Sauerkraut. When I was growing up, sauerkraut was a regular on the dinner table. My Ukrainian family made raw sauerkraut at home as a way to preserve some freshness for the cold winters. We fermented everything: cabbage, carrots, pickles, tomatoes, and more. One of my grandmas, who wasn’t very into health, used sugar in her preserves, while my more health-conscious grandma on my dad’s side would use sea salt and nothing else. She is the one who taught me how to make sauerkraut, and you can see that process in detail here.
I love putting sauerkraut or another fermented concoction into almost any dinner meal to boost my probiotics intake. Make sure to always use RAW sauerkraut, because pasteurization of the cabbage actually kills all of those beneficial bacteria you want to have in your gut as a result of sauerkraut consumption. Fermented foods are one of the top 10 foods I recommend for everyone to consume daily, and you can see the full list here. This taco salad goes really well with sauerkraut, even though sauerkraut is not a Mexican condiment. That’s what I love about raw food – you can feel free to experiment and mix and match all you want.
Flax. I also love that this luxurious salad contains flax seeds. Flax seeds are a bit hard for me to add to my diet, simply because I don’t really like their texture. Their flavor is pretty bland in my eyes, but their jelly-like texture is not a favorite of mine. At the same time, I always try to add them because of their all-important omega 3’s and benefits for hormonal balance. In this recipe, I was able to include them in the taco meat in a way that completely conceals their texture, and even uses it to make the “meat” thick and delicious.
Brazil nuts + Goji berries. I also included Brazil nuts in this recipe. I love Brazil nuts for being one of the only sources of selenium in a vegan diet. All you need is one Brazil nut a day to get your full dose. But it’s also nice to include these flavorful nuts in a dish, rather than take them as a “pill”, which I sometimes do too… Goji berries are surprisingly also very high in selenium, and they contribute the refreshing sweetness of the mock taco meat.
Enjoy the freshness and delicious flavors that this salad offers, totally oil free and extremely health-promoting!
Fermented Taco Salad
Ingredients
Mock Taco Meat Ingredients
- 1/4 cup goji berries
- 1 zucchini about 3 cups of chopped zucchini
- 2 tablespoons milled flax
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 1 jalapeno deseeded (optional)
- 3.5 ounces sundried tomatoes make sure it’s only tomatoes + sea salt in the ingredients
- 1/4 cup Brazil nuts soaked overnight
Salad ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sauerkraut I like the wildbrine brand dill sauerkraut, but you can use any raw variety
- ½ pound mixed greens
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ¼ avocado
- 1 English cucumber
Instructions
For the mock taco meat
- Process Brazil nuts until crumbly
- Add sundried tomatoes and process until they are all broken up into pieces
- Then add chopped vegetables + goji berries and process again
- Finally, add the flax seeds and process until a chunky mock taco meat forms
For the salad
- Place greens, chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sauerkraut, and avocado in a bowl
- Put chunks of the mock meat on top, and sprinkle with the juice of ½ a lemon
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[…] You can kick up the flavor and nutrition of this sauce by fermenting it. This is actually much simpler than you may think. All you do is keep the jar out for 24 hours right after you make your sauce. Place the lid on the jar loosely, and let it stand on your counter until 24 hours have passed. At this point, place it in the fridge. This way, you will get beneficial bacteria into your body that will aid you in digestion, immunity, mood, and so much more! For more fermented goodies, check out my raw vegan fermented… Read more »
[…] my yummy raw vegan taco salad that has sauerkraut in it, go here. I also have a post describing how to make your very own home-made sauerkraut, […]