The Best Sauerkraut Salad

Angie Spuzak ANGIE SPUZAK

Do you love or dislike sauerkraut? I am Polish so sauerkraut is one of my favorite foods. I can eat it straight from the jar, add it to my smoothies, or drink the juice - like probiotics shots you can buy at the store! Sauerkraut adds some yummy acidity to fruit smoothies that cannot be found in other ingredients.

Sauerkraut is definitely one of the delicacies that most avid food enthusiasts should enjoy. The fact that it is easy to make means you can prepare it with little or no prior skill. The procedure basically involves shredding some cabbage and massaging some salt into it.

My family and friends have used it in preparing a wide array of fermented foods, especially during summer so that it can last through winter. Hunter Stew is one of the most popular recipes that I prepare using sauerkraut as an ingredient.

Sauerkraut is a nutrition powerhouse and brings lots of probiotics, vitamins, and fiber. Probiotics help increase your digestive health because they feeding the good bacteria in the human gut. Other fermented foods that are rich in probiotics are kombucha, kimchee, kefir, kavas, and yogurt.

Probiotics are like the live cultures that improve your immunity to disease. For women, they are especially great for normalizing vaginal health, thanks to the growth of good bacteria.

Fermented foods are naturally inclined to balance hormones as well. For example, they come in handy for people suffering from estrogen dominance, a form of hormonal imbalance. You see, the modern food system is riddled with xenoestrogens from additives, the meat of soy-fed animals, plastic, and environmental toxins.

Fermented foods improve digestive function and help reduce hormonal imbalances. These foods help the body to efficiently flush out excess estrogen via the intestinal tract. Sauerkraut and similar fermented foods also assist the body to naturally lower the enzyme glucuronidase. This enzyme is responsible for the development of estrogen-dependent breast cancer, endometriosis, cervical, and uterine cancer.

No matter what time of the year you prepare it, sauerkraut is pleasant. You can serve it with meat, fish, burgers, roasted veggies, or atop greens as you choose. It is a sweet, tangy, crisp, and low caloric alternative. The fact that it is vegan and gluten-free is an added advantage.

Unlike many other recipes that I have read online, I do not like adding salt to my sauerkraut preparation. Kraut is already salty, that is why I do not add any. Some people like to rinse their kraut, but I don’t. For me, rinsing it loses the original flavor and leaves behind a milder and plain texture.

I like to add some Vidalia onion, carrot, coconut sugar, granny smith, and tart apples because these ingredients balance the otherwise acidic taste in the kraut.

Not only does sugar enhance the flavor and draws the juice, but it also macerates the carrot and apple while softening the vegetables. In the end, you have some liquid in the salad dressing, making it more flavorful.

If you are not a fan of sugar, you can skip it. After all, it is not a crucial necessity. All of the raw vegetables and fruits are good for your heart hormones.

Ingredients

  • 3 large carrots
  • 1 jar or pouch of sauerkraut
  • 2 crisp, tart apples (granny smith)
  • Some fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium sweet Vidalia onion or red onion
  • 1/4 medium green cabbage (optional)
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar (optional)

Method

  1. Strain all the liquid out of your sauerkraut. This liquid is potent with live cultures. I like to save it to apply as the acid component in vinaigrettes, I also drink it too and even add it to my smoothies!
  2. Next, place the sauerkraut into a medium-sized serving bowl.
  3. Dice the onion and add that into the bowl. Grate your carrots into the same bowl with the sauerkraut in the coarsest option on a grate.
  4. Core the apple in whichever method you like, and then dice it.
  5. Add a little olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and pepper to taste, and mix them together.