A step by step guide to making kohlrabi soup

Two years ago, I had joined the Becker Farms CSA (community supported agriculture) for the season. When you join a CSA, you pay for every week that you get a box of produce. I had the option of ordering a box every week or every other week. My other option was the choice between a large box or a small box. I ordered a small box every other week. 

Despite getting the smallest possible order, I was inundated with produce, especially at the end of the season. I felt practically buried by cabbage. I spent massive amounts of time searching for ways to cook all of that cabbage. I was tired. Last year, my main source of fresh produce was the local farmers market.

This year, however, Becker Farms offered an even smaller share. The mini share. I was very happy to sign up for a mini share. I get delicious and, sometimes, unusual produce every other week during the growing season. On Friday, I picked up my second box of the season and brought it home, where I eagerly opened it. I found cherries and small potatoes (salt potatoes), a head of lettuce, kale, and kohlrabi. I also got a small container of raspberries (yum!) and an add-on (extra purchase) of feta cheese from Teacup Farms. After I washed the lettuce and put it through the salad spinner, I found that I had lots of lettuce. I shared that and the kale with my next door neighbor. 

So... the kohlrabi. How do I cook that? And what do I do with the leaves? I checked on the internet and found a recipe for Hungarian Kohlrabi soup. It looked so good that I decided to cook it and to photograph the cooking process.

Here is a link to the recipe: https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2011/01/09/hungarian-kohlrabi-soup-kalarabeleves/

I read the recipe and began preparing the soup, step by step.

My first step was to cut off the leaves from the kohlrabi and to to peel that vegetable. I then set the kohlrabi, both the bulb and the leaves, aside. I  cut up an onion, some garlic scapes (the recipe called for one clove of garlic, but I've got garlic scapes, so I substituted them), and one carrot. I then sauteed the onion in butter, and, after one minute, I added the garlic scapes and the carrot.

I generally prefer unsalted butter, but the recipe doesn't specify that so, if you like salted butter, go ahead and use it.

Once the vegetables are soft, add one cup of chicken stock, bring it to a boil, and then simmer it for ten minutes.

While the vegetables were cooking, I peeled a sweet potato and diced both that and the kohlrabi bulb. And I set that aside. 

My next step was to puree the cooked vegetables (carrot, garlic scapes, and onion) in a food processor. The recipe recommends a blender, but I don't have one of those, so I used the food processor. 

The cooked vegetables go back into the pot. I then added the sweet potato, the kohlrabi bulb, and two and a half more cups of chicken stock. These get cooked until the kohlrabi and the sweet potato are soft.

While the soup is simmering, get out another pot and boil water in it. Then put the leaves in the boiling water for one minute. I like to shred the leaves as if they were lettuce for a salad. Set the leaves aside.

The next step would be to heat up butter, flour, and a small amount of soup in a fry pan. Once these are stirred together, add the mixture to the soup and simmer the soup until it thickens.

Once the soup thickens, add the leaves, about one tablespoon of lemon juice (I prefer fresh squeezed), and salt and pepper to taste. 

And your final step might be your favorite. Eat your soup, and enjoy the magic of that wonderful root vegetable: the kohlrabi.