Beef Free Garlic-Herb Sauerkraut
Tangy, garlicky, and fragrant with fresh thyme and rosemary, this homemade fermented kraut is a serious upgrade from anything you'd pull off a grocery store shelf. The whole process relies on nothing but cabbage, sea salt, garlic, and a handful of fresh herbs — completely plant-based by nature, with zero animal products anywhere in the recipe. Massaging the cabbage until it releases its own brine is oddly satisfying, and watching the jars bubble away on your counter over the next week or two feels like a small kitchen miracle. The garlic mellows and deepens as it ferments, while the rosemary and thyme give the finished kraut an almost Mediterranean character that pairs beautifully with grain bowls, roasted vegetables, or eggs. Because you're controlling every ingredient from start to finish, there's no guessing about what's in the jar — just clean, probiotic-rich fermented cabbage with real flavor. It keeps in the fridge for up to three months, so one batch goes a long way.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 lb), outer leaves reserved
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt (non-iodized)
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- 1
Remove 2–3 outer leaves from the cabbage and set them aside. Quarter the cabbage, remove the core, and shred it as thinly as possible — about 1/8-inch ribbons — using a chef's knife or mandoline.
- 2
Weigh the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Add the sea salt at a ratio of 1.5–2% of the cabbage's weight (the 1 tbsp listed is calibrated for 2 lb / 900 g of cabbage). Toss well, then massage and squeeze the cabbage firmly with clean hands for 8–10 minutes, until it releases a significant amount of liquid and the shreds become limp and translucent.
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