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Sauerkraut, in its basic form, contains cabbage and salt.
The pounding of cabbage causes its juices to mix with the salt leading to lactobacilli bacterial fermentation.
The liquid of the natural juices covers the cabbage and the fermentation process begins. The recipe of Sauerkraut does not end there. You can vary it by adding caraway seeds or cumin and other spices and herbs to make it tangier and tastier
You could also enhance your sauerkraut by adding shredded carrots or apple slices. Moreover, you can add the sauerkraut to all your other recipes like soups, stews, sandwiches, (and even smoothies, cookies and desserts) to make healthy, delicious and wholesome meals.
So without further adieu, here are some recipes with sauerkraut:
Table of Contents
Recipes with sauerkraut
Sauerkraut smoothie
Yes! You read that right! This is a deliciously tangy, tart and sweet recipe that can be had for breakfast, lunch or even as a dessert. Blend red punch, vanilla ice cream, vanilla yogurt, ice cubes, and sauerkraut. Garnish with lemons or limes.
Sauerkraut Pierogi
You can make the perogies as usual and instead of just adding potato filling, you can also add drained and minced sauerkraut. Fold over the dough and pinch the edges to seal it together. Drop the pierogies in boiling water and cook them until they float.
Fry it up with bacon!
Fry up bacon bits with drained sauerkraut. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until browned.
Add this to eggs, hot dog buns, or burgers for a delicious twist to these dishes.
Replace vinegar with kraut!
Classic kraut is delicious and tangy. It has a crunchy texture and sour flavor that can be used to replace all kinds of vinegar. So you can easily use sauerkraut in a recipe that calls for rice vinegar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
You can add it to salads, grilled vegetables, tofu, cottage cheese, and even blend it with sour cream and dill for a delicious sauce over grilled fish.
Salads
Here are some delicious salads with sauerkraut:
- Apple sauerkraut salad over a bed of butter lettuce
- Horseradish sauerkraut with grapefruit
- Pineapple and roasted potatoes with sauerkraut
- Sauerkraut with shredded carrots and dates
Croquettes
Mix up cream cheese with kraut, herbs, salt, and pepper. Fry up sausages with minced onions. Mix with the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate and after a few hours form balls. Dip the balls into beaten eggs and in bread crumbs. Fry the balls. Just before serving bake for a few minutes.
Casserole
Spread drained kraut with noodles in a deep baking dish. In a bowl, mix onion, soup, milk, and mustard and pour over the noodles. Break corned beef apart and crumble on top. Sprinkle Swiss cheese on top. Bake for an hour.
Pizza!
Yes, you can make delicious and healthier pizza with sauerkraut. We recommend using ready to make crescent rolls (or make the dough from scratch).
Press the rolls in a pizza pan and bake them until golden brown. Brown the sausages and onions in some olive oil.
Remove from heat, drain excess oil and set aside. Mix cream cheese, mayo, and salad dressing in a bowl. Spread mixture over cooled crust.
Top with sausage and onion mixture. Layer with sauerkraut on top. Sprinkle cheddar cheese. Cut and serve.
P.S. Also check out my pizza recipe with sourdough crust.
Beef and sauerkraut patties
Mix ground beef, apple sauce, bread crumbs, onion, egg, and salt, and pepper. Shape into patties and brown on a skillet. Add sauerkraut (drained) and cover and simmer for a few minutes.
Smoked sausages with Kraut
This is an American recipe with just four ingredients.
Rinse and drain a pound of sauerkraut. Spread half a pound of it in a Dutch oven. Pare 3 Granny apples and slice them thickly. Layer over the kraut.
Cut the sausage links and place over the apples. Sprinkle brown sugar over this layer. Again spread the remaining half pound of sauerkraut on top. Bake the dish at 350 F for about 1 hour.
Steak and sauerkraut rolls
Pound steaks until they are thin. Dice some bacon and fry. Fry minced onions too with the bacon.
After a few minutes, add drained kraut and sugar and pepper. Heat thoroughly.
Once it is cooked, place a bit of the mixture on each steak. Roll it up and tie with thread. Place the rolls in a deep baking dish and add meat stock. Bake for an hour at 350 F.
Sauerkraut and chicken stir fry
Mix soy sauce with cornstarch, garlic and set aside.
