PowerKraut salad recipe

Fermented food is having its moment and this PowerKraut salad recipe from Fresh & Fermented is the perfect place to start with this tummy friendly food.

When Firefly first started selling products at Seattle farmers’ markets, our customers would always ask us for ideas about how to use them. We were trying to get people to think out of the box when it comes to kraut. Kraut isn’t just a topping for sausage, we would tell them. Try it in salads, with roasted vegetables, or blended into houmous. Kraut isn’t just a topping for sausage, we would tell them. Try it in salads, with roasted vegetables, or blended into hummus.

Eventually we printed up recipe cards to share; this PowerKraut Salad was Firefly’s first official recipe. Since then we’ve added a few things, and the result is a hearty, nourishing bowl of greens, veggies, legumes, nuts, and seeds that make a satisfying meal. We espe- cially love it for lunch because it fills you up without weighing you down. Ruby Red Kraut is our first pick for this salad because of its vibrant, color, but Classic Kraut and Emerald City Kraut are delicious too.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds or slivered almonds

1 cup Ruby Red Kraut

6 cups slightly packed leafy greens (about 8 ounces)

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese (1.5 ounces)

Salt and pepper

For the dressing:

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1tbsp freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

2tsp honey

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a small skillet over low heat. Stir constantly (they burn easily) until they’re golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Set them aside to cool.

Take the kraut out of the jar with a clean fork, letting any extra brine drain back into it. Roughly chop the kraut. Put the kraut with the pumpkin seeds and all the remaining salad ingredients except for the salt and pepper in a large salad bowl, and toss to combine.

To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to evenly coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Taken from Fresh & Fermented: 85 Delicious Ways to Make Fermented Carrots, Kraut, and Kimchi Part of Every Meal by Julie O’Brien and Richard J. Climenhage, published by Sasquatch Books (£16.99, available from www.thegmcgroup.com). Photography by Charity Burggraaf

*(c)2014 By Julie O’Brien and Richard Climenhage. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Fresh & Fermented: 85 Delicious Ways to Make Fermented Carrots, Kraut, and Kimchi Part of Every Meal by permission of Sasquatch Books.

Photography by Charity Burggraaf