Easy Sauerkraut Salad

About German Sauerkraut Salad

Sauerkraut salad is a traditional classic German side dish and pairs well with hearty German food. It has a lovely fruity, sweet, and sour flavor. It reminds you a little bit of Krautsalat, the German cabbage salad.

Sauerkraut is known as typical German food, but the method of fermenting cabbage has been around since the Romans and ancient Greeks.

This simple German Sauerkraut salad recipe with apple and carrot is quick and easy to make. Paired with a fruity dressing it is the perfect side dish or light dinner. It's super delicious and low on calories.

It is a great winter salad as the fruit and fermented cabbage are nutritious and full of vitamins.

Since the Middle Ages, it was common for the northern regions of Europe to cultivate their cabbage. Homemade Sauerkraut was an important way of delivering vitamins during cold winter months. It was also used by sailors on long sea journeys, as it is easy to preserve and its high vitamin C content prevented the crew from getting scurvy, an illness caused by lack of vitamin C.

Cabbage became a staple ingredient during the food shortages during the two world wars in Germany, and Sauerkaut was important for the cold winters.

How to make Sauerkraut Salad

This is a Bavarian sauerkraut salad recipe from my sister's mother-in-law from Franconia. She makes this old-fashioned salad all the time. The sauerkraut is nice and tangy but the apple, carrots, and raisins add a sweetness that balances well. The apple also adds a welcome crunch to the texture.

Ingredients you will need:

• Jar auf Sauerkraut (jar of German Sauerkraut)
• Apple - medium size- any variety would work but I like using sweet apples
• Onions - white or red
• Sugar - if you want to make sauerkraut salad without sugar, you can replace the sugar with honey or agave syrup
• Raisins or currents (any other dried fruit works well like prunes or apricots). You could also add some pineapple.
• Sunflower oil - or another neutral oil
• Apple juice - this is optional. You can add it if you find your sauerkraut too sour.

Sauerkraut Salad Recipe Steps

1. Empty your sauerkraut in a colander and let the juice drain off.
2. Peel and grate the carrot. You can also grate the apples if you want, but I prefer to chop them, as this adds an extra crunch. Peel and finely cube the onion.
3. Combine the sauerkraut, apple, carrot, and raisins in a large bowl and mix. Add the sugar and sunflower oil. Season with sugar and pepper (although the sauerkraut may be salty enough).
4. Let the salad sit in the fridge for an hour for the flavors to develop. If you find the sauerkraut flavor too strong and sour, you can add a little apple juice to reduce the flavor.
5. Before serving, sprinkle with the chopped chives. Serve this cabbage salad cold or at room temperature.

How to serve

This salad makes the perfect evening meal. Pair it with a sandwich such as "Strammer Max". I have also brought it to a BBQ and German Potluck as well because it keeps well in heat and is refreshing alongside grilled Bratwurst.

Some dishes to pair it with.

Storage & Make Ahead

This sauerkraut salad with apple can be kept in the fridge for up to four days. It is a great salad to make the day before, as it gives enough time for the flavors to infuse.