Beautiful 'booch
Kombucha can do way more than just fizzle in a glass. The probiotic-packed brew makes all kinds of dishes efferversce! Check out these creative kombucha-filled recipes, excerpted from the new book Kombucha Revolution: 75 Recipes for Homemade Brews, Fixers, Elixirs, and Mixersby Stephen Lee, and get ready to appreciate the tasty health benefits of kombucha in a whole new way.
Reprinted with permission from Kombucha Revolution by Stephen Lee, © 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House LLC.
Cover photography©2014 by Katie Newburn; All other photography©2014 by Leo Gong
Kombucha Green Smoothie
Kale is king. This superstar leafy vegetable is everywhere—in salads, dried as chips, and, of course, blended in smoothies (even in the lab; check out kalettes, the new love child of kale and Brussels sprouts). Like its “K” cousin, kombucha, kale promotes regular digestion and helps balance the good bacteria in your gut. The bee pollen in this smoothie is a natural remedy for seasonal allergies like hay fever. And, like kombucha, bee pollen is said to enhance energy.
SERVES: 2
1 c plain kombucha
Juice from ½ lemon
3 bananas
1 apple, cored and peeled
1 pear, cored and peeled
2 c stemmed and chopped kale
1 tsp bee pollen (optional)
1. COMBINE the kombucha and lemon juice in a blender.
2. ADD the bananas, apple, pear, kale, and bee pollen.
3. BLEND and serve.
NUTRITION (per serving) 305 cal, 5 g pro, 77 g carb, 11 g fiber, 41 g sugars, 1.5 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 34 mg sodium
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Kombucha Lime Ceviche
Popular at tapas restaurants, ceviche can easily be made at home, too. Serve this kombucha version in fancy martini glasses garnished with slices of lime—perfect for a hot summer dinner gathering. You can select one kind of fish or use a variety, such as scallops, shrimp, halibut, flounder, or swordfish.
While the lime juice “cooks” the fish—partially or completely, depending on how long it is marinated—make sure the seafood is very fresh because the citric acid does not kill bacteria and parasites as well as heat does. Note that the ceviche will need to marinate for several hours.
SERVES: 4
1 lb bay scallops (or another fish of your choice)
1 c plain kombucha, plus more as needed
Juice of 2 limes, plus more as needed
½ tsp coarsely ground sea salt
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
3 green onions, green and white parts, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
½red bell pepper, minced
½ c chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper or a dash of hot sauce
1. RINSE the scallops in cool water and place them in a medium bowl. Pour the kombucha and lime juice over the scallops. Add salt. The scallops should be completely immersed. Stir the mixture together gently.
2. CHILL the scallops for several hours until the scallops are opaque. (It is important that you cannot see through the scallops. This is how you know they are naturally cooked.) Remove half of the ceviche liquid from the bowl and discard. Keep the remaining liquid and add the tomatoes, green onions, celery, red pepper, parsley, garlic, olive oil, cilantro, and black pepper. Stir together. You may add more lime or kombucha to the final mixture if desired. Serve.
NUTRITION (per serving) 251 cal, 25 g pro, 13 g carb, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 11.5 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 582 mg sodium
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Veggie Delight
This savory tomato blend is complemented well by the sweet tartness of kombucha. Sprinkle a dash of hot sauce to give a bit of a spicy kick.
SERVES: 2
6 tomatoes, or 1½ c tomato juice
½green bell pepper
½ red bell pepper
4 celery stalks
½ c chopped green onion, green parts only
½ c chopped cilantro leaves
½ c plain kombucha
¾ tsp kosher salt
Hot sauce, to taste
1. COMBINE the tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, celery, green onion, and cilantro in a juicer and juice.
2. MIX the vegetable juice with the kombucha in a pitcher. Add the salt and hot sauce (and a shot of vodka for an excellent Bloody Mary, if you so desire.) Serve and enjoy!
NUTRITION (per serving) 120 cal, 5 g pro, 26 g carb, 8 g fiber, 16 g sugars, 1 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 974 mg sodium
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Kombucha Green Papaya Salad
The two papayas commonly grown are red and yellow in color, but pick either early, and it’s called a green papaya. The unripe green fruit isn’t sweet; it's actually kind of sour, which works well with the tanginess of kombucha in this ultimately savory dish. Combine with tastes common to Thai cuisine—fish sauce, hot chiles, salt, sugar, and sour lime—and you have a bowlful of complex flavors sure to please as a precursor to dinner or as an entrée that can stand alone. If available, you can substitute fresh Thai chiles for the chili paste.
SERVES: 4 to 6
½c plain kombucha
½ c freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
1 Tbsp sambal olec chili paste
2 Tbsp lightly packed brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lg green papaya, peeled and shredded or finely julienned
2 c grape tomatoes, halved
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
½ c macadamia nuts, chopped and toasted
1. COMBINE the kombucha, lime juice, fish sauce, sambal olec, brown sugar, and garlic in a bowl and mix.
2. ADD the papaya, tomatoes, cilantro, and macadamia nuts and toss until well mixed.
NUTRITION (per serving, if 4 servings) 213 cal, 3 g pro, 25 g carb, 4 g fiber, 17 g sugars, 13 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 809 mg sodium
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Sweet Beet Juice
Pull out your juicer to make this fresh combination, or simply buy the juices to make this sweet and tangy blend with a subtle ginger flavor.
SERVES: 2
1½-inch knob peeled fresh ginger
1½ c plain kombucha
½ c freshly squeezed orange juice
½ c carrot juice
½ c beet juice
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1. COMBINE the ginger, kombucha, orange juice, carrot juice, beet juice, and lemon juice in a blender and blend for about 15 seconds. Note: There will be small pieces of ginger.
2. STRAIN through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the ginger pieces, if desired. Serve.
NUTRITION (per serving) 91 cal, 2 g pro, 21 g carb, 0 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 0 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 164 mg sodium
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