I am a big sauerkraut fan, even though it is not something I grew up on. I was exposed to it after I met my now-husband due to the German side of his family. Some say it is an acquired taste but for me it was love at first taste! 🙂
In Malta, we mostly get sauerkraut in a jar. However, in Budapest you find raw unpasteurised sauerkraut at each and every market place. Most of the time, I eat it as is. Like any other fermented food, sauerkraut is very nutritious and contain probiotics, which also improve your digestion.
I am also always looking for new and interesting ways to incorporate it into meals. I have been researching some recipes and finally I found the one. My husband has already requested another batch of these patties. 😀
The mixture is very simple, with sauerkraut and boiled potatoes as the main ingredients. I coated these patties with crushed rolled oats for extra crispiness. Alternatively, you can opt for panko breadcrumbs.
These patties can be baked or deep-fried. They are great served with wholegrain mustard sauce or any mustard-based sauce.
With minor adjustments to the following recipe, these sauerkraut patties can also be made vegan friendly. Please refer to the notes underneath the recipe for some tips.
Vegetarian Sauerkraut Patties
Great as a snack or as a light meal.
Ingredients
For the patties:
- 2 medium potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 200g sauerkraut, drained
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tbsp cream cheese^
- Sea salt & black pepper
For the breading:^
- 5 tbsp plain flour
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander seeds
- Sea salt & black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 60ml beer (or milk or water)
- 50g crushed rolled oats*
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
Directions
- Boiled the potatoes until soft. Let them cool, then peel and coarsely grate them.
- Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic cloves.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Once hot, add the onion and cook until soft.
- Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and caraway seeds, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the grated potatoes and mix until well combined. Let it cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the the sauerkraut, breadcrumbs, parsley, cream cheese and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the onion-potato mixture to the mixing bowl and combine everything together.
- Take a spoonful from the mixture, roll and form into a ping-pong-sized ball. Place it on a baking paper lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten it to form the patties. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up before cooking.
- In a small plate, mix together the flour, ground cumin and coriander seeds and season with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg and add the beer. Mix well together.
- In another small plate, combine the crushed rolled oats and caraway seeds together.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. **
- Once they have firmed up, proceed with the breading. Roll the patties in the flour, dip them in the egg mixture and then coat them with the oats. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve immediately with wholegrain mustard sauce.
Notes:
*You can also opt for panko breadcrumbs instead of crushed rolled oats. These will also add crispiness to the patties.
**Instead of baking, you can also deep-fry these patties, until golden brown in colour.
^ For vegan sauerkraut patties,
- Use vegan cream cheese in the mixture
- For the breading, eliminate the flour and the egg and instead lightly coat the patties with some mustard and then coat them with the crushed rolled oats/ panko breadcrumbs.
