Got Gut Issues? Try This Spicy Pickled Veggie Recipe, A Natural Probiotic Solution

A healthy gut is the cornerstone of overall well-being. It’s one of the body’s most vital systems; when neglected, it can drag down both physical and mental performance.

But when your gut thrives, so do you: it strengthens your immune system, sharpens your mind, and enhances nutrient absorption.

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To support gut health, probiotics are key to balancing the trillions of microorganisms in your digestive system, especially since some bacteria can be harmful. A healthy microbiome is the internal ecosystem your body relies on for overall well-being.

Fermented foods make excellent natural probiotics. With that in mind, check out this recipe by Dr. David Ludwig, professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Spicy Pickled Vegetables (Escabeche)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups filtered water
• 1 to 1¼ tablespoons sea salt
• 1 jalapeño or a few small hot chillies, or to taste, sliced
• 1 large carrot, cut into ¼-inch rounds or diagonal slices
• 1 to 2 cups chopped cauliflower or small cauliflower florets
• 3 small stalks of celery (use only small inner stalks from the heart), cut into 1-inch sticks
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cabbage leaf

Methods:

• Warm the water (no need to boil). Stir in the sea salt until it dissolves completely. Set aside to cool (you can use this time to cut the vegetables). The salt water can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed glass jar on the counter to use when ready to pickle.
• Set a quart-size canning jar in the sink and fill it with boiling water to sterilise. Empty the jar and tightly pack the cut vegetables and bay leaf inside to within 1 to 2 inches of the top of the jar. Add the vinegar to the salt water, and pour the mixture over the vegetables to fill the jar to within 1 inch of the top. Wedge the cabbage leaf over the top of the vegetables and tuck it around the edges to hold the vegetables beneath the liquid.
• Set the jar on the counter and cover with a fermentation lid. (Alternatively, use a standard lid and loosen it a bit more each day for the first few days, then loosen it incrementally every other day, to allow gases to escape.) Let pickle for three to five days, depending on the indoor temperature (the vegetables will pickle faster in warmer climates). Check the taste at the end of the third day, using clean utensils. Make sure the vegetables stay packed beneath the level of the liquid, adding salted water (2 teaspoons sea salt dissolved in 1 cup warm filtered water) as needed.
• When the vegetables are pickled to your liking, seal the jar with a regular lid and refrigerate. The vegetables will continue to slowly pickle in the refrigerator. They will keep for about one month. Taste for saltiness before serving and, if desired, rinse gently to remove excess salt.