc I’m terrified of slicing off some fingers.
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Hi Emily,
Can you share the brand of the brush your using to brush the layer of oil on the chips? I remember your talking about it in another post and tried to look for it the other day, but couldn’t find it.
Thanks!
Bri
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I would never have purchased those odd looking things! thanks for the idea. Sometimes I have a hankering for something a bit salty.
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So innovative! Love it. Would you make beet chips the same way?
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Kohlrabi is one of my favorite veggies. It’s so good! And it’s even better roasted. Love this!
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Thanks for the great idea! I got a bunch of kohlrabi in my CSA box in the spring, and had trouble using it. This sounds like a great new use!
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You should cut the tops off the kohlrabi (and root vegetables, but kohlrabi is not a root veg) as soon as you get them or the leaves will draw moisture from the rest of the vegetable.
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My 3-year-old will eat my homemade vegetable chips, but not store-bought potato chips, so yes, I know it’s totally possible for Cullen to like these more than Lay’s! :-) I get a good amount of kohlrabi in my CSA box, and I’m always looking for ways to use it up. I’m not sure why I’ve never thought to make it into chips…these look great!
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I discovered Kholrabi in my CSA last summer nad loved it. I often put it on the grill, but never tried chips. I will definitely have to pick some up!
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I love the idea of making chips out of kholrabi! I’ve never tried it before but it would be a “safe” sounding venture into the unknown.
Cullen won’t know if he likes Lays better if he never has Lays. ;) LOL
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These look so great – definitely better than regular potato chips!! And incorporating Kholrabi into your day is such a great way to boost your daily fiber intake. Love it!
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Mmm I’ve never tried kholrabi but I think I’m going to have to now. I love how simple this dish is.
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Love Kohlrabi, but never thought of chips! Love those chops and try never to buy them tho!
Where do you get a great mandolin like that Emily? I’ve got a small one I bought at an oriental grocery store, but yours looks much sturdier.
Miss seeing that Cullen today!
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I am a part of a local CSA this summer as well and we have been getting kohlrabi but I’m not a huge fan of it raw so I will definitely be trying your recipe! Thanks!
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Awesome idea! I had my first encounter with a kohlrabi last summer in our CSA. It was good as a slaw but this looks even better. Making this tonight!
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I just wanted to stop by and let you know I have tried several of your recipes!! I made your carrot cake/ whoopi pies today for the doctors office that I work for, and they were a HUGE hit!! I left a little recipe card with your recipe and blog information so they could stop by and take a look for themselves. Thank you for your healthy and creative recipes. They are so very appreciated!
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