Flavourful and so comforting! This Nourishing Cooked Sauerkraut is a healthy side or main dish and contains a surprising ingredient, making it extra flavourful.
Nourishing Cooked Sauerkraut
I’m all for comforting dishes that deliver a bunch of health benefits, and this cooked sauerkraut recipe is right up my alley. I love this dish since I was a child. My grandma and my mum served it regularly when I grew up. In my native Austria, Sauerkraut is traditionally served with hearty dishes like slow-roasted pork, hash browns and meat dumplings. The sour side dish is also a mainstay in German cuisine, especially in southern Germany and Eastern European countries.
Over the years, I also started making cooked Sauerkraut and often just ate it as a main dish because it’s that good. Bonus: Sauerkraut is ultra-nourishing and the perfect comforting dish for a balanced meal plan.
What is Sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut is the fermented product of cabbage. First, the cabbage is thinly sliced or shredded and seasoned with salt and other spices. Then the mixture is put in a sealable container, usually a wooden barrel or jar. When stored, the cabbage releases some liquid during this process. This brine turns it sour and makes it develop health benefits after sitting for days or even weeks of fermenting.
You can use the fermented produce for salads and in nourishing bowls. The Korean version of Sauerkraut is Kimchi, which you most likely have tried if you like Asian cuisine. I mostly buy organic Sauerkraut in stores or at the market and then cook it using this recipe. Want to know more about the nourishing benefits of this delicious dish. Scroll down for more info.
Why is Sauerkraut healthy?
Although the raw produce, aka cabbage, already comes with nourishing benefits, turned into Sauerkraut, it becomes a true powerhouse when talking about healthy food. The fermented vegetable is low in calories and a great source of fibre. It contains vitamin C and K, iron and copper alongside others.
The fermentation process has another effect by creating an environment where probiotics are grown. The same probiotics are found in yoghurt. Probiotics support digestion and help your gut take in the vitamins and minerals of the vegetable better.
Tips for making this healthy cooked Sauerkraut
- Spice it up: Next to the usual spices, like caraway seeds, juniper berries and bay leaves, this recipe also contains an unusual ingredient. A pinch of yellow curry powder enhances the colour of the Sauerkraut and adds to the flavour. A secret tip from my mum I always follow.
- Add more oomph: Add a handful of diced bacon when roasting the onions to make the Sauerkraut even heartier.
- Make it vegan: Use vegetable stock instead of beef stock to make this Sauerkraut recipe entirely plant-based.
- Meal-prep friendly: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat it or even eat it cold. Cooked Sauerkraut is also freezer friendly and stores well for about 3 months.
What to eat with Sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut is a staple side dish in Austria and mostly eaten with hearty mains like slow-roasted pork, meat dumplings and hash brows. It is also delicious just eaten with cooked potatoes, in comforting bowls or solo as an extra-nourishing snack.
More nourishing sides dishes
Baked Sweet Potato with Harissa Chickpeas
Quick Herb Roasted Butternut Squash
New Potatoes, Wild Garlic & Spring Greens
Nourishing Cooked Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 500 g Sauerkraut (1 lb)
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- ½ teaspoon dried juniper berries
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 500 ml beef stock (17 oz) or vegetable stock (if vegan)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain the Sauerkraut and press out as much liquid as possible. Peel and finely mince onion and garlic.
- In a pot, heat vegetable oil on medium heat. Add onions and roast for about two minutes until golden, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and roast for a couple of seconds, stirring frequently.
- Add Sauerkraut, juniper berries, caraway seeds, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Stir well and roast for about a minute.
- Pour in beef of vegetable stock, cover with a lid and cook on low heat for about an hour until soft. After 30 minutes, sift in one tablespoon cornstarch to thicken. Take off the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking if there is still too much liquid.
- Serve with lean protein, starchy vegetables or eat on its own for a nourishing snack.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only calculated with the recipe calorie and nutrition calculator provided by verywellfit.com. The author of this website is not a nutritionist nor a doctor. All nutritional data provided in the recipes and correspondent blog posts are for informational purposes only. Do not use the information as nutritional or medical advice.
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