Introducing my SUPERFOOD ‘Hauskraut’ Slaw
What exactly is the definition of a superfood…?
superfood
(n)
a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.
If we agree with that definition, then this baby – full of both pre- and pro-biotic goodness definitely fits the bill.
And, it has the added bonus of keeping well in the fridge (I love that quality in a salad!), along with being mighty tasty, too!
Prebiotics
Not 100% sure just what prebiotic foods are? Think of them as the fuel for your good bacteria. Prebiotics are foods that contain certain fibrous carbohydrates that nourish the good bacteria in your gut to help it to grow.
And since this Autoimmune Protocol caper is all about healing the gut and eating a nutrient dense diet; the raw cabbage, carrot and apple in this baby are just what Dr Ballantyne had in mind!
Probiotics
What about probiotics? Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, and especially your digestive system. Your body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are the helpful bacteria that help keep your gut healthy.
Fermented foods – just like my ‘Hauskraut’– are easy and economical to make. They are unbelievably nutrient-dense. And, not only do they give you a wide variety of beneficial bacteria, they also give you lots of them. Naturally fermenting foods has also been shown to preserve nutrients in food and break the food down to a more digestible form.
If you’d like to know just how easy it is to ferment your own vegetables, check out this post!
“Food is medicine. We can actually change our gene expressions with the foods we eat.” – David Perlmutter
And, if you need one more reason to make this salad, it definitely falls under my favourite self-imposed AIP rule…
Cook once to eat twice (or even thrice!)
Following an AIP way of life definitely requires that you spend more time in the kitchen than you may have in the past.
For me, especially on a school night, it’s all about keeping it simple and finding solutions that are appetising and meet the requirements of nutrient-density. Since the core ingredients for my ‘slaw are – serendipitously – the same as for my ‘Hauskraut’, I can make coleslaw and kraut simultaneously!
It’s a little bit of AIP magic.
- ¼ red cabbage
- ¼ green or savoy cabbage
- 2 Granny smith apples
- 2 carrots
- ½ bunch coriander (cilantro)
- 4 spring onions
- ½ cup 'Hauskraut' (or fermented veggies/sauerkraut of choice) - optional
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- juice and zest of one lime
- salt
- 1½ - 2 tablespoons raw honey
- Remove core and outer leaves of your red and green cabbages. Using the 'shredder' blade of your food processor, shred the cabbage in batches. Place into a large bowl.
- Peel and shred the carrots. Add to the bowl. Chop the apples into quarters and core. Shred and add them to the bowl, too.
- Slice your spring onions and finely chop your coriander. Add to the bowl, along with (optional) fermented vegetables/sauerkraut. Mix well.
- Place the dressing ingredients - except salt - into a small glass jar with a screw top lid. Shake well. Taste and season accordingly. Add a little more honey if your taste buds tell you too!
- Drizzle over salad and mix.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
E N J O Y !
This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable.
First published in March 2016
All the colours of the rainbow! Looks super delicious, great job Jo. I’ll be sharing far and wide!
You’re a wee legend. Thanks Rory
Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. And embarrassing on my end. Because I still haven’t made my own ferment, even though I eat it almost every day. And despite your proficiency and your generosity in sharing your recipes & enthusiasm about kraut with us. I think I’m one step closer now that I can think of it as a slaw & a kraut~!
Petra – when you do try it, you’ll kick yourself. It is SO easy (not to mention economical!)
This looks delicious! Do you think it would work without the honey as I seem to be really sensitive to all sugars at the moment (even a little maple syrup in dressings)?
Sarah – it will definitely be sharper without the honey or sweetener. Could you do pomegranate molasses, maybe?
Interesting idea. To be honest though, I’d have no idea where to find them, but suspect that if they’re sweet, they wouldn’t agree with me just now. Maybe I’ll just have to try it and make faces at the sharpness!! Or add a wee bit of extra olive oil to take the edge off.
Absolutely delicious, and lasted me the whole week. Thank you Joanna.
Maya – my absolute pleasure! So glad you enjoyed it (it’s one of my favourites)