Recipes › Kohlrabi › Roasted Kohlrabi Gratin with Gruyère and Thyme
Roasted Kohlrabi Gratin with Gruyère and Thyme
This is the dish that converts kohlrabi sceptics. Thick wedges are roasted until tender and slightly caramelised, then layered in a bubbling gratin with cream, garlic and plenty of Gruyère. It is rich, deeply savoury and completely satisfying — somewhere between a potato dauphinoise and a cauliflower cheese, but with a flavour that is entirely its own.
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Ingredients
- 4 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1.5cm wedges
- 300 ml double cream
- 100 ml whole milk
- 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- 6 fresh thyme, leaves strippedor 1 tsp dried thyme
- 120 Gruyère, coarsely gratedor Comté, or a mature Cheddar for something more accessible
- 30 g Parmesan, finely grated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 10 g unsalted butter
Contains: milk.
Method
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Peel the kohlrabi — the skin is tough and waxy and must come off fully, cutting deeper than you think you need to. Cut each kohlrabi into wedges roughly 1.5cm thick.About 10 min
- Toss the kohlrabi wedges with the olive oil, half the salt and a good grind of black pepper on a large roasting tray. Spread in a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the wedges are golden at the edges and just tender when pierced with a knife tip.About 25 min
- While the kohlrabi roasts, pour the double cream and milk into a small saucepan with the sliced garlic, thyme leaves, remaining salt, nutmeg and a little more black pepper. Warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until steaming but not boiling. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse.About 5 min
- Rub a medium baking dish (roughly 25 x 18cm) with the butter. Arrange the roasted kohlrabi wedges in the dish in an overlapping single layer. Scatter over two thirds of the Gruyère.About 3 min
- Pour the infused cream mixture evenly over the kohlrabi and cheese, discarding any large pieces of garlic if they have caught. Scatter the remaining Gruyère and all of the Parmesan evenly over the top.About 2 min
- Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and the cream is bubbling vigorously at the edges. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving — this allows the cream to thicken slightly and the gratin to hold its shape when spooned out.About 30 min
Tips
- Roasting the kohlrabi before it goes into the gratin is the step that makes this dish. Raw kohlrabi can stay slightly fibrous even after baking — roasting first ensures it is fully tender and gives you those caramelised edges that add real depth.
- Use kohlrabi that feel heavy for their size. If they have been sitting in the garden a long time and have gone very large (over 12cm), they can be woody in the centre — check by cutting one open before you commit.
- This gratin is rich, so serve it alongside something simple: a dressed green salad or roasted tomatoes work well. It also makes an excellent side to roast lamb or chicken.
Ring the changes
- Add 150g of thinly sliced smoked bacon lardons, fried until golden, between the kohlrabi layers for a more substantial, meat-eater's version.
- Replace the Gruyère with a good blue cheese such as Roquefort or Gorgonzola — use 80g rather than 120g as the flavour is stronger, and it pairs particularly well with the kohlrabi's mild, slightly sweet taste.
Keeping it
Cool completely then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 180°C (160°C fan) for 15–20 minutes, covered with foil for the first 10 minutes to prevent the top from overbrowning. Not suitable for freezing.
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