Curtido
Curtido is the constant companion of Salvadoran pupusas: finely shredded cabbage with carrot, onion and chilli, covered with vinegar and water and seasoned with oregano. Crunchy, sour and slightly hot, it balances the rich, cheesy flatbreads. The cabbage is scalded briefly so it softens and absorbs the brine better. It is best after a night in the fridge. It resembles a vinegar cabbage slaw, only with oregano and chilli instead of caraway.
Your own work in that: 10 min.
- Shredding 20 min
- Scalding the cabbage 5 min
- Mixing 5 min
- Resting in the fridge 240 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneShred the cabbage
Remove the outer leaves and core, and shred the cabbage very finely with a knife or mandoline.
Ingredients: 500 g white cabbage · 1 pcs large carrot · ½ pcs white onion · 1 pcs jalapeño or mild red chilli · 1000 ml boiling water for scalding
The thinner the strips, the better they take the brine.Prepare the other vegetables
Coarsely grate the carrot, slice the onion thinly and cut the chilli into thin rings — seeded if you prefer it milder.
Ingredients: 500 g white cabbage · 1 pcs large carrot · ½ pcs white onion · 1 pcs jalapeño or mild red chilli · 1000 ml boiling water for scalding
Scald the cabbage
Put the cabbage in a colander in the sink and pour the boiling water over it slowly, turning it with a fork so every strand is scalded. Wait 1 minute, rinse with cold water and squeeze well.
Ingredients: 500 g white cabbage · 1 pcs large carrot · ½ pcs white onion · 1 pcs jalapeño or mild red chilli · 1000 ml boiling water for scalding
Just scald it — the cabbage should stay crunchy.Mix the vegetables
In a large bowl mix the cabbage with the carrot, onion and chilli.
Ingredients: 500 g white cabbage · 1 pcs large carrot · ½ pcs white onion · 1 pcs jalapeño or mild red chilli · 1000 ml boiling water for scalding
Make the brine
Mix the vinegar with the cold water, the oregano rubbed between your fingers, the sugar and salt until dissolved.
Ingredients: 120 ml cider vinegar · 120 ml cold water · 1 tsp dried oregano · 1 tsp sugar · 1 tsp salt
Dress the vegetables
Pour the brine over the vegetables and mix thoroughly by hand, squeezing lightly.
Ingredients: 120 ml cider vinegar · 120 ml cold water · 1 tsp dried oregano · 1 tsp sugar · 1 tsp salt
Pack into a jar
Pack the slaw into a large jar, press down with a spoon so the brine covers it, and close.
Ingredients: 120 ml cider vinegar · 120 ml cold water · 1 tsp dried oregano · 1 tsp sugar · 1 tsp salt
Press down — the brine should cover the vegetables.Refrigerate
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Stir and drain off excess brine before serving.
Ingredients: 120 ml cider vinegar · 120 ml cold water · 1 tsp dried oregano · 1 tsp sugar · 1 tsp salt
Before you start
With pupusas
Curtido is served above all with pupusas — corn flatbreads filled with cheese or beans — together with a thin tomato salsa. It also suits tacos, sandwiches and grilled meat.
Fermented version
You can also ferment curtido without vinegar: knead the vegetables with oregano and chilli with 2% of their weight in salt (14 g for 700 g of vegetables), press into a jar under the brine and keep 3–5 days at room temperature, then in the fridge. Check daily that the vegetables stay under the brine — anything above it goes mouldy.
Storage
The vinegar slaw keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge in a closed jar. Always use a clean spoon. The brine is only mildly acidic, so this is not a pantry preserve — keep curtido in the fridge only.