15 Ways to Use Fermented Vegetable Brine | How to Use Fermented Vegetable Brine in Meals, Snacks and More! | Recipes with Fermented Vegetable Brine
You can always just take a shot of brine (as you would a shot of tequila 🤣), but with brine it’s all for the amazing probiotic benefits. However, taking a shot of salty, sour brine isn’t always what you’re in the mood for.
So here are 15 functional ways to use fermented vegetable brine in meals and recipes!
I’ve separated them into categories based on our three products: Sauerkraut brine, Kimchi brine, and Pickle brine. Now you can easily use up that brine you’ve been saving in the fridge! 😋
a few Ways to use fermented Sauerkraut Brine
Tahini Vegan “Ceasar” dressing
2 Tablespoons of Cultured Guru Sauerkraut brine + a Tablespoon of ACV + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast + 3 tablespoons tahini + a squeeze of lemon juice + chia seeds
Vegan Cheese Sauce for Nachos
I LOVE making vegan cheese sauces with sauerkraut brine. It adds just enough salty, sour, umami flavor to make the vegan cheese…well, more cheesy!
Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe: •1 cup raw cashews soaked •1/4 cup Cultured Guru Sauerkraut brine •3/4 cup of your fave salsa •3 Dutch yellow baby potatoes, cooked •1/2 tsp smoked paprika •1/2 tsp black pepper •1/2 tsp cumin •1 tsp turmeric •3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast • about 6 fl oz warm water 👉🏼blend in your blender and viola!
Oatmeal
(hang tight and read on… It sounds weird but it’s not, I do this all the time.) I LOVE to add about 1 teaspoon of sauerkraut brine to my oatmeal in the morning! Doesn’t matter if its sweet or savory, a little bit of brine adds tons of probiotics and just a hint of saltiness to my oatmeal.
Matcha Latte
It’s totally not weird I swear! Here’s how I make my super nutritious, probiotic matcha lattes:
1 teaspoon matcha powder + 1/2 cup hot oat milk + 1/2 cup hot water + 1 tablespoon flax oil + 1 Tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup + 1/4 teaspoon spirulina + 1/2 Teaspoon Cultured Guru Sauerkraut Brine. I put all the ingredients in my blender and blend for a frothy delicious latte!
Smoothie Bowls
I know what you’re thinking… “another sweet thing with sauerkraut brine in it????”
WELL YES! Have you ever had a cookie that was baked without salt. It’s not very good. I love adding a teaspoon of sauerkraut brine to my smoothies for a few reasons:
It rounds out the flavor. It’s like salt on a chocolate chip cookie. Just don’t add too much.
It’s the most natural, dairy-free, effective way to add probiotics to your smoothie
A smoothie bowl is basically a bowl of prebiotic, fiber-y goodness. So naturally it’s a great meal for some probiotic bacteria to surf on down to your gut in.
As long as the smoothie has a ripe, sweet banana in it I can’t even tell I put brine in it.
Dog popsicles
We use this recipe to make dog popsicles (aka pupsicles) for our dog Emjay in the summer. It’s SO hot here in the summer, so they’re such a great way for her to cool off a bit. We just add in about 2 teaspoons of sauerkraut brine to the recipe and she LOVES it!
five ways to use fermented Kimchi Brine
Sunbutter Sauce (aka the best sauce ever)
Here’s the link to the recipe for my favorite summer roll and sushi dipping sauce made with our Cultured Guru Kimchi Brine! It’s part of our homemade summer rolls blog. The sauce also tastes great as a topping sauce for stir fry and sushi!
Add to any soup as a topping
After serving up soup into bowls, put a few tablespoons of Kimchi Brine on top for some spicy, umami flavor. My favorite soups to add kimchi brine to are: Pho, Kimchi Miso Ramen and the Thai Curry Soup Recipe on our blog.
Guacamole
I love mixing left over kimchi brine with some smashed avocados for probiotic guacamole!
Ma Po Tofu
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes on our blog, and it calls for our Cultured Guru Kimchi brine! It’s such an easy, meat free meal to try on your next meatless Monday.
four delicious ways to use fermented Pickle Brine
Bloody Mary
Who doesn’t love a healthyish adult beverage? Add in a few Tablespoons of our Cultured Guru Pickle Brine to your favorite Bloody Mary recipe for a probiotic boost!
Potato Salad
Did you know that potato salad can be healthy?! Well it can, especially with the recipe for Healthy Vegan Potato Salad on our blog!
Chickpea salad
Just like chicken salad, but with out the meat! It’s great on sprouted grain bread for lunch.
Here’s the simple recipe: 1 can chickpeas + 1/4 cup vegan sandwich spread (or 1 large ripe avocado) + 2 Tablespoons pickle brine + a pinch of black pepper + about 1/8 cup chopped green onion. Mash together until a chicken salad like consistency is formed and enjoy as a sandwich!
Marinate Salmon
As those of you who read my eczema blogs know, I sometimes eat fish once a month (when I’m on my period). Well this month I brushed my salmon fillet with lots of pickle brine before pan searing it… and WOW. So delicious. I imagine using pickle brine to season any fish is yummy!
