7 Tangy Recipes for Sour Food Lovers

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love sour food and those who like bland food. We kid, we kid. (Kind of.)

If you’re obsessed with all things tangy, you know that pretty much every dish tastes better with a hint of acid. Whether that translates to a pile of sauerkraut heaped alongside grilled sausages, a lemon squeezed over pasta or a vinaigrette that wakes up every bite, you’re not going to need much convincing to dig into this assortment of bright recipes. 

We see your pickle snacks and your lazy Susan of fermented veg and raise you these seven tartness-filled delights.

1. Bratwurst with Sauerkraut

Plain bratwurst? Fine. But after bite number three, we’re kind of over it. Enter a pile of spiced, wine-infused sauerkraut and apples and we’re eating until our waistbands bust. Though you can pile sauerkraut straight from a jar alongside grilled or pan-fried sausages, it benefits from an infusion of flavor. Here, said flavor is courtesy of juniper berries, bay leaves, caraway seeds and apples. Look for a butcher that makes traditional German bratwurst, which is thinner and longer than American versions and made with a blend of pork, beef and veal. For another way to combine these two traditional ingredients, look to Holland’s Dutch Sauerkraut & Sausage Bake (Zuurkoolschotel Met Rookworst).

2. Radicchio-Fennel-Citrus Salad

Though the Venn diagram isn’t an exact overlap, lovers of sour food often love bitter food, too. In this wintery salad, radicchio, fennel and oranges mingle under a sherry vinegar-infused dressing. (If you don’t like an overly sweet dressing, opt for blood oranges.) Serve this alongside a plank of grilled salmon, seared steaks or as a palate cleanser after a creamy pasta course.

3. Hex Hoagie

A sandwich isn’t truly great until it gets the balance of rich and tart right. Meat and cheese are all well and good, but without something acidic to cut through them, things get one-note real fast. Our generously stacked hoagie solves that with a bevy of pickled ingredients, including hot cherry peppers and capers folded into a flavorful artichoke-pepper spread. It then doubles down with a red wine-heavy vinaigrette. After this, you may never want to build a sandwich without one or the other. If this speaks to the sour condiment lover in you, then you’ll also want to bookmark our Chicago-Style Italian Beef.

4. Pasta al Limone With Shrimp & Crunchy Breadcrumbs

Move over, cacio e pepe and lasagna. Pasta al limone deserves a spot in the comfort-food rotation, too. This version incorporates 2 tablespoons of lemon zest and ½ cup of lemon juice into its savory sauce, with butter and starchy pasta water smoothing all that brightness into a luxuriously slick coating for every strand of spaghetti. Anchovy-infused crispy breadcrumbs ensure each bite has as much texture as flavor, while jumbo shrimp turn the whole thing into a proper dinner.

5. Tomato, Peach and Burrata Salad With Chile-Lime Vinaigrette

Enhance the natural acidity of tomatoes with a spicy, lime-spiked vinaigrette that gets an extra savory edge from fish sauce. A mix of heirloom, vine and cherry tomatoes keeps the texture varied, while ripe-but-firm peaches add sweetness without turning the whole thing into fruit salad. Tear plenty of creamy burrata, scatter with Thai basil and serve with grilled bread for scooping up all the juices. If peaches aren’t in season, swap in more tomatoes or try avocado instead.

6. Apple Cider –Braised Pork

While pork braised slowly in a mixture of apple cider and apple cider vinegar won’t actually taste vinegary, any sour obsessive will certainly have vinegar on hand for impromptu braising. Vinegar cuts through the fatty bits of pork shoulder, tenderizing it so that each bite melts in your mouth. It’s a fantastic centerpiece for a laid-back fall dinner party, especially paired with a tangy salad (see above). Serve with potatoes—mashed to soak up the delicious juices or roasted for a crispy contrast to the tender meat—and bitter greens tossed with a lemony vinaigrette.

7. Pickled Grilled Shrimp with Ancho Butter and Pineapple-Mango Salsa

You may be used to pickling vegetables and maybe even an egg if you were feeling crazy, but pickled shrimp? That’s a new one. This recipe layers a few steps to get you to tender, tangy shrimp with a hint of char. First, cook the shrimp in boiling water until just done, then marinate them for 4 to 6 hours in a spicy garlic-herb mixture. A quick turn on the grill adds smoky contrast to all that sour, briny flavor. Drizzle with ancho butter and spoon over the pineapple-mango salsa for a bright, slightly sweet finish.

Don't mind us, we're just channeling some serious sour power here.