Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

healthy and delicious

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 3d
Cook Time: 30m
Total Time: 30m
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
5.0 (16 Reviews)
Cooking Mode
Prevents your screen from turning off while cooking

Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

66
Calories
0.4g
Fat
15.4g
Carbohydrates
2.9g
Protein
0mg
Cholesterol
278mg
Sodium
1 cup
Serving Size
Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

Recipe Description

Curtido is a Salvadoran cultured slaw which is like a lightly fermented cabbage relish. It has been shown that fermented foods can play a big part in your overall wellness. Foods like curtido can help heal your gut. Fermenting your own foods is a great way to achieve better health. But remember not to heat up fermented foods as it can destroy the “good” bacteria.

To make this curtido, you will need a clean, sterilized large, two-quart jar or 2-3 smaller jars if you prefer. Start by salting shredded cabbage, onion, carrot, oregano with sea salt. Place the mixture in jars. It is important that the cabbage is completely covered with liquid. If the cabbage seems a bit dry, you can add a little brine (salted filtered water). You will need to weigh the mixture down during the fermentation process. There are several ways to do this. You can pack a cabbage leaf on top of the mixture, use a fermentation weight or tuck in a sandwich-sized zip lock bag on the top, fill with water and zip it closed. This will create a weight and barrier. Leave at room temperature for a few days, then refrigerate. Curtido will keep for many months, provided it is submerged at all times under the brine.

To make Curtido, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Prepare vegetables

    5 min
    Step 1 - Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

    Remove a few of the outer leaves of the cabbage and set to one side. Shred or chop cabbage finely with a mandolin, food processor or sharp knife. Slice the onion thinly in half rings and use a grater to shred the carrots or use a vegetable peeler to create long flat strips.

  2. 2

    Salt vegetables and macerate

    20 min
    Step 2 - Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

    Place half of all the ingredients (excluding the jalapeño) in a large bowl. Layer on the remaining half of the ingredients. Leave to rest for 10-20 minutes to allow the vegetables and salt merge and the natural juices to emerge. Macerate the mixture using your hands or a muddler.

  3. 3

    Fill sterilized jars

    3 min
    Step 3 - Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)Step 3 - Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

    Place jalapeño slices (or chili flakes, if using) in the bottom of each jar. Fill up each jar with the cabbage mixture packing tightly and pressing down to leave a 1-2-inch space at the top of the jar.

  4. 4

    Weight the curtido and seal

    1 min
    Step 4 - Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

    Weigh the mixture down using a cabbage leaf, fermentation weight or a ziplock bag filled with water. Cover the top with cheesecloth and place a lid tightly on the jar.

  5. 5

    Ferment

    3d min
    Step 5 - Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

    Store the curtido at room temperature for 3-5 days. Check the mixture daily to make sure the cabbage is still under brine. Tiny bubbles will start to rise up from the bottom of the jar which means fermentation is happening.

  6. 6

    Store

    Step 6 - Curtido (Salvadoran Style Pickled Cabbage)

    Store the curtido in the refrigerator for many months.

This Curtido is super simple to make and will last for many months once you ensure the cabbage is covered with the brine. Try making this soon and come back to leave a comment letting me know what you think.

About the author

Nina Cole

Nina dreams of gender equality and for women all over the world to feel empowered and enjoy the same freedom she has. She’s a careful consumer, believing that by being more conscious about the way we live we can make the world a better place! Already a vegetarian, she uses animal products sparingly and tries to produce as little waste as possible. Most of her recipes are vegan as a result!

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0 out of 5 (16 reviews)
Gérard Dupont
March 28, 2025
Verified

Cette recette de curtido est tout simplement incroyable! J’ai préparé cela pour un barbecue en famille et tout le monde a adoré. C'est si simple à faire et tellement bon pour la santé. Je recommmande à 100%!

Quentin Hunter
March 26, 2025
Verified

Making curtido was easy! It added flavor to my tacos.

Nick Harper
March 18, 2025
Verified

Superb! My kids loved it!

Kenny
October 14, 2024
Verified

Great flavors!

Eddie
July 13, 2024
Verified

So simple, delicious!

Kiki
October 15, 2023
Verified

Magnifico!

Tina Smith
October 5, 2023
Verified

I tried making curtido for the first time, and it turned out exceptional! My grandmother used to make this for family gatherings, and I felt proud to bring back that tradition. The ingredients are simple yet they come together beautifully. This is really healing for my gut too. Highly recommend it!

Fiona Martinez
October 2, 2023
Verified

Lovely recipe vibes!

Nathan Black
June 12, 2023
Verified

Made this curtido for my friend’s BBQ, everyone loved it! So simple and healthy with great flavours.

Q-Man
May 20, 2023
Verified

Superb taste buds!

Annie
April 25, 2023
Verified

Wow! I made this curtido on a rainy day and it totally lifted my spirits. The flavors are so fresh, and it was super easy to put together. My hubby and I can’t get enough of it! Fermentation rocks!

Xandra Baxter
January 12, 2022
Verified

Superb! Making Curtido brought back memories of my grandma's kitchen. It's so simple to prepare, and it's a delicious way to enjoy healthy fermented food. Definitely a recipe I'll make again.

Hannah
June 15, 2021
Verified

OMG, this curtido recipe is just the best! Made it for taco night with the fam, and they were all like, 'Yum!' The kids loved the crunch and I felt so proud using fresh veggies. So simple to make, too! Definitely adding this to our weekly rotation. High five to healthy eats! 🌟

Grace Thompson
May 17, 2021
Verified

Amazing! I made this for a family gathering, and everyone loved it! The flavors are just perfect and so fresh!

Hannah
December 2, 2020
Verified

So easy to make, family loves it!

Taste of the dish
Accuracy of stated difficulty
Instruction accuracy
Would you recommend this recipe to others?
0/1000
Add photos
Upload photos of your result. This will help others see how the dish should look.

Author Information

Email will not be displayed publicly