Norwegian Surkal
How to make authentic Norwegian sauerkraut. This warm Scandinavian side dish is a staple on our holiday table so I created a vegan version of Surkal that is flavored with earthy caraway seeds and brightened with tangy vinegar. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
- 6.5 cups green cabbage about 1 medium sized cabbage, finley shredded
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tsp kosher salt I use Morton's Kosher salt
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds whole, not ground
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup white rice vinegar
Instructions
Prep
- Start by washing and drying a medium sized green cabbage. Trim the stem and cut the cabbage in half. Then cut each half into 3 or 4 wedges and remove the core/stem. Then finely chop the cabbage into thin ribbons and set aside.
Cook
- In a large pot (choose one that has a lid that fits on top) set the heat to medium high and add in the olive oil, cabbage, water, broth, salt, sugar, caraway seeds, and vinegar. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower the heat (about a 2 out of 10) and cover with a lid. I keep it slightly ajar so it doesn't boil over.
- Cook for 2 hours, strring occasionally. After about 10-15 minutes you should be able to move the lid so that it's covered completely and just check back every 20-30 minutes to give it a stir.
Taste
- You'll definitely want to taste this to see if you need to add more salt, sugar, or vinegar. We want the flavors to pop so adding an extra pinch of salt can be useful for that. We often add an extra splash of vinegar right before serving too to make sure it has a subtle zing!
Serve
- This is a brothy dish, so we serve it in a large bowl with a slotted spoon to allow some of the juice to remain in the bowl and not on our dinner plates. We serve this as a side dish alongside a vegan roast or meatballs with gravy, some boiled potatoes, and lingonberry (or cranberry) sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Cook for 2 hours on very low heat. I usually move it from boiling to about a 2 out of 10 low heat, and leave it to simmer for 2 hours. If we're making it for that night, I often turn off the heat after two hours but leave it on the stove with the lid on. Then I'll just quickly warm it back up before serving.
This is also great for meal prep because you can make it 2-3 days in advance and warm it up as needed. It keeps in the fridge for a week or so. I don't recommend freezing.