Butterhead Lettuce, Kohlrabi and Green Apple salad with toasted Cumin salt
If you’ve ever noticed that little alien like vegetable at the farmers market and wondered, what the heck is that? It’s probably a Kohlrabi. Popular around the world in places such as Northern and Eastern Europe and Northern Vietnam and Eastern India, I hope it becomes more a staple in American households, because it is really refreshingly crisp and easy to prepare.
I like it raw in slaws and salads, but you can also roast, steam or sauté it, just be sure to peel the skin because it’s tough and slightly bitter. You can eat the leaves too :). This salad is super refreshing and please don’t skip the cumin salt because you’ll use it on everything after this!
Recipe by Tierney Larson
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients:
1 tbl of cumin seeds (or more if you want to make a batch)
kosher salt
1 small kohlrabi, leaves removed, rinse dried and torn, and the tough outer skin of the kohlrabi peeled.
1 green apple
1 head of butterhead lettuce, rinsed, dried and gently torn
1 lemon, halved
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Ok so..to make cumin salt, place the cumin seeds in a dry skillet and place over medium heat. When the cumin is fragrant and turns slightly darker (be careful not to burn it) remove and pour into a mortar (you could also pulse it in a spice grinder a few times if you don’t have a mortar and pestle). Smash the cumin seeds until they’re mostly broken and still have texture to them, you don’t want it to be all powder, just slightly crushed and broken. Add kosher salt and stir to combine, taste and add more salt to taste.
Cut the kohlrabi in half lengthwise and then rest it cut side down on the cutting board. Slice them thinly into about 1/8 inch thick slices or thinner. Place in a small bowl and set aside. Peel the green apple, core it and then repeat the same process with the apple, slicing it lengthwise and then cutting it into 1/8 inch crescent moon shapes. Place into the bowl with the kohlrabi and quickly toss all the slices in a good squeeze of lemon juice to prevent the apple from oxidizing.
Place the torn butterhead lettuce into whatever salad bowl you’ll be serving in, and then drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to coat the leaves. Toss to combine. Then add the kohlrabi, apple and a pinch of the cumin salt. Toss it all together and taste, if you need more cumin salt or lemon juice, add away! Just be sure not to weigh down the butterhead with too much dressing. Enjoy!
Butterhead Lettuce, Kohlrabi and Green Apple salad with toasted Cumin salt
Ingredients
- 1 tbl of cumin seeds (or more if you want to make a batch)
- kosher salt
- 1 small kohlrabi, leaves removed, rinse dried and torn, and the tough outer skin of the kohlrabi peeled.
- 1 green apple
- 1 head of butterhead lettuce, rinsed, dried and gently torn
- 1 lemon, halved
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Instructions
- Ok so..to make cumin salt, place the cumin seeds in a dry skillet and place over medium heat. When the cumin is fragrant and turns slightly darker (be careful not to burn it) remove and pour into a mortar (you could also pulse it in a spice grinder a few times if you don’t have a mortar and pestle). Smash the cumin seeds until they’re mostly broken and still have texture to them, you don’t want it to be all powder, just slightly crushed and broken. Add kosher salt and stir to combine, taste and add more salt to taste.
- Cut the kohlrabi in half lengthwise and then rest it cut side down on the cutting board. Slice them thinly into about 1/8 inch thick slices or thinner. Place in a small bowl and set aside. Peel the green apple, core it and then repeat the same process with the apple, slicing it lengthwise and then cutting it into 1/8 inch crescent moon shapes. Place into the bowl with the kohlrabi and quickly toss all the slices in a good squeeze of lemon juice to prevent the apple from oxidizing.
- Place the torn butterhead lettuce into whatever salad bowl you’ll be serving in, and then drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to coat the leaves. Toss to combine. Then add the kohlrabi, apple and a pinch of the cumin salt. Toss it all together and taste, if you need more cumin salt or lemon juice, add away! Just be sure not to weigh down the butterhead with too much dressing. Enjoy!
