How to Peel and Prepare Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi prep is simple once you understand one thing: the peel isn’t just skin. There’s a fibrous layer hiding underneath it that will wreck the texture of anything you make. Remove both, and everything else is easy.

Two minutes of prep. That’s what stands between you and one of the most versatile vegetables in the produce section.

Why Peeling Matters More Than You Think

With most vegetables, peeling is optional or cosmetic. Not with kohlrabi.

Kohlrabi has a tough outer skin — a thin, papery-to-waxy layer that’s clearly inedible. But directly beneath it is a secondary layer of fibrous tissue that’s pale green, slightly translucent, and stringy when you bite into it. This layer is thicker than you’d expect, sometimes 2-3 millimeters deep on a larger bulb.

If you only do a quick, shallow peel, you’ll leave that fibrous zone behind. The result: chewy bits in your salad, stringy texture in your roast, and a faintly bitter taste that doesn’t belong there.

Peel past both layers. You want to see uniform, smooth, creamy-white flesh with no green tinge and no visible fibers.

Peeler vs. Knife: Which Method to Use

Both work. The right choice depends on the size of the bulb.

Vegetable Peeler Method (Best for Small to Medium Bulbs)

If your kohlrabi is roughly tennis-ball sized or smaller, a sharp Y-peeler handles it well.

1. Cut off any remaining stems and leaves. Trim the top and bottom so you have flat surfaces.
2. Hold the bulb steady on the cutting board.
3. Run the peeler from top to bottom, removing the skin in strips.
4. Make a second pass. One pass removes the outer skin. The second pass gets through that fibrous under-layer. On small bulbs, two passes is usually enough.
5. Check your work — run your finger over the surface. If anything feels stringy or rough, peel that spot again.

Tip: A Y-peeler (the kind where the blade is perpendicular to the handle) gives you more control and removes thicker strips than a swivel peeler. This matters here because you need to go deeper than you would on a carrot or potato.

Knife Method (Best for Large Bulbs)

For kohlrabi bigger than a tennis ball, a paring knife or chef’s knife is faster and more effective. The peeler struggles with the thicker fibrous layer on larger specimens.

1. Slice off the top and bottom of the bulb, creating two flat surfaces.
2. Stand the kohlrabi upright on the cutting board.
3. Starting at the top, cut downward in strips, following the curve of the bulb. You’re slicing off the skin and fibrous layer together, about 3-4mm deep.
4. Rotate and repeat until the entire bulb is peeled.
5. Go back and trim any spots you missed — look for greenish patches or visible fibers.

This is essentially the same technique you’d use to supreme a citrus fruit. It looks wasteful, but the material you’re removing is genuinely unpleasant to eat. Don’t feel bad about it.

How to Cut Kohlrabi: 5 Techniques

Once peeled, kohlrabi is a dream to cut. It’s firm but not hard, holds its shape beautifully, and doesn’t oxidize or brown when exposed to air. You can prep it well ahead of time.

Slices and Half-Moons

Best for: Snacking, roasting, grilling, gratins.

Cut the peeled bulb in half through the equator. Lay each half flat-side down and cut into slices, anywhere from 1/8 inch (thin, for gratins and snacking) to 1/2 inch (thick, for roasting).

For half-moons, cut the bulb in half from top to bottom, then slice each half crosswise.

Matchsticks (Julienne)

Best for: Slaws, stir-fries, spring rolls, grain bowls.

Cut the peeled bulb into 1/8-inch slices. Stack a few slices at a time and cut them lengthwise into thin strips, about 1/8 inch wide and 2-3 inches long.

If you own a julienne peeler, it works surprisingly well on kohlrabi — press firmly and pull in long strokes. Faster than doing it by hand, though the pieces will be thinner.

Cubes and Dice

Best for: Soups, stews, roasting, curries, hash.

Slice the peeled bulb into planks of your desired thickness (1/2 inch for most cooking applications). Stack the planks and cut into strips, then cross-cut into cubes.

For roasting, 3/4-inch cubes are ideal — large enough to develop caramelized edges while staying creamy inside.

Shaved (Paper-Thin)

Best for: Salads, carpaccio, light side dishes.

This requires a mandoline. Set it to the thinnest setting and run the peeled bulb across the blade. You’ll get translucent sheets that are tender enough to eat like lettuce but still carry a light crunch.

Use a cut-resistant glove or the hand guard. Kohlrabi is round, firm, and gets slippery — a bad combination without protection.

Grated

Best for: Fritters, quick slaws, pancakes, hash. See our kohlrabi recipes for fritter and pancake ideas.

Use the large holes on a box grater. Grated kohlrabi releases less moisture than grated potato, which is actually an advantage for fritters — you get a better crust without needing to squeeze out excess liquid.

Prep Tips Worth Knowing

Don’t discard the leaves. Kohlrabi leaves are edible — if your kohlrabi came with leaves still attached, they’re worth keeping. Strip them from the tough central stems and sauté them with garlic and olive oil, or braise them in stock. They taste like a milder version of collard greens.

Test for woodiness before you commit. After peeling, cut off a small piece and bite into it. Good kohlrabi snaps cleanly and tastes juicy. If the center is dry, tough, or fibrous, the bulb was harvested too late. Use it in a soup where texture matters less, or compost it and grab a smaller one.

Cut kohlrabi keeps well. Unlike apples or potatoes, kohlrabi doesn’t brown after cutting. Store prepped pieces in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. They’ll lose a tiny bit of crunch over time, but not enough to matter for most uses.

Match your cut to your cooking method. Thin slices and shaves for raw eating. Bigger cubes for roasting (more surface area to caramelize). Matchsticks for quick-cooking applications like stir-fries where you want fast, even heat penetration.

Size matters at the store. Smaller bulbs (2-3 inches across) are more tender, sweeter, and have a thinner fibrous layer — meaning less waste when peeling. If you’re eating kohlrabi raw, small is always better.

That’s It

Kohlrabi prep isn’t complicated. It’s just unfamiliar. Once you’ve peeled and cut one, you’ll realize it takes about the same effort as prepping a turnip or a large beet — probably less, since there’s no staining and no boiling required.

Peel deep, cut to match your dish, and don’t overthink it. The vegetable does most of the work for you.