Want to Eat More Fermented Foods? Here Are 25 Recipes You’ve Got to Try.

Kristin Appenbrink

updated Jul 2, 2021

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Credit: Quentin Bacon
Fermented Salsa

Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kombucha have been in the limelight for their role in supporting healthy bacteria in your gut, but they are also just plain delicious. If you’re looking to eat more fermented foods on a regular basis, there are two great approaches to take. First, if you love a good DIY project, consider making your own; it’s totally doable and can be a lot of fun to make things like milk kefir or sourdough. The other option is just to buy them from the ever-growing selection at the grocery store.

Of course you can eat (and drink) most fermented foods as is, but we think the real fun comes from finding clever ways to work them into meals and snacks throughout the day. This also happens to be the premise of Food Editor Kelli’s cookbook The Probiotic Kitchen, which employs widely available fermented foods in everyday recipes.

Whether you’re ready to try your hand at a batch of creamy yogurt, or you’re simply looking for easy and fun ways to eat more fermented foods, we have 25 recipes to help you do just that.

The Probiotic Kitchen

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Homemade Sauerkraut

Making your own sauerkraut might seem intimidating, but all it really takes is some chopping, a Mason jar, and a little bit of time. The results are 10 times better than what you can buy. Once your kraut is finished, it's time to start making Reubens.

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How To Make Kombucha Tea at Home

With all the delicious kombucha flavors out there, it's sometimes easy to forget that it's actually made from sweetened tea. As soon as you're ready to try making your own, follow this step-by-step tutorial.

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How To Make Milk Kefir

Kefir is like a tangy drinkable yogurt, and all you need to make your own version at home is whole milk and kefir grains, which are easily found online. The best part is that as long as they stay healthy, you can use kefir grains over and over again pretty much indefinitely.

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How To Make Kimchi

One of the most-recognized and well-loved fermented foods is kimchi. There are centuries of tradition around this dish. If you're interested in making it at home, we love this simple Mason jar recipe.

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Lacto-Fermented Mixed Pickles

No, these pickles don't have milk in them — here the "lacto" refers to lactic acid. If you've mostly made vinegar-based pickles, consider this your next lesson in home pickling. It takes a bit longer than making quick pickles, but the results are definitely worth it.

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Hugh Acheson's Fermented Carrots with Galangal and Lime

These lacto-fermented carrots bring balance to the sweetness of this root veggie, with the addition of galangal or ginger and lime zest. They make for a delightfully unexpected snack.

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How To Make Beet Kvass

If you've never tried kvass before, you're in for a treat. Similar to shrubs or drinking vinegars, kvass is a fermented beverage that has the earthy flavor of beets and a bit of fizziness. It has so many uses, including cocktails and vinaigrettes, and can even be enjoyed on its own as a tonic.

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How To Make Sourdough Bread

If you've been baking for a while, but haven't ever attempted making your own sourdough, now is the time to give it a try. Whether you make your own starter (a prime example of fermentation!) or you get one from a friend, there are few things more satisfying than a freshly baked loaf of homemade sourdough.

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Ginger Kombucha

Think of this like the perfect combination of kombucha and ginger ale. It's spicy, fizzy, and healthy in all the right ways.

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Based on our step-by-step lesson on how to make kombucha, this version is infused with mango, for a drink that's fizzy, sweet, and totally refreshing.

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Lacto-Fermented Squash and Apples

This tangy condiment is great chopped and spread on your favorite sandwich.

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Fizzy, Fermented Salsa

You'll want to keep fermented salsa on your radar. It has a distinct, tangy flavor and faint effervescence that sets it apart from the store-bought stuff and even regular homemade salsa. But it's easy to pull off.

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How To Make Fermented Asparagus Pickles

You might not have thought about turning asparagus spears into fermented pickles, but you should. The middle of the spear is best for fermenting because they are dense and hold their form, while still having a soft-enough texture to enjoy eating.

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Probiotic Breakfast Bowls

Tangy Greek yogurt and a big forkful of fermented kraut give this wholesome breakfast bowl a big pop of flavor. Try swapping the kraut for kimchi — it's a delicious move.

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Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

This protein-rich vegetarian sandwich swaps the mayo for gut-friendly Greek yogurt and mixes in chopped-up fermented pickles for good measure.

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Sweet and Sour Miso-Kombucha Sauce

Tangy, fermented kombucha and miso paste join forces for a quick dressing that instantly perks up any salad.

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Credit: Leela Cyd

Lacto-Fermented Oatmeal

If you're used to soaking your oats overnight, this won't be a big change to your routine, but it will make your breakfast taste much better. Instead of soaking just in water, add a little yogurt to lacto-ferment the oats. You'll end up with a much more complex flavor.

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How To Make Yogurt at Home

If you've been entertaining the idea of making your own yogurt at home, let us be the ones to convince you. Not only does it save money, but it also gives you the control of the flavor and consistency. Just like most fermented foods, all it takes is a little time.

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How To Make Dairy-Free Coconut Yogurt

This rich and creamy dairy-free yogurt comes together with just four ingredients.

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Kimchi and Radish Salad

This simple salad of Bibb lettuce and a duo of radishes is anything but basic, thanks to blitzing kimchi into a flavor-packed dressing.

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Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Sobaegi Kimchi)

Once you've made your own homemade kimchi, it's time to come up with ways to serve it. We love this appetizer even more when you use fermented cucumbers to make it.

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How to Make Sparkling Cider (with Just 2 Ingredients)

Homemade sparkling cider, made with Champagne yeast, has a bit more of a bite to it than the version you might have grown up drinking. All you need is your favorite fresh-pressed cider and yeast to make this sweet and fizzy beverage.

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Crispy Sesame-Lime Tempeh with Coconut Curry

If you've never cooked with tempeh before, you’ll want to give this flavor-drenched, veggie-packed curry a try. The nutty, chunky tempeh is perfectly complemented by a flavorful marinade. Baking it produces a bit of crust without the mess and oiliness of frying.

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Tempeh Parmesan Sandwich

Tempeh is a great stand-in for meat in vegetarian sandwiches, and this tempeh Parmesan sandwich is one of our favorites. It's hot and melty, and the tempeh holds up to the sauce in a way that tofu can't.

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