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Sauerkraut Gochugaru Dip

Sauerkraut and gochugaru? Yes! This spicy, tangy dip is delicious! Especially with the BEST vegan fried chicken. Please make this Sauerkraut Gochugaru Dip and thank yourself later!

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Video tutorial for the BEST vegan fried chicken (with sauerkraut gochugaru dip)

How to Make Sauerkraut Gochugaru Dip

This spicy vegan dip recipe is so easy! Just blend everything together until it’s smooth. Or leave it chunky. It’s really up to you! The only hard part might be figuring out the ingredients if they aren’t all familiar to you. Don’t worry; I’ll help you!

What is Gochugaru?

Gochugaru, also known as Korean red pepper powder, is made from dried Korean chili peppers. The colour is super bright red which makes this dip so vibrant to look at. However, the flavour may not be as fiery as it may appear. They can vary in spice level so check the package before you buy it. Some are quite mild while others can be quite spicy hot.

Buy gochugaru at Korean grocery stores, other Asian grocery stores, or buy gochugaru online!

Gochugaru substitutes

If you cannot get Korean red pepper powder, I will generally substitute 1 to 1 with sweet paprika. Then for added heat and flavour, mix in some cayenne. Finally, for a little smokiness, add in a little smoked paprika or chipotle powder.  If you don’t have all three of these, just make do with what you have! There are no rules!

What is Gochujang

Gochujang is a thick sauce make from fermented Korean red peppers. It has the complexity of soy sauce or miso but is also spicy. Also known as Hot Pepper Paste, you can buy it at Korean grocery stores, other Asian grocery stores, or buy gochujang online.

Gochujang Substitutes

THERE ARE NONE. I mean, Gochujang is a unique product that isn’t easily substituted with other ingreidents if you really want that flavour. BUT if you must substitute (for example for gluten-free), you can use (gluten-free) sriracha instead. They are two different flavour profiles and won’t give you the same result but this dip is still pretty delicious when using sriracha instead of gochujang.

Why Sauerkraut?

My first instinct was to blend in kimchi for a fresh tasting Korean-inspired salsa but I didn’t have any on hand. Note to self: make more homemade vegan kimchi. But sauerkraut, being fermented cabbage, was able to slip in as a pretty good alternative that’s easy to find in regular grocery stores. Everything worked out perfectly in the end; it was delicious! The lesson? Don’t give up; use what you have!

So of course, if you don’t have sauerkraut but you do have kimchi, feel free to substitute 1 to 1 and prepare for a spicier dip!

But if you have the sauerkraut, also try my “instant” yogurt-y dill dip that also uses sauerkraut. Two birds, one jar. So to speak. And both go perfectly with my vegan fried chicken!

Tone down the spice!

The above ingredients will give you a lot of heat and tang so you will have to balance it with sweet! Brown sugar is perfect because it has more flavour and body compared to white sugar. If you find your dip too spicy for you, try adding more brown sugar. Or dilute with more sauerkraut or sauerkraut juice.

Sauerkraut Gochugaru Dip

Yield: 1/3 cup

Sauerkraut Gochugaru Dip

Sauerkraut Gochugaru Dip

This Sauerkraut Gochugaru Dip is fresh, spicy, tangy and a little sweet; perfect to contrast a fried dish (like my vegan fried "chicken". Or make this as a topping for your favourite grain bowls or grilled veggies. Either way, all you'll need is the ingredients, a few minutes, and a blender.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sauerkraut (and a couple tablespoons of the juice)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)*
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

    Blend until smooth. Add more sauerkraut juice if necessary to help everything blend. Use right away or store in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

*to make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari, skip the gochujang and use gluten-free sriracha instead.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

2 Tablespoons

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 33Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 773mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g

Nutritional Information automatically calculated by a plugin and may not be correct.

Did you make this recipe?

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Showing 6 comments
  • Billy
    Reply

    This looks so delicious! I’ve never tried making something like this before at home but I’m definitely going to give it a try the next time I head to the grocery store! Thank you so much for sharing!

  • Maureen Longlade
    Reply

    I’m making the fried chicken right now. But I’m wondering if Thai red curry paste would work instead of thegochujang

  • Sam Becker
    Reply

    Just made this as the dipping sauce for the vegan fried chicken and was blown away by how well the two paired. I added a tablespoon of vegan cream cheese for a creamier experience.

  • Laura
    Reply

    Can we PIN this?

  • Laura
    Reply

    would love to PIN this.

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