Greek-Style Kohlrabi Pie or Gratin With Dill and Feta

- Total Time
- About 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2pounds kohlrabi, with greens if possible
- 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1medium or large onion, finely chopped
- 2large garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ⅓cup chopped fresh dill
- ¼cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 3large eggs, beaten
- 5ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 12sheets phyllo dough (½ pound)
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1
If the kohlrabi still has greens attached, stem and wash the greens and blanch in a pot of salted boiling water for 1 minute, or steam. Refresh with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside. Peel the kohlrabi, making sure to remove the fibrous layer right under the skin, and grate using a food processor fitted with the grater attachment.
- Step 2
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it is tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, stir together, and stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the kohlrabi. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if necessary. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is very tender and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan from the kohlrabi, turn up the heat and cook, stirring, until it boils off. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the kohlrabi greens, dill and parsley, and set aside.
- Step 3
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 10-inch tart pan or cake pan with olive oil. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and beat in the crumbled feta. Stir in the kohlrabi mixture and combine well.
- Step 4
Line the pan with 7 pieces of phyllo, brushing each piece with olive oil, or a combination of olive oil and melted butter, and turning the dish after each addition so that the edges of the phyllo drape evenly over the pan. Fill with the kohlrabi mixture. Fold the draped edges in over the filling, then layer the remaining 5 pieces on top, brushing each piece with olive oil. Tuck the edges into the sides of the pan. Make a few slashes in the top crust so that steam can escape as the pie bakes. Note: If making a gratin, use a 2-quart baking dish, brush with olive oil and fill with the kohlrabi mixture.
- Step 5
Bake the pie for 50 minutes (40 for the gratin), until the crust is crisp and dark golden brown. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
- Advance preparation: The kohlrabi filling can be made through Step 2 up to a day ahead and refrigerated. You can assemble the pie several hours before baking and keep in the refrigerator, or freeze. Transfer directly from the freezer to the preheated oven, and increase the baking time by about 10 minutes. You can bake the pie ahead, but you must recrisp the phyllo in a medium-low oven (325 degrees) for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Variation: For a gratin, omit the phyllo and all but 1 optional tablespoon of the additional oil for brushing it (so you will only need 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil). Oil a 2-quart baking dish and place the filling in the dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top if desired and bake 40 minutes in a 375-degree oven, until the top is nicely browned.
Private Notes
Comments
I've made this (and doubled it) a half dozen times and we all like it. I make it as a gratin, use the greens, and only when I can get fresh dill. Fairly fast prep since the food processor is already involved (don't try grating kohlrabi by hand!) and reheats nicely.
Didn’t have enough kohlrabi so added a carrot. Didn’t have onion so used leek. Didn’t have enough eggs so used just one. Didn’t have enough feta so added pecorino. Didn’t have phyllo so subbed in homemade puff pastry for only a top layer. Incredibly delicious regardless.
I used broccoli stems as a replacement for kohlrabi, turned out lovely, highly recommend this recipe.
This was very tasty, but it was time consuming even without the phyllo crust. I added a bunch of radish greens I had, and I had so many kohlrabi greens that I think the ratio of greens to kohlrabi was a bit off, even with an extra egg and extra feta. Next time I might use fewer greens and more kohlrabi or another root so it's a little bit softer, or maybe I need to poach the greens for longer since they came out still a bit tough. Still, very tasty. Will try again.
I tried grating the kohlrabi which quickly turned into a mushy mess. Instead, I diced it into very small cubes (1/4 - 1/2”). I cooked about 8 ounces of ground sausage on the stove top in a large oven-safe skillet and removed it to a platter, leaving the drippings. Then I cooked the kohlrabi in the drippings, adding the onion, garlic, and eventually the steamed leaves to the skillet when the kohlrabi was nearly done. I ran out of time to bake it as a galette, so I omitted the eggs, added the crumbled feta, cooked sausage, and herbs to the pan and topped it with some buttered bread crumbs. Put under the broiler for a couple of minutes (watch that the bread crumbs don’t burn). Delicious! I called it kohlrabi hash, and would make it again. Husband loved it, and even ate the leftovers the next day (which he doesn’t do unless he REALLY likes it). Now I have a go-to recipe for all the kohlrabi in my CSA box!
So, this was a beautiful godsend to our weeknight dinner table. I added a pound of ground lamb for some extra protein and cut down on the veg just a tiny bit. I also sadly couldn’t find kohlrabi so I went with rutabaga and it was straight up amazing. Will 10000% make again!!!
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