This is the salad I made for lunch the day I moved out of my apartment and into my next-door neighbor’s.
It’s not what you think. Maxence and I decided our combined kitchen and living room needed a facelift, and after months of planning and gathering energy, the renovation is finally under way.
How long it will take is anyone’s guess, but we’ve just finished boxing up our belongings and cramming them into the bedroom so the workers could begin on Monday.
If you don’t know about kohlrabi, you’re in for a crunchy treat.
Fortunately, over the past few years we’ve been steadily pruning our possessions—donating, selling, or recycling what we don’t need—to make space for the things we love. That process of simplifying makes the apartment feel calmer and more spacious. Despite the downsizing, the number of boxes I packed from the kitchen remains classified information.
Even more fortunately, I had been cooking through my pantry and fridge in the weeks leading up to the move to avoid tossing jars and half-finished packages. That approach yielded some memorable mixed meals: chicken stock, the last porcini from our foraging trip last fall, and a batch of potato gnocchi, among others.
As for where we’ll stay during the renovation, we got lucky: it’s concert season and our neighbor Peter, a singer, will be traveling a lot next month, so he kindly offered his apartment. We couldn’t be more grateful.
Being able to carry across the landing my jar of sourdough starter and my water kefir without worrying about spills was a relief—if you keep these living cultures, you’ll understand the concern.
I also packed a small basket with essentials: condiments we use daily, my trusty little knife (I expected Peter would have knives, but this one is mine), a quarter of a pain au levain, a few chocolate scraps, and the remaining pieces of produce from the fridge.
On the first morning after moving out—after skipping breakfast because the kitchen had been dismantled the day before—I made a steadying lunch from that basket. The centerpiece was an excellent lentil and kohlrabi salad assembled entirely from what I had on hand.
If you’re not familiar with kohlrabi, expect a crisp, slightly sweet crunch that pairs especially well with lentils. I first tried this combination while staging with my friend Braden at Hidden Kitchen. He serves a version with pink lentils and chives as an accompaniment to grilled beef, but I adapted the salad to what I had available: green lentils, kohlrabi, sunflower seeds, and a simple dressing. I ate a big bowl of it, followed by a sliced apple and the last two squares of a stone-ground chocolate bar.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves 3 to 4.
Ingredients
- 200 grams (1 cup) French green lentils, rinsed (substitute other lentils if needed)
- 1 small onion or shallot, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 medium kohlrabi, about 370 grams (13 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds, toasted
- a few pinches ground cumin
- a glug toasted sesame oil
- a glug cider vinegar
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, onion, and 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) fresh water. Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the lentils are cooked through but still pleasantly firm. Fifteen minutes into cooking, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Drain the lentils in a colander, rinse briefly under cold water, and let drain well.
- While the lentils cook, prepare the kohlrabi. Trim any stems (the leaves can be used like parsley). Peel any tough or woody parts with a vegetable peeler; the softer pale green flesh does not always need peeling.
- Dice the kohlrabi into small cubes and place them in a medium salad bowl with the toasted sunflower seeds. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with cumin, and dress with a splash each of sesame oil and cider vinegar. Toss to coat evenly.
- Add the drained lentils to the bowl and stir gently to combine. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary, and serve.
https://cnz.to/recipes/salads/lentil-kohlrabi-salad-recipe/