Cultured Coleslaw

Easy recipe for cultured coleslaw that doesn’t require time fermenting on the counter! Can be made in minutes with store-bought sauerkraut and two additional ingredients!

Fermented coleslaw is a simple way to add probiotics and additional vitamins and enzymes to this delicious side dish.

Basic slaw, German slaw, Southern slaw, Asian slaw – you name it. It’s all yummy to me!

It is a very easy way to add digestibility to burgers, sandwiches, or a holiday cookout!

Let me tell you a story of how I figured out how to make cultured coleslaw many years ago.

As we all know, the primary ingredient of conventional coleslaw is shredded raw cabbage….

Unfortunately, as any woman who has nursed a baby knows, cabbage is usually a no-no for Mom to eat as it frequently produces a lot of gas in a breastfed infant particularly if the cabbage is raw.

Cabbage is part of the cruciferous family of vegetables which also includes broccoli (always cook it!), cauliflower, and bok choy among others.

I really missed eating coleslaw for the first 6 months breastfeeding my first child.

Fortunately, after that, his digestion was mature enough to handle my consumption of crucifers, so I happily devoured my coleslaw from that point forward.

Then I discovered the wonders of Traditional Diet and fermented foods!

With my next two children, I was able to consume traditionally prepared sauerkraut and kimchi in small amounts even during the first few months of lactation after the baby was born.

There is a magical property to the fermentation process that seems to significantly reduce the gassiness of the raw cabbage, at least to a point where I could consume it in small amounts without a problem for baby.

But I still missed my coleslaw!

As it turns out, I didn’t need to avoid my beloved coleslaw even while breastfeeding because it is so easy to make a fermented coleslaw yourself using traditionally prepared sauerkraut and healthy mayo.

These days, when I’m eating coleslaw at home, it is always fermented. This is the case even though my children are all grown. Why not add improved digestibility, enzymes, and probiotics to the delicious mix?

This fermented coleslaw is ideal served with homemade fish and chips, grassfed burgers, or a simple grilled cheese sandwich (toasted in grassfed butter of course!).

Due to the super rawness of the cabbage in the coleslaw, you may find that this condiment works very well as a natural reflux remedy. This approach is suggested by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride MD in her bestselling book on resolving gut imbalance.

Serving Suggestions

If you choose to buy sauerkraut, you must buy a brand in the refrigerated section. This indicates that it is raw and fermented.

Brands of shelf-stable sauerkraut at the store are pasteurized and have no probiotic value.

Wondering which mayo to use? This recipe plus video shows you how to make mayo. It takes just a few minutes, and is the healthiest way to go.

If you choose to buy mayo, be sure it is made with a healthy fat and not nasty seed oils!