Kohlrabi Salad with Pecans, Lime, Paprika, and Marjoram

There's something about arranging recipes by season that makes sense in principle, but in practice, I struggle with using cookbooks organized that way. I know, seasonality in cooking is the thing, but I appreciate the structure of a cookbook organized by "{breakfast}, starters/snacks, vegetables/salads, mains, {dessert}".  Otherwise, interesting, approachable recipes get lost (to me) between pages of "a little too chef-y" recipes. I've owned Broad Fork for years, but this is the first recipe I've ever "cooked" from it.

I'm on a kohlrabi salad kick recently thanks to ME. This one and the one from Gather & Graze are quite different, Hugh's dressing reminds me a lot of the Spanish chopped salad I made from the Sprouted Kitchen, while Stephanie's is a little more French/Asian. They're both delicious salads and great ways to use up an overabundance of kohlrabi or introduce yourself to the vegetable for the first time.

If you're like me, you don't have much experience with kohlrabi. As far as I know, these salads are the first and only times I've eaten kohlrabi, and certainly the first time I've prepared the vegetable. I live in San Francisco and my kohlrabi quest took me to five different grocery stores before I spotted some at Gus' Community Market, so fair-warning, it might require some effort to find. Just wait - I'm sure the kohlrabi trend is coming. It's an underappreciated, wacky-looking member of the cabbage family, so maybe it will take over from all the Brussels sprouts and cauliflower everywhere. It looks a lot more challenging than it is, and while this time of year the taste of the interior is most similar to a tart, crunchy green apple, it's worth hunting down a kohlrabi source. I'm a convert, you will be too.

Back to the actual kohlrabi salad in question. I liked it a lot more than I expected to. The salad dressing is extremely flavorful and tangy due to the lime juice and fresh herbs (I also could find any fresh marjoram anywhere, so I made up a fresh herb substitution that seemed appropriate). The hot smoked paprika comes through, but not nearly as much as I expected it to when I tried the dressing alone (it was hot!). The kohlrabi stays crunchy despite its hour-long soak in the dressing, the arugula adds some pepper-y notes, while the toasted pecan halves give the salad some richness and cut the acid a little. This is a great, easy salad.... make it.

Lightly adapted from Broad Fork

Kohlrabi Salad with Pecans, Lime, Paprika, and Marjoram

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Course: Salad, Side

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hugh acheson, spring salad

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Marinating time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Lime Paprika Dressing

• 1 shallot minced or ⅛-1/4 red onion, minced, soaked in cold water 15 minutes
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh margoram leaves or 2 sprigs each, fresh parsley and mint, finely chopped (about ⅓-1/2 cup)
• about 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice from 2-3 limes
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Kohlrabi salad

• ½ cup pecan halves toasted then roughly chopped
• 1 bulb kohlrabi
• 4 cups arugula leaves

Instructions

• Mince the shallot, chop the herbs, juice the lime(s), then place each in a standard-sized mason jar. Sprinkle in the paprika and pour in the olive oil. Add a few pinches of kosher salt and about 5 grinds of fresh black pepper. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to combine everything. Taste and adjust the flavors as desired (a little more lime, more salt, etc).
  
• Prepare the kohlrabi by cutting off the root end, then cutting the kohlrabi bulb into four quarters. Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to peel off the thick outer skin of the kohlrabi, then use a mandoline, sharp knife, or that same Y-shaped vegetable peeler to shave paper thin slices of the kohlrabi.
  
• In a large serving bowl, toss together the kohlrabi slices and about half of the lime-paprika dressing. Let the kohlrabi sit in the dressing (in the fridge or at room temperature) to allow it to soak up the flavors and soften.
  
• Meanwhile, toast the pecan halves in a 300 F oven or in a skillet for about 8-10 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside to cool, then chop roughly.
  
• Add the chopped pecans and arugula to the bowl with the dressed kohlrabi. Toss everything together, taste, and season with a little extra salt/pepper if needed. Pour a little more of the dressing in (this salad should be well dressed), then serve immediately.