Learn how to make homemade sauerkraut with dill and red onion. This delicious ferment is an easy and budget-friendly way to incorporate more probiotics into your diet.

What is Sauerkraut with Dill and Red Onion?
This sauerkraut with dill and red onion recipe is a family favorite and a fun take on traditional sauerkraut. Shred cabbage, red onion, and dill, then massage in the salt to create a salt brine with juice released from the cabbage, pack in glass jars, and let the magic happen.
The magic process is called lacto-fermentation, beneficial bacteria thrive and multiply, and predigest the vegetables while the salt will stop unwanted bacteria and mold from growing.
Benefits of Sauerkraut with Dill and Red Onion on the GAPS Diet
During the GAPS Diet probiotic foods such as lacto-ferments are introduced to help normalize gut flora by repopulating with beneficial bacteria, stimulating stomach acid production, and providing digestive enzymes, vitamins, and minerals to the body (Gut and Psychology Syndrome, p196). In Stages 1 and 2 only the juice is consumed, and from Stage 3 onwards including Full GAPS juice and vegetable pieces.

Sourcing Tips: Choosing quality ingredients
- Choose quality vegetables. Ideally, these are organic but go with the best you can afford and a trustworthy source.
- Choose your salt. You want to avoid using table salt and instead pick a high-quality mineral salt such as Himalayan pink salt or Celtic Sea salt.
Tips for making Sauerkraut with Dill and Red Onion
- Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the ingredients. Anything not submerged under the liquid will be subject to mold. If you find mold, Dr Natasha recommends discarding the top third and adding extra salt. If you don’t have enough liquid make a 2% salt water brine by dissolving 5g of salt in 250ml/ 1 cup of room temperature filtered water and use it to top up your jars.
- Don’t overfill your jars. Make sure to leave enough space between the shoulder of the jar and rim to help prevent leaks and you should not have to open the jar to burp it. If you have to do this it means that you filled the jar to high.
- Don’t open the jar, fermentation is an anaerobic process and too much oxygen will ruin the ferment.
- Ferment at room temperature and avoid direct sunlight. The cooler the room, the longer it takes. The warmer the room the faster it is.
- Time depends on individual preferences and requirements. A ferment can done in as little as 5-7 days, or you may choose to ferment for weeks or even months. The longer you ferment the more broken down the fibre is and easier to digest and lower in histamines.

Tools you’ll need:
- Chopping board and knife
- Large bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Glass jar or fermentation crock. I usually use a large mason jar.
- Fermentation lids and weights (not necessary, but very handy)
- Fermenting mallet (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of green cabbage
- 2 red onions
- 2-3 Fresh dill
- 3-4 tbsp Celtic Sea salt
- Filtered water (optional)
How to Make Sauerkraut with Dill and Red Onion
1. Remove a few of the outer leaves of the cabbage and reserve them for later.
2. Remove the core of the cabbage and then thinly shred the cabbage with a sharp knife or mandolin, and add to a large bowl.

3. Add the salt to the cabbage and use your hands to massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to become juicy.
4. Thinley slice the red onion and add to the bowl.

5. Remove the thicker dill stems, and chop the dill leaves, and add to the bowl.
6. Mix the red onion and dill with the cabbage, and then pack into glass jars or a fermenting crock. Make sure to push the cabbage down ensuring that it is all under the brine.

7. Fold up the leaves that you reserved in step 1 and place them in the top of the jars to hold the sauerkraut mixture down under the brine. Add your fermenting weights on top if using.
8. Add a lid or a fermentation lid to the top of the jar and let the fermentation process begin! Ferment at room temperature for 5-14 days.
9. When your fermentation time is complete; remove the fermenting lid, replace it with a regular lid, then store it in the fridge.

How to introduce and use
Fermented foods can have a powerful effect on the body. If you haven’t eaten home-fermented foods such as Sauerkraut or Red Onions before you will need to introduce them slowly. Start with 1 teaspoon of the juice and work your way to eating the vegetable pieces up to a cup a day if that’s your jam. Make sure to listen to your body to see how you react during the introduction process.
During GAPS Introduction Diet Stages 1 and 2 consume the juice only, and from Stage 3 onwards you can add the vegetable pieces.
Our favorite ways to enjoy Sauerkraut with Dill and Red Onion is on eggs, burgers, and on top of soup!
If you love this recipe, you’ll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my ferment recipes here!
How to store
When your fermentation time is complete; remove the fermenting lid, replace it with a regular lid, and store it in the fridge.
Resources
Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride
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Sauerkraut with Dill and Red Onion

Learn how to make homemade sauerkraut with dill and red onion. This delicious ferment is an easy and budget-friendly way to incorporate more probiotics into your diet.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of green cabbage
- 2 red onions
- 2-3 Fresh dill
- 3-4 tbsp Celtic Sea salt
- Filtered water (optional)
Instructions
1. Remove a few of the outer leaves of the cabbage and reserve them for later.
2. Remove the core of the cabbage and then thinly shred the cabbage with a sharp knife or mandolin, and add to a large bowl.
3. Add the salt to the cabbage and use your hands to massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to become juicy.
4. Thinley slice the red onion and add to the bowl.
5. Remove the thicker dill stems chop the dill leaves, and add to the bowl.
6. Mix the red onion and dill with the cabbage, and then pack into glass jars or a fermenting crock. Make sure to push the cabbage down ensuring that it is all under the brine.
7. Fold up the leaves that you reserved in step 1 and place them at the top of the jars to hold the sauerkraut mixture down under the brine. Add your fermenting weights on top if using.
8. Add a lid or a fermentation lid to the top of the jar and let the fermentation process begin! Ferment at room temperature for 5-14 days.
9. When your fermentation time is complete; remove the fermenting lid, replace it with a regular lid, and store it in the fridge.
Notes
How to introduce
Start with 1 teaspoon of the juice and work your way to eating the vegetable pieces up to a cup a day if that’s your jam. Make sure to listen to your body to see how you react during the introduction process.
During GAPS Introduction Diet Stages 1 and 2 consume the juice only, and from Stage 3 onwards you can add the vegetable pieces.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
The information in this blog post is my personal experience and for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease; and does not consider your individual situation. If you have medical questions, please consult with a qualified medical practitioner.
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