Is sauerkraut a dieter's friend? You bet. It's just cabbage with layers of flavor and virtually no calories. Enjoy it here in an old-fashioned salad updated -- yes, that's "new" fashioned -- to be lighter and brighter and more healthful and, naturally, more delicious too.
Modern cooks, read on! We love our convenience products, the ones that deliver supper to the table almost by themselves.
But for the label-readers among us, dismay sets in. Too often, the cost of convenience is long lists of scientific-sounding ingredients and unhealthful ingredients to avoid like trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup.
Meet sauerkraut, our new friend, simple cabbage that’s fermented. Rinsed, think of sauerkraut as naked coleslaw. Chopped, think of it as salad awaiting the fixings.
Church-style cookbooks list quick salads favored at family meals and potlucks. Their traditional sauerkraut salad recipes call for cups of oil and sugar. My contemporary sauerkraut salad is fresh and light with great crunch and adds beans for protein and fiber. I’m willing to bet you won’t miss the fat, the sugar and especially the unnecessary calories!
This recipe is perfect for outdoor summer meals and family gatherings, quick and inexpensive to prepare, easy to transport, no fuss to serve, a great foil for grilled burgers and ribs and all the traditional summer foods.
Hominy is a popcorn-shaped whole-grain corn, dense, chewy and nutty. Look for it in the Mexican section of grocery stores or substitute corn or another canned bean. Rice vinegar is less harsh than white vinegar but really, any good clear vinegar will do. The brand I use is 4.3% acidic.
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SAUERKRAUT SALAD
Time to table: 20 minutes
Makes 12 cups
- 16 or 32 ounces sauerkraut, preferably from a bag or jar (not canned)
- 15 ounces canned hominy, rinsed and drained (see TIPS)
- 15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar (see TIPS)
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 tablespoons sugar (Splenda works fine)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 a red onion, diced small
- 1/2 an English cucumber, diced small
- 2 ribs celery, diced small
- 2 carrots, diced small
- 1 green pepper, diced small
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (or cilantro or dill or another herb)
- Optional: chopped tomato
Rinse, squeeze, drain and chop sauerkraut. Rinse and drain hominy and beans.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk vinegar, water, sugar, olive oil, mustard seed, salt and pepper.
Add remaining ingredients, stirring into liquid as added. Stir in sauerkraut and beans. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve later. Keeps in fridge for several days.
This recipe has been 'Alanna-sized' with reductions in fat and sugar and additions of low-calorie and fiber-rich vegetables and additions of protein- and fiber-rich beans.More Great Summer Salad Recipes
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I can get freshly made sauerkraut at the meat counter in my supermarket... fresh or cooked!
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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna