We hear it all the time, and I say it plenty: Eat your yogurt for probiotics. But if you choose not to eat dairy foods or cannot tolerate them, finding dairy-free fermented foods for your probiotics can pose more of a challenge. However, that doesn't have to be the case. There are many dairy-free foods rich in probiotics and beneficial bacteria.
Sauerkraut
A much loved and much-loathed fermented cabbage dish hailing from northern Europe, naturally prepared sauerkraut is both tart and salty. Decidedly fresher than the canned version you'll find on grocery store shelves, real sauerkraut has a crispy, not mushy, texture and is loaded with vitamin C and B vitamins. Furthermore, the process of fermenting cabbage actually creates isothiocyanate - a substance potentially linked to the inhibition of the formation of certain cancer and tumors.
Sauerkraut isn't the only form of probiotic-rich fermented cabbage. Latin America brings us curtido a dish in which cabbage combines with carrots, onion, and red pepper while Korea brings us wide varieties of kimchi, including kimchi made with cabbage as well as radish kimchi and cucumber kimchi.
Kombucha
Kombucha is another great source of beneficial bacteria that is also dairy-free. A fermented tea thought to originate in Russia or China, kombucha has long been considered a health tonic. Kombucha has a sour flavor with a taste reminiscent of apple cider vinegar combined with club soda, though home-brewed kombucha is often less acidic than store-bought.
A starter culture called a kombucha mushroom, mother, or SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts) is necessary to prepare kombucha. This starter culture thrives in the combination of brewed tea and sugar. The kombucha SCOBY metabolizes the sugar converting it to various acids which provide kombucha with its characteristically sour flavor.
Kombucha, like other fermented foods and beverages, is rich in beneficial bacteria and B vitamins. It also contains a substance called glucaric acid. Glucaric acid is deeply detoxifying and recent research indicates great promise that glucaric acid is effective in the treatment and prevention of breast, prostate, and colon cancer in humans.
You can purchase raw kombucha at most health food stores and even many chain supermarkets. Or you can brew your own with a starter culture, available online here.
Sauerruben
Sauerruben, like sauerkraut, is a fermented vegetable from northern Europe where fermentation offered an opportunity to preserve the harvest throughout the tough, cold winters. The ingredients are simple: turnips and unrefined salt. Tender, sweet turnips are shredded, or if you like them as we do, julienned and mixed with unrefined sea salt before they are pounded down to release their juice. The turnip juice combines with the sea salt to create a brine that fosters the growth of beneficial bacteria - provided it's not too salty. Turnips and sauerruben are great sources of vitamin C.
Miso
Composed of soybeans in combination with barley or rice, miso is a traditional Japanese condiment used primarily in soups or as a seasoning for vegetables, meats, and fish (check out my misoyaki salmon recipe). Miso is primarily fermented by aspergillus oryzae, a mold, that is also responsible for the transformation of soybeans into shoyu or tamari.
Miso is widely touted as wholesome, nourishing food. Miso is high in vitamin K (learn about vitamin K and other fat soluble vitamins) as well as vitamin B6. It's also a good source of phosphorus, manganese, and zinc.
In preparing miso, take care not to overheat it. While you may use it to season cooked foods, doing so destroys heat-sensitive microbiota. When making a good miso soup, wait to add the miso paste until the stock has cooled to blood temperature, and then allow it to slowly dissolve into the liquid. By preparing miso soup in this fashion, the miso retains food enzymes and other characteristics of living foods.
Water Kefir
Water kefir, alternatively known as tibicos and Japanese water crystals, is a probiotic beverage similar to Kombucha and Ginger Beer. Water kefir grains are translucent and gelatinous with a crystal-like appearance.
Like kombucha mothers, water kefir grains are a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts including lactobacillus hilgardii - the species that gives water kefir grains their characteristic appearance.
It's easy to make water kefir. You'll need water kefir grains, water, and sugar. Follow this tutorial for basic water kefir. From there, you can flavor it to make Cherry Water Kefir, Cranberry Orange Water Kefir, or anything else you might like.
Moroccan Preserved Lemons
Moroccan preserved lemons are naturally fermented without the use of a starter - just wild lactobacillus bacteria naturally present in the air, on our skin, and on the fruits themselves. Just as with sauerkraut, sauerruben, and other fermented vegetables and fruit, preserved lemons are rich in beneficial bacteria.
Lemons, like all citrus, are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C in particular. Much of the vitamin C is concentrated in the lemon's rind which is customarily discarded due to its astringent, bitter flavor. Fermenting lemons naturally with salt and brine renders the lemon rind not only edible but also delicious.
Lemons are remarkably well-suited to a variety of dishes including classic Moroccan cuisine like lemon and olive roasted chicken and tagines, but I like to serve preserved lemons as a condiment in combination with fresh parsley and fresh garlic.
Check out my recipe for Preserved Lemon & Parsley Tapenade, and don't forget to learn to make Moroccan Preserved Lemons - especially when Meyer lemons are in season.
Homemade Ginger Beer
Traditional ginger beer is cultured using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts similar to water kefir grains, indeed, there's some evidence that water kefir grains and the ginger beer plant are substantially the same in that both ginger beer plants and water kefir grains share many of the same characteristic bacteria.
There is also a second, more accessible form, of ginger beer and other homemade sodas like this Raspberry Ginger Soda. In this version, you mix ginger, sugar, and water together to encourage the growth of wild bacteria and yeasts, much like a sourdough starter. It forms a ginger bug, that is then strained and added to fruit juice or sweetened herbal infusions to make a naturally fizzy, homemade, probiotic soda.
Ginger bugs can be a little finicky and are best undertaken by cooks who are experienced with fermentation, but you can follow this ginger bug tutorial.
Sour Pickles
Most pickles on your grocery store shelves are pickled using vinegar, but, traditionally, sour pickles acquired their potent sourness from fermentation. Sour pickles are prepared using a simple solution of salt and water. This brine encourages the growth of lactic-acid-producing beneficial bacteria, that metabolize the carbohydrates in cucumbers and create beneficial acids that preserve the cucumbers as pickles.
If you're game to make your own, try this recipe for traditional sour pickles.
Store-bought Condiments and Dressings
Not everyone has the time or energy to pound cabbage and salt into sauerkraut or crack a fresh coconut to prepare coconut kefir. So, for those of you with limited time, you can still find wholesome, naturally fermented dairy-free foods that can enliven your belly with beneficial bacteria.
Cristian says
Thank you very much for this article!
Laura Lewis says
I read your list and was looking for kvass, because it has changed my life and has been a major factor in getting rid of my problem with yeast (along with other dietary measures). Plus, I like it. I am talking about the kind of kvass made with beets in water with a little salt. This is really worth the effort if you like beets.
Jenny says
Kvass is awesome, and here's our recipe: https://nourishedkitchen.com/beet-kvass-recipe/
JD says
I have A silly question. The only thing I think of to do with sauerkraut is to put it on a hot dog. what else is it used on?
Jenny says
It's great on its own, as a side dish.
Sally Ann Robertson says
Also, you can take a supplement of soil-based probiotics
Karen says
Great article.
I'd also add tempeh & natto. Both easy to make at home as you can buy starter tempeh on internet & natto (an acquired taste) can be made from starter or a purchased pack. Though traditionally soy based, the great thing is at home you can make it with any beans, lentils or even try grains you want. Tricky part is getting skins off.
Japan also has a rich, varied pickle history. My favorite uses rice bran (nukazuke) to ferment. Some families have a bran culture that spans generations.
Oh, also I read recently of a guy in South Australia using water kefir + (water & milk excess grains) to enhance his sauerkraut fermentation. Think coined phrase kefirkraut.
Zy says
Can I make fermented coconut milk at home by using commercial cultured coconut milk and coconut water ?
Jenny says
Hi Zy,
You could try and let us know how it goes. I'm doubtful that it will be a successful strategy over time, and imagine that the culture will degrade with successive batches.
Jenny says
Yes, definitely.
Kelly says
Great article! I just wanted to mention tha most miso has gluten. I've found white miso paste (Eden brand) that is gluten free but it's not as flavorful as the red.
sam says
Me and my Husband was looking for dairy-free probiotic foods
since my gyno suggested that I eat more probiotics and I am very thankful
that I found your site & will bookmark it and share w/ others.
Oksana says
One very important probiotic drink is forgotten to list here, is milk kefir, which is cultivated alike tibicos but milk kefir grains are used, also called Tibetian grains (some people call them mushrooms). This is very popular milk fermented drink in Russia (they have a patent for it), Poland, it is also known in Japan, Italy and few more countries. Look for on e-bay, people sell it and also you find short description about its benefits. It is as healthy and useful as tibicos, maybe even more.
