Kohlrabi fritters with herb yogurt sauce

Ready in 30 minutes or less, these kohlrabi fritters are perfect for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. Filled with shredded vegetables like kohlrabi, zucchini and carrot, these crispy fritters are topped with a lemony herb yogurt sauce.

Why I love this recipe

Fritters are a great way to use up vegetables that are almost on the verge of extinction.

You can grate almost any combination of vegetables, mix it with spices, eggs, and flour, and fry these babies like there’s no tomorrow. Very easy.

Fritters also transform vegetables. Full disclosure, I’m not the biggest zucchini fan. I know, vegetarian blasphemy.

But I’ve found that if I grate zucchini and toss it in donuts, tacos, or gravy, I totally love it. Problem solved.

If there’s a vegetable you’re not thrilled about, try grating it into a donut and see what you think!

I love that this recipe is totally customizable – you’ll be aiming for about 1.5 lbs of vegetables (without the onion) or 7.5 cups of shredded vegetables (before squeezing out the water), use two eggs and 1/2 cup of flour. Add your spices and/or herbs of your choice and you’re done! You have your donut dough.

If you have a CSA (community supported agriculture) box this summer or frequent your local farmer’s market, you’ll definitely want to try these donuts!

Ingredients you will need

Notes on ingredients

kohlrabi: looks and tastes like a turnip, but its flavor is a bit sweeter and milder. Kohlrabi comes from the Brassica family, which is known for its chronic disease fighting antioxidants. It’s a excellent source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C (contains more vitamin C than orange juice!) and is a good source of fibre.

zucchini: slightly sweet and mild in flavor. Excellent source of vitamin C and B6.

carrot: adds a splash of color to donuts. You can grate them with a box grater or using a food processor

onion: adds aromatic flavor

parsley: brightens flavor and adds balance

egg: helps bind ingredients

flour: thickens the donuts and contributes to the crispiness

garlic powder: also adds a touch of flavor

salt and pepper: essential flavor enhancers

Equipment you will need (affiliate links – if you make a purchase I get a small commission)

cast iron skillet

How to Make Kohlrabi Fritters

1. Combine the vegetables. Add the shredded kohlrabi, zucchini, carrots and onion to the cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess water. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add spices and binding ingredients. Stir in egg, flour, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Form and toast the donuts. Add the olive oil to a cast iron skillet (or a regular skillet is OK) over medium-low heat. Place the donuts in the mold and flatten with a spatula. Cook until golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per side.
4. Transfer cooked donuts to a paper towel to absorb some oil.
5. Serve donuts! Serve hot (while crispy!) with herbed yogurt sauce.

Expert advice

1. It’s so important to be sure to squeeze all excess water and moisture from the vegetables; otherwise you will end up with donuts that brown quickly and are undercooked in the middle. To help you, you can salt your vegetables in a colander and let them rest for 10 minutes before straining them with a cheesecloth. I also found that using a juicer helped squeeze out a lot of excess water.
2. For a considerable saving of time, use a food processor with a grater to grate your vegetables instead of using a hand grater.
3. To customize the donuts based on the vegetables you have on hand, use this formula: 1.5 lbs (or 7.5 cups shredded vegetables) + 2 eggs + 1/2 cup flour + spices and herbs of your choice!

Recipe FAQs

How to stick donuts?

Heat the pan. A hot pan will start cooking the donuts as soon as they touch the pan. This helps create that crispy texture that gives donuts a satisfying taste while helping to hold them together. You will also need to use a binder like eggs + flour.

Why are my donuts falling apart?

If your donuts are falling apart, it’s probably because the batter didn’t have enough binding ingredients or the donuts are sticking to the pan because you needed more oil.

The most common reason is that there was too much moisture in the vegetables – be sure to dry the vegetables well by wringing them out in cheesecloth before making the dough so the binders can hold the donuts together.

If you don’t have a cheesecloth, add the vegetables to a colander and sprinkle with salt and let sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess liquid with your hands.

What are the different ways to eat kohlrabi?

There are lots of things you can do in the kitchen with kohlrabi! Slice it thinly and eat it raw with a yogurt dip, shred it in a coleslaw or salad, roast it in the oven, sauté it (you can also sauté the leaves!), puree it in soup, or shred it into fritters!

Is kohlrabi good for your gut?

Kohlrabi is packed with nutrients linked to various health benefits. It is rich in soluble and insoluble fiber Who help support digestive processes and maintain healthy gut bacteria.

Storage and preparation

Leftover zucchini, kohlrabi and carrot fritters can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, add the donuts to a skillet over medium-low heat and cook until crisp, about 3-4 minutes per side. To reheat from frozen, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Recipes that go well together

Caprese pasta salad with pesto

Peach and Corn Summer Salad

Roasted potato salad with egg and herb vinaigrette

6-Ingredient Corn and Tomato Salad

Whole air fryer chicken

Salmon Air Fryer

For more vegetarian inspiration, check out my other recipes below!

Kohlrabi fries (in the oven or air fryer)

Air Fryer Zucchini Crisps

Grilled summer vegetables with Romesco sauce

Instant pot asparagus

Vegan Chickpea Burgers

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This recipe has been retested, revisited, and tweaked to bring you the most delicious (and most beautiful) dish! The original post was posted in August 2016.

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