In a skillet, heat some oil and add chicken and the soy sauce mixture.
Sauté until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
Now remove chicken and add peppers and carrots. Add sauerkraut. Stir well and return chicken to the skillet.
Mix well and add scallions. Sprinkle some cashews or sesame seeds and serve right away.
Reuben Sandwich
Toast two slices of sourdough or rye bread. Apply butter on both toasted slices. On one slice, add sauerkraut, salad dressing (Thousand Island dressing), corned beef, large slice of Swiss cheese and top it with the other slice of toasted bread. Enjoy!
There are many variations to this Reuben sandwich including the ‘Rachel Sandwich’ which in addition to the above ingredients also contains sliced onions and tomatoes, sliced ham, sliced turkey and coleslaw along with Russian dressing.
You can also make the Blue Reuben Sandwich which uses Blue Cheese dressing instead of Thousand Island or Russian dressing.
Quick and easy Paleo Kielbasa and sweet potato mash
This is a lightning-fast hearty weekend meal recipe with sauerkraut.
Kielbasa is sausage links having spicy peppery flavor with a hint of heat.
These days, you can easily find grass-fed sausages everywhere.
Boil and peel the sweet potatoes. Add drained sauerkraut, its juice, salt, and pepper and mash the potatoes. Add ghee or grass-fed melted butter to the potatoes. Mix well and adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve on a plate with the kielbasa links, grilled. Add some mustard for flavor.
Sausage and sauerkraut soup
This soup is so easy to make and it hardly has six ingredients.
In a saucepan, add olive oil and crumbled sausages.
Remove sausage and set aside. To the saucepan, add minced onions and drained sauerkraut and fry for a bit.
Next, add chicken broth and mustard. Close the pan with a tight lid and add cook for 5 minutes.
Now add the sausages back into the soup and heat.
Sweet and sauer-kraut soup (vegetarian/vegan recipe)
This hearty sweet and sour soup will take the chill out of cool evenings.
Sauté some onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil heated in a soup pot. Now add water and bouillon cubes with peeled and cubed potatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
Next, add apples, drained sauerkraut, tomatoes, seasonings, and beans. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Serve hot soup over grilled, fried or baked tempeh or soy sausages.
Rice with split peas and sauerkraut
Do not laugh until you’ve tried this recipe!
In a large soup kettle, add washed brown rice, dried split green peas, 4-12 cups water or stock, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, ham hock, and 1 cup drained sauerkraut.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for nearly 3 hours.
You need to add stock from time to time during the cooking. Do not add too much salt to the dish as it already has enough due to sauerkraut and ham.
Sauerkraut kluski (pasta)
This is a Ukrainian dish.
Combine boiled and fried sauerkraut with boiled kluski.
Add chopped fresh parsley or chives. You can also use rotini pasta instead of kluski. Add some mushrooms to the sauerkraut during frying.
Serve this sauerkraut kluski as a side dish or main dish.
Lettuce leaf wraps with kraut
In a skillet, brown some ground meat (of your choice) with salt and pepper. Add crumbled cheese on top and turn off the heat. Cover the skillet and allow the cheese to melt.
Cool and spoon the mixture into lettuce leaves. Add sliced avocados, mustard, pickles, and drained sauerkraut.
Kraut cookies
How can I not include desserts with kraut?
Cream together butter and sugar, add eggs and blend well. Also, add in sauerkraut (well drained and washed) and vanilla extract.
In a bowl, sift and mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Drop the dough by spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.
Sauerkraut cake frosting
Sauerkraut is an amazing addition to frosting for the cake, especially chocolate cake.
A simple recipe is to combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk and whisk together until smooth. Add more milk if needed. Spread over the chocolate cake for a delicious tangy flavor!
Conclusion
Sauerkraut is healthy, tasty and versatile.
You can use it as an accompaniment to salads, sandwiches and all other main meals.
You can also add drained, boiled or fried kraut to entrées, side dishes, salads, soups, stews, and broth.
And who can forget kraut cookies and cream cheese frosting for cakes? Sauerkraut is incredibly delicious even in desserts. So go ahead, unleash your creativity and start making amazing recipes with sauerkraut today!
Comment below with your favorite sauerkraut experiences.
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