One of the first vegetable crops that humanity has come to know is cabbage: in the Mediterranean region it was grown long before our era. Then, this vegetable was recognized in other European countries, and already in the Middle Ages it became an integral ingredient of many national cuisines: German, French, Russian, Polish, etc. From the cabbage soups were cooked, they made garnishes, used as a filling for pies. Special attention should be paid to sauerkraut, as it is not only very tasty, but also extremely useful product.
Useful properties and calorie content of sauerkraut
This vegetable snack contains a lot of vitamin C - 30 mg in 100 g. Moreover, in sauerkraut it is in a bound form, and therefore is not afraid of thermal effects, in contrast to free ascorbic acid, which is almost completely destroyed by heating. Therefore, such cabbage can be safely stewed, boiled, added to hot soups.
Another important vitamin contained in cabbage is vitamin U, or an antiulcer factor that successfully treats gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, and also has antihistamine properties, facilitating the manifestation of various types of food allergies.
In addition, according to the observations of the specialists of the Research Center of the Ministry of Agriculture in Finland, in the process of sauerkraut, compounds that have antitumor activity against such forms of cancer as breast, lung, liver, intestinal cancer form.
And also sauerkraut is indispensable during a diet aimed at reducing weight, because it is a very low-calorie product: 20-25 calories per 100 grams of sauerkraut.
By the way, in addition to the traditional way of souring: when this vegetable is shredded, shifted by salt and laid under oppression, there is a recipe for cabbage with beetroot: the so-called sauerkraut "in the south". To make it, the head is cut into 4-6 pieces and mixed together with large pieces of freshly cleaned beet, spices and salt in a container, oppression is applied from above. Serve, finely chopped and seasoned with vegetable oil. The caloric content of cabbage with a beetroot is about 30 kilocalories.
Caloric content of sauerkraut dishes
Perhaps, one of the most famous dishes in which the heroine of the article is the leading ingredient is the soup - the Russian traditional soup. They cook on meat, mushroom, fish or vegetable broth, in which the vegetables are first brought to the ready, and then languish until they acquire a characteristic spicy flavor and taste. The composition of the soup can vary depending on the area of ​​preparation: in the central regions of Russia the main meat for preparing them was beef brisket, in the southern regions, pork was more often used for this purpose. Orthodox editions also introduced their corrections, during which the use of meat dishes is prohibited, as well as the availability of necessary products, and the financial well-being of those who prepared them.
For example, distinguished "rich" or "full" soup, which included:
- vegetable part - usually consisting of sauerkraut;
- meat - often several varieties, for example: beef brisket, ham, chicken;
- mushrooms - dried, fresh or salted, most often they used ceps;
- roots - carrots, parsley root;
- spices - onions, celery, dill, black pepper, bay leaf.
Filled such cabbage soup with a special whitening consisting of sour cream and thick cream mixed in a ratio of 4: 1. It is clear that such a dish could afford only wealthy people, and even then only in the absence of religious posts.
The economical version of this dish was the so-called "empty" cabbage soup, which included only sauerkraut, onions, carrots and parsley root. It is clear that the calories are also not thick: 15 -20 kcal per 100 g.
Another common dish from sauerkraut - vinaigrette: vegetable salad, which includes, in addition to cabbage, boiled beets, potatoes and beans , as well as pickled or pickled cucumbers. Sometimes, instead of beans, green peas are added to it. They fill with vegetable oil, vinegar. Caloric content of this salad from sauerkraut is 115 calories.
This product can also be consumed as an independent dish: for this, sauerkraut is mixed with any vegetable oil, the calories in this salad will be quite a little about 50 kilocalories per 100 g.