Latin American · side, sauce

Fermented Curtido (Salvadoran Cabbage Relish)

Fermented Curtido (Salvadoran Cabbage Relish) — from Wyse Guide's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 6:27

Video by Wyse Guide on YouTube · Open on YouTube

40 min · plus 3–8 days fermentingMakes 48 × ½ cup (70 g)20 kcal a portion
  • Low carb (2.9 g net carbs) but not keto: 4% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Nut-free

Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

A crunchy, tangy relish of cabbage, carrot, onion and jalapeño, soured by fermentation with no sugar or vinegar: about 20 kcal and nearly 2 g fibre a ½-cup serve. It is salty (about 450 mg sodium a serve).

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Ingredients 7

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Pull off any limp outer cabbage leaves, halve the heads, cut out the cores and slice thinly. Toss in a large bowl with the shredded carrots and thinly sliced jalapeños and onions. 0:59
  2. Sprinkle over the 3 tbsp salt and massage it in with your hands for 5–8 minutes until the vegetables soften, shrink and release plenty of juice. Mix in the oregano and cumin. 2:48
  3. Pack into a crock or large jar a handful at a time, pressing down hard with your fist until the juices rise over the top. If there isn't enough juice to cover, add a little water. 3:30
  4. Weigh it down (a fermentation weight, or a jar filled with water) so everything stays under the juice, and cover with a loose lid or cheesecloth — never a tight lid. 4:22
  5. Leave in a cool, dark place for 3–8 days (longer in winter), tasting from day 3 and checking it stays covered. When tangy enough, pack into jars under its juices and refrigerate. 4:44

Tip. Makes about 3.4 kg, roughly 48 half-cup serves (our estimate) — halve everything for a smaller jar. Serve with pupusas, tacos, eggs, sandwiches or soup.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One portion, ½ cup (70 g), gives you 1 of 48

Energy20 kcal80 kJ
Protein0.9 g2% of a day
Fibre1.8 g6% of a day
Carbohydrate4.7 g2.9 g net · 2.4 g sugars2% of a day
Fat0.1 g0 g saturated0% of a day
Sodium450 mg20% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 72%
  • Protein 22%
  • Fat 6%

For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin K High35%

42 µg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (94%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Vitamin C High25%

22 mg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (86%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

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Vitamin A9%

80 µg a serve, mostly from carrots (95%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Folate7%

26 µg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (86%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Vitamin B65%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (68%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Potassium3%

130 mg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (66%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Calcium2%

28 mg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (74%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Iron2%

0.4 mg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (68%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Magnesium2%

8.7 mg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (71%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Vitamin E2%

0.2 mg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (34%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Zinc1%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (73%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin B120%

0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Selenium0%

0.2 µg a serve, mostly from green cabbage (74%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Omega-30%

0 g a serve, mostly from dried oregano (80%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Wyse Guide; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.