Purple Cabbage Sauerkraut Recipe
This purple cabbage sauerkraut recipe is a delicious side dish that I add into so many of my dishes. Not only does it add a beautiful vibrant color to any dish, it is also a good way to support gut health. It’s a super easy and simple whole food plant-based recipe. I typically try to have at least a jar of these stored in my fridge at all times.
I will warn you, this recipe may be easy, but it requires patience. You will need to set aside at least three weeks for the fermentation process, but trust me… issa worth it!
Is cabbage sauerkraut good for you?
According to healthline, Sauerkraut is particularly nutritious because it undergoes fermentation, a process during which microorganisms on the cabbage digest its natural sugars and convert them into carbon dioxide and organic acids.
Fermentation starts when yeast and bacteria that are naturally present on the cabbage and your hands, as well as in the air, come into contact with the sugars in the cabbage.
Sauerkraut fermentation creates conditions that promote the growth of beneficial probiotics, which are also found in products like yogurt and kefir.
Gut health is so important as 95% of you serotonin is produced in your gut. The happy hormone!
So now that you know a bit why sauerkraut is good for you. Let’s jump into the recipe. I’ve written out the ingredients and methods for the plant-based dish, but also feel free to jump down to the recipe card for an easier read.
Purple Cabbage Sauerkraut Recipe Ingredients
This is an incredibly short list as all you’ll need is a head of purple cabbage, salt and garlic powder. That’s it! Super simple and clean ingredients.
Method to Make Purple Cabbage Sauerkraut Recipe
Start by shredding the cabbage into thin pieces. Do this by continuing to slice around the edge of the cabbage head.
Then place the cabbage shreds in to a large bowl. Mix with the salt and garlic powder.
Take your airtight glass jar or mason jar and add the cabbage into the jar. Use a wooden spoon to keep smashing the cabbage tightly into the jar to make it compact. The salt should release water from the cabbage. You want to keep smashing it until the water covers the entire top of the cabbage.
Keep repeating this process until all of the cabbage is tightly compacted into the airtight glass jar with a thin layer of liquid on top of the cabbage. Seal it up tightly with either an airtight container or mason jar. Set it aside. Every day for three weeks you will need to open up the jar and then close it again tightly. This is called “burping” which allows some of the gas to release.
The sauerkraut should have a slightly sour smell. That means it’s fermenting. After three weeks you can eat it and refrigerate it for at least six months. Enjoy!
More plant-based recipes to try
Purple Cabbage Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 1 head purple cabbage
- 2 Tbsp sea salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Start by shredding the cabbage into thin pieces. Do this by continuing to slice around the edge of the cabbage head.
- Then place the cabbage shreds in to a large bowl. Mix with the salt and garlic powder.
- Take your airtight glass jar or mason jar and add the cabbage into the jar. Use a wooden spoon to keep smashing the cabbage tightly into the jar to make it compact. The salt should release water from the cabbage. You want to keep smashing it until the water covers the entire top of the cabbage.
- Keep repeating this process until all of the cabbage is tightly compacted into the jar with a thin layer of liquid on top of the cabbage. Seal it up tightly with either an airtight container or mason jar. Set it aside. Every day for three weeks you will need to open up the jar and then close it again tightly. This is called "burping" which allows some of the gas to release.
- The sauerkraut should have a slightly sour smell. That means it's fermenting. After three weeks you can eat it and refrigerate it for at least six months. Enjoy!