While it takes at least a week to ferment, I call this “Five-Minute Broccoli Sauerkraut” because it takes only five minutes of preparation time. Even the busiest person can find five minutes to prepare this delicious and healthy sauerkraut. You use a package of broccoli slaw mix found in most grocery stores along with the flavor additions of red pepper and jalapeño. Add a brine, wait a week or two, et voilà! You can eat it over brown rice or noodles, atop salads, on sandwiches or wraps, as a side dish to increase your meals’ health factor, or even on its own.
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce or 282-mg) package broccoli coleslaw mix (you don’t need the packaged dressing if the one you choose contains it)
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and julienned
- 1 jalapeño pepper, cored and julienned
- 3 tablespoons unrefined fine sea salt or 6 tablespoons unrefined coarse sea salt
- 1 quart (or liter) filtered water
How to Make It
- In a large, clean crock or large glass or ceramic bowl, alternate layers of broccoli slaw, bell pepper, and jalapeño pepper inside the crock until the mixture is approximately 1 to 2 inches from the top of the crock or bowl or until you have used all the ingredients. Push the vegetables down with your clean fist or a wooden spoon to release the juices as you go.
- In a pitcher or large measuring cup, dissolve the salt in the water, stirring if necessary to encourage the salt to dissolve. Pour the saltwater over the vegetable mixture until the ingredients are submerged, leaving a couple of inches of room at the top for the vegetables to expand.
- Place a plate that fits inside the crock or bowl over the vegetable-water mixture, and weigh it down with food-safe weights or a bowl or jar of water, making sure the vegetables remain submerged under the brine as they ferment. (Ideally, choose the biggest plate possible to fit inside the crock and provide the greatest amount of surface coverage to prevent broccoli pieces from floating to the top of the crock.) Cover with a lid or a cloth, and allow it to ferment for at least two weeks, checking periodically to ensure that the cabbage mixture is still submerged below the water line. After two weeks the sauerkraut will still be fairly crunchy; if you like a more traditional sauerkraut, allow it to ferment longer to soften the cabbage further.