Sauerkraut Salad

This crunchy delicious sauerkraut salad is bursting with sweet and sour flavors. You only need 7 ingredients to make it. It makes a great and refreshing side to many dishes!

This sauerkraut salad recipe is based on German/Austrian and Polish recipes as it’s popular in both of these countries.

Ingredients

Below you will find information about the ingredients and how to prepare the recipe. For the measurements and detailed instructions scroll down to the printable recipe card.

Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:

Sauerkraut – Good-quality sauerkraut is important for this recipe. Try to find naturally-fermented sauerkraut, rather than the kind made with vinegar. If you only have vinegar-based sauerkraut, you may need to rinse it first to reduce its sourness.

Apple – If you’re skeptical about including apples in this recipe, think again! The apple brings a delightful crunch to the salad. Combining the tartness of sauerkraut with the sweetness of crunchy apples creates a perfect bite – so definitely keep it in!

Onion – If raw onions aren’t your thing, a quick rinse in a sieve can tone down their strong flavor.

Carrot – crunch and sweetness of carrots goes perfectly with sauerkraut.

Caraway seeds – the most popular spice for sauerkraut.

Certain sauerkraut packages come with carrots and caraway seeds. If yours does, feel free to skip adding them to this recipe.

Oil – use neutral-tasting vegetable oil such as canola oil, sunflower oil, or avocado oil. Don’t use olive oil, its flavor is too strong for this salad.

Sugar – just a touch to balance the sourness of the sauerkraut.

Lemon juice – adds a nice, citrusy flavor to the salad.

How to make it

STEP 1: Chop sauerkraut (1 lb/450-500g) into smaller pieces. If it’s very watery, you can squeeze out excess liquid, but not too much, you don’t want the sauerkraut to be too dry. Reserve the sauerkraut liquid to drink (it’s delicious and healthy) or maybe you will need some later for the salad if it comes out too dry.

Add the sauerkraut to a large bowl.

STEP 2: Toast caraway seeds (1/2 teaspoon) in a dry pan until fragrant (about 60 seconds), add to the sauerkraut.

STEP 3: Finely dice onion or shallots (1/2 medium yellow onion or 2 small shallots). I like to rinse them in a sieve – it takes away the harsh flavor of raw onion, leaving just a pleasant onion flavor.

Shred the carrot (1 medium) on the large holes of a box grater.

Cut the apples (1 small/medium apple) into small cubes.

STEP 4: Add the onions, carrot, apples, and oil (3 tablespoons or more) to the sauerkraut.

Season with salt, pepper, and sugar (about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon) to taste. Toss until combined.

Set aside for 1-2 hours for the flavors to meld and for the sauerkraut to soften.

If your salad looks too dry, assess this once again after 1-2 hours. After some time, sauerkraut softens and releases some liquid.

When you’re ready to serve, check again if the salad needs more salt, pepper, or sugar. If it’s not sour enough, drizzle it with lemon juice (I usually add about 1-2 teaspoons) or the sauerkraut juice. The amount of lemon juice/sauerkraut juice and sugar can vary greatly depending on the brand of sauerkraut.

Enjoy!

Storage

This salad stores well and tastes great the next day. Store it in the fridge I don’t like to leave it longer than 1 day because of the apples.

What to serve it with

• Bratkartoffeln (German fried potatoes with bacon and onions)
• Rouladen (German Beef Rolls)
• Spätzle (German Egg Dumplings)
• Schnitzel Recipe
• Polish Beans and Sausage (Fasolka po bretońsku)
• Pork Stew (Polish Pork Goulash)
• Chicken Kyiv (Cutlet De Volaille)
• Kotlety mielone (Polish meat patties)
• Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!

Sauerkraut Salad

This crunchy delicious sauerkraut salad is bursting with sweet and sour flavors. You only need 7 ingredients to make it. It makes a great and refreshing side to many dishes!

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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

resting time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 93kcal

Author Aleksandra

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb (450-500g) sauerkraut preferably naturally fermented and not with vinegar*
• ▢ 1 small/medium sweet apple
• ▢ 1 medium carrot
• ▢ 1/2 medium yellow onion or 2 shallots
• ▢ 3 tablespoons neutral-tasting vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• ▢ 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ lemon juice if needed

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Instructions

• Chop sauerkraut into smaller pieces. If it’s very watery, you can squeeze out excess liquid, but not too much, you don’t want the sauerkraut to be too dry. Reserve the sauerkraut liquid to drink (it’s delicious and healthy) or maybe you will need some later for the salad if it comes out too dry.
  1 lb (450-500g) sauerkraut
• Add the sauerkraut to a large bowl.
• Toast caraway seeds in a dry pan until fragrant (about 60 seconds), add to the sauerkraut.
  1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• Finely dice onion or shallots. I like to rinse them in a sieve – it takes away the harsh flavor of raw onion, leaving just a pleasant onion flavor.
  1/2 medium yellow onion or 2 shallots
• Shred the carrot on the large holes of a box grater.
  1 medium carrot
• Cut the apples into small cubes.
  1 small/medium sweet apple
• Add the onions, carrot, apples, and oil to the sauerkraut.
  3 tablespoons neutral-tasting vegetable oil
• Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Toss until combined.
  1/4-1/2 teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper
• Set aside for 1-2 hours for the flavors to meld and for the sauerkraut to soften.
• If your salad looks too dry, assess this once again after 1-2 hours. After some time, sauerkraut softens and releases some liquid.
• When you’re ready to serve, check again if the salad needs more salt, pepper, or sugar. If it’s not sour enough, drizzle it with lemon juice (I usually add about 1-2 teaspoons) or the sauerkraut juice. The amount of lemon juice/sauerkraut juice and sugar can vary greatly depending on the brand of sauerkraut.
  lemon juice
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Good-quality sauerkraut is important for this recipe. Try to find naturally-fermented sauerkraut, rather than the kind made with vinegar. If you only have vinegar-based sauerkraut, you may need to rinse it first to reduce its sourness.
• If you’re skeptical about including apples in this recipe, think again! The apple brings a delightful crunch to the salad. Combining the tartness of sauerkraut with the sweetness of crunchy apples creates a perfect bite – so definitely keep it in!
• If raw onions aren’t your thing, a quick rinse in a sieve can tone down their strong flavor.
• Certain sauerkraut packages come with carrots and caraway seeds. If yours does, feel free to skip adding them to this recipe.
• Calories = 1 serving (1/6 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!

Course Salad

Cuisine austrian, German, polish

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