Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad with Cheddar Frico by Baking The Goods

Refreshing, crunchy and hearty with a vibrant variety of fresh veggies and lacey crisps of cheese, this Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad with Cheddar Frico is an adventure in texture. Naturally sweet and earthy Lacinato Kale teams up with the spicy snap of Purple Ninja Radish and crisp, sweet and mildly peppery kohlrabi in a colorful, cruciferous mix. It's dressed in a quick and easy lemon and shallot dressing and topped in grassy parsley and crisp shards of cheddar cheese frico that add an additional drool-inducing, salty, cheesy crunch.

Go from Edible Produce Bouquet to Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad with Cheddar Frico

One thing that makes this Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad with Cheddar Frico even more special is its origin story behind it. Working with my friends from California Grown, together we developed a guide to Build Your Own Edible Produce Bouquets. I picked up a literal bounty of the prettiest produce for the project from Babé Farms in Santa Maria, CA and was instantly inspired.

Babé Farm is known as the pioneer in specialty vegetables. For over 40 years, this farm has been run as a “family style” business, sustainably growing unique crops, year-round. They offer over 70 varieties of gourmet greens, baby root vegetables, lettuces and specialty seasonal produce; including the Lacinato Kale, Purple Ninja radishes and kohlrabi featured in one of our Edible Produce Bouquets and this stunning salad! Check my guide to Make Your Own Edible Centerpieces on the California Grown website for even more ways to flaunt that pretty produce!

Now don't go thinking this is your basic kale salad. This crunchy salad is a bountiful mix of fresh ingredients that align like a farmers market fresh dream. And please don't let the uncommon ingredients freak you out. Frico is literally just crispy baked cheese. Kohlrabi is a funky little vegetable that you should be adding to your grocery list asap. Let's talk through both together...

More fresh & tasty veggie recipes from Baking The Goods

What exactly is kohlrabi?

Kohlrabi looks a little alien at first glance. Purple or pale green in color, it's a knobby bulbous mass with spindly stems extending outward like alien appendages. But, kohlrabi isn't actually from outer space, it's a member of the Brassicaceae family. Making it the same species as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts and collard greens. It has a mild, somewhat sweet taste and gentle crunch, similar in both flavor and texture to cabbage or broccoli stems. Kohlrabi can be enjoyed raw in a salad or slaw, roasted, sautéed or even stir fried with other veggies.

If you've never had fresh kohlrabi, consider making this Crunchy Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad as your intro to this versatile veggie! Next time you're at your local farmstand or Farmer's Market, keep your eyes peeled for kohlrabi. It can be grown as a spring or fall crop but doesn't fair well in the thick of summer. So it's best to look for kohlrabi during the cooler growing months. However, here in the Central Coast of California, kohlrabi is available year-round through Babé Farms.

Get your frico on

One of my favorite ways to boost a salad out of this world is to add cheese frico like croutons. Don't freak, it's as easy as can be. To make cheese frico all it takes is shredding a low-moisture hard or semi-hard like cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gruyère, Fontina, Asiago or Parmesan and the heat of the oven. In minutes it transforms the flavor and texture into crispy shards that add a delicious crunch and up level salads from everyday meals to fancy feasts! Check out my Apple Cheddar Pie and Shortbread Pizza Bites if you are crisp baked cheese fan like me!

Ingredients for Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad with Cheddar Frico

Lacinato Kale is less bitter, a bit sweeter and more tender than curly kale. It is just the right base for this crunchy salad.
Radish adds a spicy, sharp and crisp bite to the salad. Here I used punchy and pretty Purple Ninja Radish but you can use any radish you'd like. French Breakfast, Easter Egg or Watermelon Radish would all be a solid swap here.
Kohlrabi, now that we all know what it is, offers a slightly sweet and earthy undertone and delicate crunch when thin slices are added to the salad.
Parsley layers in grassy freshness.
Olive oil serves as the salad dressing base, adding silky richness when mixed with shallots, lemon, salt and pepper.
Shallot adds earthy depth. Half of the shallots add fresh sharpness to the salad and half are mixed in with the dressing, deepening the flavor of the simple lemon dressing.
Lemon brings a welcome spritz of brightness to the dressing that helps to soften the edges of the crunchy salad.
Salt & pepper give just enough flavor enhancing energy to boost the other ingredients.
Cheddar Cheese transforms into those dreamy and delicious Frico crisps. But feel free to get your Frico on with other types of hard cheeses as well!

Texture is the name of this salad game

This Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad goes all in on texture. No limp or lifeless ingredients are going on here. There is plenty of crispy crunch but it doesn't feel like a chore to chew. The balance of the textures and the prep of each ingredient plays off all of the other elements in the mix. With a few key moves, this salad is a textural adventure that ranges from chewy to slightly crisp and a little bit tender to shatteringly crunchy. All of the hit makers for delicious salad recipes! If you've got it, flaunt it.

How to make the Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad

This Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad with Cheddar Frico may have a mouthful or a name but it's super simple to make, I promise. Just build the 3 easy components, mix, top and enjoy.

Make the Cheddar Frico

This is an easy cheeser. Simply shred your preferred cheese, place small piles of the cheese on a lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 6-8 minutes until the cheese is evenly golden and bubbly. It will continue to crisp up as it cools at room temperature.

Mix the Lemon Shallot Dressing

Slice the shallot into thin slices then set half aside to toss fresh with the salad. Place the remaining shallots in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Use a fork to whisk together and allow the dressing to hang out and and the flavors to mingle while you prep the veggies.

Prep the salad veggies

Remove the stems from the kohlrabi and peel away the rough, outer skin with a vegetable peeler. Use a sharp knife or a mandoline to thinly the slice the kohlrabi and radishes. Remove the ribs, then slice the kale into thin strips. Place it in a large mixing bowl and gently massage the kale to soften slightly.

Mix, top & serve

Add all of the chopped veggies to a salad bowl, pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Top with the Cheddar Frico crisps and serve.

Tossing Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad with dressing

This Kale Radish Kohlrabi Salad with Cheddar Frico is the perfect salad to bridge warm and cooler months. It's refreshing and crisp in warmer weather but hearty and nourishing enough to feel satisfying when the cool weather starts to set in. Serve it as a light lunch salad with hunks of rustic sourdough and salted butter or as a side salad paired alongside your preferred protein. This is one of the delicious recipes that tastes great anytime!