Japanese Sauerkraut | Morsels of Life

Japanese Sauerkraut

A Japanese-inspired sauerkraut flavored with green onions and soy sauce.

Morsels of Life - Japanese Sauerkraut - A Japanese-inspired sauerkraut flavored with green onions and soy sauce.

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We recently got a head of cabbage, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. Then James mentioned he thought some sauerkraut would be good, but I didn't want to risk making a whole cabbage's worth of sauerkraut only to not have it turn out since I remembered the last time I did, and we ended up discarding most of the batch. So I thought maybe I could make a few different batches. As luck would have it, I was also reading through Nourishing Traditions, and they have four sauerkraut recipes! I figured if I made 4 different batches, at least one would turn out, right? Plus, if they didn't, at least we wouldn't have to eat too much before moving onto the next flavor. I'll share these four sauerkraut recipes (regular, Latin American, Korean, Japanese) with you over the next weeks.

The fourth version of sauerkraut I tried was Japanese-inspired. I'm not sure how authentic it is, but the green onions and soy sauce gave this sauerkraut an Asian feel. We found it a pleasant change from the usual sauerkraut. It's traditionally made from a rice bran culture, but whey's a lot easier for me to get since I also make kefir. You could also strain it from yogurt. If you don't have access to either or prefer to avoid whey, you can also use some additional salt or soy sauce.

What's your favorite type of sauerkraut?

Morsels of Life - Japanese Sauerkraut - A Japanese-inspired sauerkraut flavored with green onions and soy sauce.


by Morsels of Life | CJ Huang
A Japanese-inspired sauerkraut flavored with green onions and soy sauce.

 
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Servings: 6 (approximately 1-2 cups)
Cuisine: Fusion, Japanese
Category: sides, snacks

 

Materials:

Mass Weight Volume Number Material Notes
294 grams 10.375 ounces 1/4 cabbage, shredded
12 grams 0.375 ounces green onions, sliced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons whey I strained some from my kefir. You could also strain it from yogurt. Just make sure it's got some cultures in it! :) Or if you prefer not to use whey, you could increase the amount of salt.

Methods:

  1. Gather all materials.
  2. Combine all materials and mix together.
  3. Place mixture into a jar, and press/beat down until liquid covers all solids.
  4. (Optional - Place a layer of plastic film on top to decrease exposure to oxygen. I like to use this layer of plastic film to slow evaporation and decrease air exposure, but as long as the sauerkraut is covered in liquid, you should be fine.) Allow to ferment at room temperature, tasting the sauerkraut to determine if it has fermented enough. Once fermented to your taste, store refrigerated.

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Calories (Cal): 35 ・ Sodium (mg): 650 ・ Fat (g): 1 ・ Protein (g): 2 ・ Carbs (g): 5 ・ Fiber (g): 1
Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Methods with Images:

Morsels of Life - Japanese Sauerkraut Step 1 - Gather all materials. 1. Gather all materials.
Morsels of Life - Japanese Sauerkraut Step 2 - Combine all materials and mix together. 2. Combine all materials and mix together.
Morsels of Life - Japanese Sauerkraut Step 3 - Place mixture into a jar, and press/beat down until liquid covers all solids. 3. Place mixture into a jar, and press/beat down until liquid covers all solids.
Morsels of Life - Japanese Sauerkraut Step 4 - (Optional - Place a layer of plastic film on top to decrease exposure to oxygen. I like to use this layer of plastic film to slow evaporation and decrease air exposure, but as long as the sauerkraut is covered in liquid, you should be fine.) Allow to ferment at room temperature, tasting the sauerkraut to determine if it has fermented enough. Once fermented to your taste, store refrigerated. 4. (Optional - Place a layer of plastic film on top to decrease exposure to oxygen. I like to use this layer of plastic film to slow evaporation and decrease air exposure, but as long as the sauerkraut is covered in liquid, you should be fine.) Allow to ferment at room temperature, tasting the sauerkraut to determine if it has fermented enough. Once fermented to your taste, store refrigerated.

10 comments:

  1. I've never heard of Japanese sauerkraut before. Thanks for sharing your recipe at the #AnythingGoes Link Party.

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    1. I'm not sure if it's actually Japanese, but it definitely had an Asian flavor, and Nourishing Traditions had it listed as a Japanese Sauerkraut. We liked trying out differently flavored sauerkrauts!

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  2. I love fermented cabbage of any kind! Thanks for sharing on the What's for Dinner link up!

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    1. Then you'll love this one! Sometimes I like to switch up the flavors and try something new. :)

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  3. I have never heard of Japanese sourkraut but reading your recipe it sounds so good. I like the addition of soy and green onions!
    Thank you for sharing your recipe with us at Fiesta Friday! :)

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    Replies
    1. Definitely not an authentic Japanese recipe! But we really enjoyed the flavors the green onions and soy sauce added. :)

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  4. This doesn't look too hard to make! Pinned - Thanks for sharing at the What's for dinner party. Hope the rest of your week is joyful!

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    Replies
    1. Definitely a simple recipe. :) Have a joyful week!

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  5. I had to stop by to see what Japanese sauerkraut was all about. My mom was Japanese and cooked Japanese food for us growing up but not sauerkraut. Even though this is not authentic Japanese it still sounds like a good side to go with some of the Japanese dishes I make. Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Agreed! Even though it's not even close to authentic Japanese, the flavors go well with many Japanese flavors. :)

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