Gaz Oakley is a former chef who focuses on healthy dishes, plant ingredients and good taste. Today, she runs culinary profiles on social media, where she publishes her recipes. In the book entitled “Plant to plate” shares knowledge about fermentation and simple recipes that act as a natural support for the body. She believes – like many Polish housewives and hosts – that spices, vegetables and pickles can effectively help strengthen immunity. Cabbage, carrot, ginger and a large portion of spices create a light, refreshing salad. Discover a recipe on the border between Polish and Asian pickles.
Returning to a healthy diet isn’t just about supplementing essential minerals with supplements. More and more people also build their immunity through cooking. Pickles – once common to our grandmothers – are now becoming popular again. The fashion for making fermented supplies and taking care of the natural support of our well-being means that jars of cabbage, vegetables and salads are once again storming the tables. It is this approach to the diet – using natural and tasty ingredients and avoiding extreme restrictions – that now attracts chefs.
However, pickled salad is not only an addition to improve immunity. It supports almost the entire body, supplementing the deficiencies of key nutrients. What’s more, it turns out delicious, sour and slightly spicy. It’s so tasty that it’s hard to resist eating it straight from the jar.
The pickled immunity salad inspired by Gaz Oakley’s recipe is made in about 30 minutes. You simply chop the vegetables, season and mix everything in one bowl. Then you need to close everything in a jar and give it a week to ferment. After this time, you have a large supply of snacks ready, which you can eat as an addition or on their own, straight from the dish. This is the perfect way to minimize the time spent in the kitchen preparing fancy salads. This salad never gets boring and is great for your health.
Pickled salad for immunity – recipe
Ingredients:
- 3-4 large carrots,
- a head of white cabbage,
- large onion,
- 2 cm of ginger root,
- 3 cloves of garlic,
- 5 bay leaves,
- heaped teaspoon of turmeric,
- a teaspoon of cayenne pepper,
- 3 whole cloves,
- 2 cardamom seeds,
- cinnamon stick,
- freshly ground pepper,
- sea salt (2% of the weight of the entire salad).
How to do it:
- Place an empty, deep bowl on the kitchen scale in which you will mix all the ingredients. Check its weight when empty and remember it for later.
- Peel the carrots and grate them on a large grater. Transfer to a bowl.
- Peel the outer cabbage leaves, rinse and set aside for later. Cut the cabbage into narrow strips and add to the dish.
- Peel the onion, ginger and garlic. Cut the onion into feathers and the ginger into thin sticks. Add all (whole garlic cloves) to the bowl.
- Add bay leaves, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cloves and cardamom seeds. Add a cinnamon stick broken in half and season with freshly ground pepper.
- Place the bowl back on the scale and weigh how many grams it now weighs. Subtract the weight of the bowl from the beginning – this is the weight of its contents. Add sea salt – a portion is 2% of the calculated total weight (e.g. if the salad weighs one kilogram, add 20 g of salt).
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, then cover with a kitchen cloth and set aside on the kitchen counter for two hours. The vegetables should release their juices, which, combined with salt, will create a natural brine.
- Then transfer everything to sterilized jars. Press lightly with a pestle and place a washed cabbage leaf (previously left from the head) on top. Weighten it with a fermentation weight. Do not close tightly. Set aside on the kitchen counter for seven days (gently unscrew the jars every day to allow the gas to escape).
- After this time, put it in the fridge to stop the fermentation processes.
A pickled salad of white cabbage, carrots, ginger, garlic, onion, seasoned with bay leaves, cloves, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and black pepper sounds like a powerful treasury of vitamins and minerals. That’s how it really is – it’s a mixture that has a strong health-promoting effect on the body.
Why is it worth eating pickled salad for immunity?
- Supports the intestinal microbiota – fermented vegetables are a source of beneficial probiotic bacteria that improve digestion, ensure proper intestinal function, and consequently also have a positive effect on immunity. Healthy intestinal microflora also has a direct impact on hormonal balance and better well-being,
- has antibacterial and antiviral properties – garlic, ginger and cloves contain natural compounds (allicin and gingerol) that help fight infections,
- contains fiber and antioxidants – cabbage and carrots are rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and flavonoids, which support the immune system, have anti-cancer potential, reduce inflammation and delay the aging process of the body,
- stimulates circulation and metabolism – ginger and cayenne pepper have a warming effect and improve circulation, which can be a valuable support on colder days. Additionally, supporting metabolism results in losing unnecessary kilograms,
- has anti-inflammatory properties and supports bone health – cardamom, cinnamon and cloves contain bioactive compounds that support metabolic balance. Fermented cabbage and carrots are rich in vitamin K, calcium and magnesium, which are key ingredients for maintaining strong bones. Antioxidants additionally support tissue regeneration,
- helps detoxify the body – pickled vegetables support liver function and the removal of harmful substances from the body.
A clinical study conducted by a team of scientists from Stanford University School of Medicine entitled “Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status” (2021) indicated that A diet rich in fermented foods increases the diversity of gut microorganisms and reduces molecular signs of inflammation. A group of 36 people were offered diets – in various degrees – full of yogurt, kefir, kimchi and other pickled vegetables, vegetable brine drinks and kombucha.
Those who ate the most of them had the best results at the end of the study. Not only has the intestinal microbiota improved (including immunity), but also… a decrease in the activity of inflammatory markers responsible for the development of, among others, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes or chronic stress. Dr. Justin Sonnenburg, associate professor of microbiology and immunology, one of the study’s authors, said that “this is one of the first examples of how a simple dietary change can reproducibly transform the microbiota in a group of healthy adults.”
This addition is more than just a tasty snack – it is worth preparing because of its enormous health-promoting power. How to eat pickled salad for immunity? Tastes great as addition to pork loin, baked chicken or fishbut also for dinner with whole wheat bread and lean meats. It can be administered for groats, potatoes or as an ingredient in tortillas and wraps. It is a universal, refreshing and light complement to lunch or dinner. It strengthens immunity and gives energy all year round.
Source: Terazgotuje.pl, med.stanford.edu, YouTube @gazoakleychef
