Kohlrabi soup for a kohld winter day

Another gem from our CSA share: kohlrabi.  At first, we had absolutely no idea what to do with this rather odd vegetable.  We soon discovered, however, that it is delicious peeled and roasted in the oven with salt and pepper...kind of like french fries (especially since I like to cut it into matchstick pieces).  In an attempt to empty our fridge before our next CSA pick-up, I was presented with two kohlrabi.  What to do, what to do?  I didn't want to just roast them again.  Delicious...but boring to do the same thing over and over.  I would make a soup instead!  Soup is one of my all-time favorite things to eat, and the beauty of soup is that you can really make a soup from anything.  Furthermore, no soup is ever the same; each is unique!  I browsed the internet for some kohlrabi soup recipes...and got a few hits, but nothing that was perfect...or I just didn't have the necessary ingredients (and going to Whole Foods every day is getting to be a little excessive).  Thus, the following recipe is my own invention, an amalgamation of many recipes I read.  The result was delicious!

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 very large clove of garlic (or two normal-sized cloves), minced
• two large-ish kohlrabi, peeled and cut into half inch cubes (6-8 cups in the end)
• 1 tbsp flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, divided
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp cayenne (or more if you're daring)
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and a pinch of salt.  Cook for several minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring often.
2. Add the garlic to the pot and stir almost constantly for a minute or two until very fragrant.
3. Add the kohlrabi cubes to the pot and stir well.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
4. Sprinkle the flour, paprika, and cayenne over the kohlrabi and stir.  Allow to cook for 3 minutes, stirring a few times.
5. Add about 1/2 cup chicken stock, stir, and then cover the pot.  Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kohlrabi cubes are almost tender.  (It may take shorter or longer depending on your kohlrabi.)
6. Add the remaining 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, adjust the heat to a steady simmer.  Cook, partially covered, for another 15 or so minutes until the kohlrabi are fork-tender.
7. Turn off the heat.  Using an immersion blender*, puree the soup to your desired consistency.  If your soup is too thick, add some broth or water.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. If you notice that your soup still has some fibrous bits (mine did...maybe I didn't peel my kohlrabi well enough), pass it through a food mill or fine strainer.
9. Garnish with kefir or plain yogurt and something crunchy, like sunflower seeds!  Enjoy!

*You can use a food processor or blender, working in batches, instead.  But beware: you must wait for the soup to cool partially before doing this!  It is dangerous to blend super hot liquids in a blender/food processor as they can create a hot vortex and cause an explosion of sorts.

A yummy, warm bowl of soup, garnished with plain kefir and sunflower seeds.