Jenny says
This is a dairy-free list.
Ian says
excellent article
PB says
So excited to see that coconut keifer was listed here. I just bought a small bottle of it at Whole Foods for $14. When I saw the ingredient listing on the label I knew I could make it myself. I'm a novice- so I'm guessing- as the exact directions are not posted above-
How much keifer culture to how much coconut water? Closed glass jar or open? Warm temp like in a closed oven? How long do you ferment? Can you always keep it on the counter or do you have to refridgerate it?
Any reply would be appreciated.
Thanks!
sara says
que bien
Marci says
I currently make and enjoy milk & water kefir and kombucha. I plan to make sauerkraut soon too. Great article by the way.
Why is it that we are always 'warned' to 'avoid fermented products' if we have candida overgrowth? Wouldn't these fermented products, full of beneficial bacteria, overpower the candida overgrowth, candida bacteria gone bad and out of control, and bring it under control and re-balance the intestinal flora?
Seems to me taking these wonderful fermented products would be helpful to restore homeostasis of the body's gut flora!
Rachel says
Marci: I know your comment was posted quite some time ago, but for those who have the same question, my alternative medicine doctor told me that candida is a sign of a leaky gut. (I had candida overgrowth up until recently.) That leaky gut is almost always a result of eating foods for which your body has antibodies—the worst culprit being gluten, with dairy products and other grains also being among the most common foods that trigger this immune response. (By the way, it makes NO difference whether the grains are soaked or sprouted, or whether the dairy products are raw because it's the proteins in those foods that are causing the problem.) You begin to heal and seal your gut by eliminating those foods that are causing an immune response. Then you get rid of the bad bacteria (Candida overgrowth) by discontinuing to "feed" it with sugars, starches, etc. Taking specific supplements, such as prebiotics, also helps a great deal. THEN you begin to repopulate your intestines with the friendly bacteria by consuming probiotic foods. Eating probiotic foods when you have a leaky gut can actually be counterproductive. Ideally, it's best to work with a qualified medical practitioner who understands this process.
Meghan at Making Love In The Kitchen says
Another great resource post. Thanks!
Ricki says
Fabulous resource--thanks! I just adore sour pickles. My grandfather used to make homemade ones, along with sour green tomatoes, which I love even more! I am going to try your recipe and see if I can reproduce the love. 🙂
EleanorGreen says
I was glad to see you mention coconut milk yogurt, as I'm one of those people who doesn't have time to crack a fresh coconut. The company that makes the coconut milk yogurt also makes a cultured coconut milk kefir. It's called So Delicious, and it's really very good!
Laryssa @Heaven In The Home says
As I'm learning how to make cultured foods, I am adding a small amount of whey to my condiments. This will at least tide me over until I can make my own!
Jenn_Siler says
Whey is milk!
Daily Diner says
Great list!
I am now going to say "excuse the mess, we are working on building up our childrens beneficial bacteria!"
Sudeep says
Hey ,
Gr8 list for those people who are allergic to dairy in general ..
I like the pickles for sure ...
How about boiled and then stored in vinegar .. I do not know the dish .. but I think so it would be the same right
Regards
Sudeep
Anna M says
Great list of delicious fermented foods! I really like kimchi as well, a Korean fermented vegetable side dish and I still have yet to try kefir. Kombucha is an acquired taste, but so full of healthy probiotics and enzymes. I find that a dairy free probiotic supplement is also an easy way to to get your daily beneficial bacteria dose. You can sprinkle in on room temperature food, or take the capsule with a little bit of food.
- Anna M
blog.nutri-health.com
Mike_tfb says
Great list!! (Started brewing kombucha tea recently, also, drinking miso in the morning. I think sauerkraut is next...) Thanks.
FoodRenegade says
Great list! A couple of these had fallen off my radar, like the ginger beer & preserved lemons. I know my kids would LOVE these.
Cheers,
KristenM
(AKA FoodRenegade)
Pamela says
Oops!...Should be Pamela....not an added p to the end. Again thank you so much. I think I'll just print out and add into my notebook. ReTweeted this.
Pamelap says
So much to take in here. Thank you for this great posting. All need to jot down notes and add to my ever growing Nourishing Traditions list.