Steamed Broccoli Salad with Sauerkraut

It was an interesting trip to Whole Foods last weekend.  Since I am on a fermented foods kick, I went in to pick up a bottle of kefir.  V wanted some tea.  While we were there, they were giving out sauerkraut samples from a local company called wildbrine, and the lady told me all about the good probiotic bacteria in it.  Of course, we had to get some because it tasted so good.   And guess what, the tea V selected was pu-erh tea, which apparently is a prized fermented tea from China.

Steamed Broccoli Salad with Sauerkraut

Surely the Gods of fermentation are sending me a signal!   I have landed on a couple of great books on the topic.  One of them being Cultured Foods for Your Kitchen by Leda Scheintaub.   She says basic sauerkraut is a very simple ferment with just 2 ingredients – cabbage and salt.  The book has the method for making sauerkraut as well as some recipes using it as an ingredient.

So, here is the third recipe from my exploration of fermented and cultured foods after the probiotic kefir smoothie and the make-ahead kefir oatmeal.  It is a steamed broccoli-sauerkraut salad with a creamy miso-tahini dressing, the featured ferments being sauerkraut as well as miso.

Steamed Broccoli Salad with Sauerkraut

Steamed Broccoli Salad with Sauerkraut
Adapted from Kale and Beet Salad in Lena Scheintaub’s Cultured Foods for Your Kitchen
[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:
(Makes 4 servings)
Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp white miso (shiromiso)
  • 1/4 tahini
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp mirin or sweet white wine
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

  • 3 cups broccoli florets, thoroughly washed
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • A dash of salt
  • 1/2 cup sauerkraut (store-bought or home-made)
  • 1/4 cup toasted walnuts for garnish (optional)

Method:

  • Make a paste of the miso with the lemon juice and then whisk in all the ingredients for the dressing. 
  • Add a dash of salt to broccoli and steam for 10 mins until crisp-tender.  
  • Combine the broccoli, sauerkraut, and red bell pepper
  • Toss with the dressing 
  • Garnish with toasted walnuts if desired and serve
Steamed Broccoli Salad with Sauerkraut
I followed the recipe for the dressing almost verbatim from the book except for leaving out the honey that was called for.  The miso in the dressing as well as the sauerkraut add some complex flavors to the salad making this one of the most satisfying broccoli salads I have made.  I packed it up for lunch for V and me for the next day and it was just as satisfying!

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