As this is the last recipe of 2019, I wanted to make it special. So I am cooking one of my favorite dishes ever: Choucroute garnie à l’alsacienne, only that I make it veggie friendly. If I could choose one dish over another, it would be choucroute. Or Kimchi Stew. Or any other cabbage based dish. I just love cabbage a lot, alright?. Before I get emotional about all this cabbage talk, let’s get down to business with the veggie choucroute garnie à l’alsacienne.
Veggie choucroute garnie à l’alsacienne
What is “Choucroute garnie à l’alsacienne” anyway?
Choucroute is basically Sauerkraut (chou fermenté, fermented cabbage) with tons of meat toppings and potatoes. The traditional Choucroute garnie à l’alsacienne has: Morteau sausages, Frankfurt sausages, some pork (depending on the type you order), back bacon and some slices of pork. There are many varieties to this dish, and some even include fish.
Choucroute garnie à l’alsacienne is a recipe that comes from the region of Alsace in France. I recently traveled to Strasbourg, a city that’s pretty well known in France and in Europe because of its close relation with the European Union, but also because of its charm.
Ingredients
- Choucroute crue (“Raw sauerkraut”). Make you sure it is meat-free as choucroute is basically cooked with meat fat). I used 500g for this recipe. This is more than enough for two people, and some leftovers.
- 300g potatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 frankfurts (I used these ones)
- 2 white sausages (I used these ones)
- 1 pack of smoked tofu (I used this one)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp crushed black pepper
- 6 Juniper berries
- 2 tbsp laurel
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup of white wine
- 1 cup of water
If you want, you can use mustard later when the choucroute is finished.
Method
This recipe is quite easy to follow and it only requires patience, because you will be cooking it for at least 1 good hour.
The first step is to wash the choucroute crue with cold water. Do it thoroughly. Then, you can work on the potatoes. I didn’t peel mine but you can do that, cut them in pieces (4 pieces) and set aside. Cut an onion in dices and peel and dice the garlic. Set all of this aside.
In a bowl, mix the choucroute with all the spices and set aside.
I boiled my potatoes quickly before cooking the entire choucroute garnie à l’Alsacienne. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the potatoes for around 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the water and in the same pot, you can add a bit of olive oil and place half of the choucroute.
Cover with half of the potatoes, and then add the remaining choucroute and potatoes. Cover with the smoked tofu. You will put the remaining “tofu sausages” later. You are basically making layers: Layer of choucroute, layer of potatoes, layer of choucroute, layer of potatoes, smoked tofu then sausages.
Add the wine and water and cover with a lid. Let simmer for around 40 minutes at low temperature then add the remaining tofu sausages. Cover with a lid and let it continue to simmer for 20 to 30 more minutes. You can leave the choucroute cooking for longer if you wish, the flavors will be more intense. I cooked mine for about 1h20 minutes.
How to serve the veggie choucroute garnie à l’alsacienne?
The ideal servings are: a bunch of choucroute, with some of those potatoes, then the smoked tofu, and the sausages. This will make a good plate and super filling as well. My SO and I enjoyed it so much, it really looked and tasted like the real deal. We had our choucroute with the remaining white wine that I used to cook the choucroute garnie à l’Alsacienne.
About the “meat”…
I chose the two different types of tofu sausages and the smoked tofu because they were the closest to the original recipe, but there are many other options out there. If you prefer Seitan over tofu, go ahead and choose meat options. You can even try to add the Impossible Meat sausages, but they are rather impossible to find here in France if you aren’t a restaurant. Right now, it’s becoming easier and easier to find options that are meatless, so take the one that is easier for you to find.
Veggie Choucroute Garnie à l’Alsacienne
Ingredients
- 500 grams Choucroute crue
- 300 grams Potatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pack Smoked Tofu
- 1 pack Sausages
- 1 pack white sausages
- 1 tbsp crushed black pepper
- 2 tbsp laurel/bay leaves
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup water
- Salt to taste if you need
- Mustard if you want
Instructions
- Wash the choucroute thoroughly in cold water. Set aside in a large bowl and mix with all the spices.
- Prepare all the vegetables: Cut the onion and garlic in slices. Cut the potatoes in 4 pieces (cut in half, then cut again in half).
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil and boil the potatoes for 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
- In the same large pot, add some olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes than add: one layer of choucroute, one layer of potatoes, one layer of choucroute, one layer of potatoes.
- Add the smoked tofu (cut in slices).
- Add the white wine and the water and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 40 minutes.
- Add the two different type of tofu sausages. Cover with a lid again and continue to simmer for another 40 minutes.
- To serve: Tons of choucroute, potatoes, 1 sausage of each type, tons of smoked tofu. Enjoy!
Did you try this recipe?
Tag @tofu_cado on Instagam and hashtag it #tofucado and tell me all about it!
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