Kohlrabi & Green Olive Pesto Pizza
Kohlrabi is one of my favorite veggies to grow at Tumbleweed Farm. The bulb is sweet and crunchy and the greens have a slightly bitter bite. However, not so bitter that a little garlic, cheese and spices can’t help tame! This pizza uses the whole kohlrabi plant–bulb and leaves. It’s simple, delicious and a prefect way to enjoy this wonderful vegetable. For a fun take on traditional green pesto I thought I’d add a few unique ingredients to up the flavor profile. The addition of green olives, balsamic vinegar and pinch of cayenne made for a lovely spread and I’m definitely going to be making this pesto more often as our harvest of kohlrabi grows.
Anyhow, I hope you all love this simple pizza as much as we do. Pour yourself beer and dig in!
Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm.
Kohlrabi & Green Olive Pesto Pizza
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Serves: 1 pizza
Pesto- 1 bunch of kohlrabi greens, (about 3 cups) tough stems removed and roughly chopped
- 4-5 large brine-cured green olives, pitted
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons water + additional to thin if necessary
- 1 ball of pizza dough
- 1/4 cup pesto (recipe above)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bulb of kohlrabi, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- small handful of pine nuts
- large handful of arugula
- drizzle of olive oil
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 475F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chopped kohlrabi greens and blanch for 1-2 miniutes. Remove from the water with tongs and place in a colander to drain, gently pressing on the greens to release moisture.
- Blend the olives, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the kohlrabi leaves, balsamic vinegar, salt, cayenne and parmesan cheese. Process until roughly chopped. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and water. Process until smooth and creamy, adding a touch more water if necessary.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced kohlrabi and cook for about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Roll out your pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Spread pesto evenly over the dough. Add the kohlrabi, followed by both of the cheeses. Bake in the oven until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Top the pizza with pine nuts, a large handful of arugula, drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Slice and serve.
Notes
*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Cooking times will vary from kitchen to kitchen
Count me in! This pizza couldn’t look more amazing!
I love raw kohlrabi! It’s so good dipped in hummus or just eaten straight up! But a pizza sounds delicious too – thanks, as always, for the wonderful recipes.
I love raw kohlrabi too! My favorite is to slice it into thin rounds and spread a a little butter and sea salt.So good! Hope you give this pizza a try!
Holy moly that’s good pizza. Kohlrabi? Who knew?!? My 2 little carnivores loved it
So happy y’all loved this!!
This was delicious. I had no idea what to expect but all the flavors were more than complementary, even the subtle sweetness of the kohlrabi. All the while I was eating it I was in awe of how *creative* this recipe is. You must feel really ‘connected’ to your veggies to dream up such ‘out of the box’ recipes. I’ve never seen kohlrabi as anything other than a boring crunchy addition to salads – until now. Thanks for this recipe, it made this day a little bit different from all the others.
This pesto is soooo delicious!!
Such a great way to use all the goodness from my home grown Kholrabi…it’s genius! Thank you so much