Lactose Free Orange-Garlic Sauerkraut
Tangy, bright, and alive with flavor, this fermented cabbage is a far cry from the plain jarred stuff sitting on grocery store shelves. Massaging the cabbage with sea salt draws out its natural juices to create a brine entirely from scratch — no vinegar, no additives, no dairy anywhere in sight. The addition of fresh orange zest, sliced garlic, grated ginger, and ground turmeric transforms a humble head of green cabbage into something genuinely exciting, with a warm citrusy depth that makes it hard to stop eating straight from the jar. Because the whole process relies on lacto-fermentation driven by the cabbage's own natural bacteria, every ingredient is clean and plant-based by nature. It takes a few days of patience, but the daily ritual of pressing the cabbage down and watching the bubbles form is oddly satisfying. Pile it onto grain bowls, tuck it into tacos, or serve it alongside grilled proteins — the golden, garlicky brine alone is worth the effort.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 small head green cabbage (about 2 lb), outer leaves removed
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt (non-iodized)
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- 1
Quarter the cabbage through the core, then cut out and discard the core. Slice each quarter crosswise into thin shreds about 1/8-inch thick. Reserve one of the large outer leaves before discarding the rest.
- 2
Transfer the shredded cabbage to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the sea salt evenly over the cabbage, then massage and squeeze firmly with both hands for 8–10 minutes, until the cabbage has released a significant amount of liquid and feels limp and wet — the brine should pool visibly at the bottom of the bowl.
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