[Recipe] Vietnamese kohlrabi carrot slaw

This Vietnamese kohlrabi carrot slaw is adapted from my mom’s green papaya salad, which is one of the most popular and requested salads at family gatherings in the summer. I substituted green papaya for kohlrabi which seemed easy to cut with a mandolin, and the dill added a punch to the dressing.

Kohlrabi’s flesh has white marbling, and it tastes like a mild turnip. The salad is soaked in the mild dressing that is similar to the ‘Vietnamese nuk mam’ sauce with sugar, fish sauce, water and vinegar. Do adjust the dressing to your taste, but I do like mine more on the sweet end and not overly acidic. The salad tastes best when it is made 1 to 2 days before serving for the carrots and kohlrabi to fully absorb the dressing and to help soften the vegetables even more. Although the vegetables are flexible and have soften in texture, they still remain crunchy to the bite.

The salad is best paired with Vietnamese style BBQ with grilled meats, seafood or vegetables, and vermicelli, as the dressing from the slaw can be used as a dressing for the noodles.

Green papaya, jicama or daikon are also great substitutes for the kohlrabi.

Vietnamese kohlrabi carrot slaw

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian

Author Mary Tang

Ingredients

3 cups of carrots- thin slices About 2 mm thick
2 cups of kohlrabi-thin slices About 2 mm thick
1/3 cup or more of salt
A handful of green onions and coriander garnish

Dressing

7 cups of water
3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of fish sauce
1 cup of white vinegar
2 garlic cloves-minced
1/3 cup of chopped dill
3 Thai chili -sliced optional

Instructions

Peel the carrots, and cut the hard skin from the kohlrabi.
Use the mandolin to thinly cut the carrots and kohlrabi. Place the vegetables in a colander, add salt and massage the vegetables for about 1 minute.
Let the carrots and kohlrabi sit in the colander for about 20 minutes. Put a dish under the colander for the liquid to drip. This process helps to soften the carrots and kohlrabi.
After 20 minutes, rinse the vegetables under the sink in cold water to remove the salt. Next, squeeze as much water out as possible.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients in the dressing and make sure the sugar is fully dissolved. Taste and adjust to your liking. If you have the Thai chilis, slice them and add them in.
Add the carrots and kohlrabi to the dressing. Keep in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. Before serving, remove the carrots and kohlrabi from the dressing and top with green onions and coriander.