Sauerkraut is a staple for most people who are into fermenting… and it’s an easy way to get a dose of probiotics. But eventually, even the most enthusiastic kraut-heads get tired of adding a few fork fulls of sauerkraut to every meal.
Here is a round-up of 15 delicious ways to serve sauerkraut.
While some of them involve cooking the kraut, this may kill the probiotics. If probiotics are really important to you, then try to avoid any recipes that involve cooking the kraut. Throwing a few forkfuls of sauerkraut in a hot bowl of soup is just as delicious and will preserve most of the probiotic cultures.
However you like your sauerkraut, here are 15 delicious recipes to inspire you.
Burgers and Sandwiches
- Reuben sandwiches are a classic way to serve sauerkraut. Whether you make a traditional sandwich or a vegan version, it’s sure to be a favourite.
- Grilled cheese: Adding a forkful of sauerkraut to a grilled cheese sandwich adds a burst of flavour that perfectly compliments the cheese.
- Hot dogs and sausages: Sauekraut and spicy mustard a classic topping for hot dogs and sausages.
- Hamburgers: Why not serve sauerkraut on a hamburger? It’s perfect with the classic condiment mix of ketchup and mayo.
Soups and Stews
- Sauerkraut soup: One of my favourite ways to serve sauerkraut is in a soup I created based on a traditional Russian recipe. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
- Cream of cauliflower soup: I was served cream of cauliflower soup with a dollop of spicy sauerkraut when visiting with a fellow fermentation enthusiast. After a long journey, it really hit the spot.
- Curries: A dollop of sauerkraut is a delicious way to add a bit of freshness to a creamy mung bean curry.
- Stews: Adding sauerkraut to a traditional meat stew provides a nice contrast to the rich flavour.
Other Meals
- Pierogies love to be served up next to a side of sauerkraut. They can also be stuffed with sauerkraut!
- Pupusas are a stuffed corn tortilla that is traditionally served with a spiced sauerkraut-like topping called curtido.
- Tacos, burritos and nachos: Curtido is also delicious on tacos and burritos. One of the trendy restaurants in my city even serves sauerkraut on their nachos!
- Buddha bowl: A Buddha bowl, grain bowl, glory bowl, etc. are ideal for serving sauerkraut. Just add a forkful for a dose of probiotics.
- Potato Salad: Adding a few forkfuls of sauerkraut to potato salad is absolutely delicious. It adds a tangy, flavourful element that complements the creaminess of potatoes.
Breakfasts
- Quick fried sauerkraut: Serving fried sauerkraut with sausages and eggs is actually quite traditional. It’s also a delicious addition to a big breakfast fry up.
- Latkes: Adding sauerkraut to a potato latke packs in a whole bunch of flavour.
This is a great list of recipes for using fermented foods! I have thought of adding sauerkraut to baked goods, but I like that you mentioned Latke and soup! The traditional use of sauerkraut is obviously Reubens – my Grandpa used to serve sauerkraut at our family dinners when we had corned beef. Very nostalgic! Thanks again for this great list of dishes.
Doesn’t cooking the sauerkraut destroy the beneficial bacteria?
Yes, so not all of these recipes are probiotic. However, adding sauerkraut at the end of cooking will still provide some probiotic benefits.