homemade kimchi

Kimchi is a spicy Korean side dish that is traditionally fermented, similar to sauerkraut. It is usually made with napa cabbage along with other vegetables like carrots, onions, ginger, and garlic. Korean chili flakes give it a spicy kick! Kimchi is surprisingly easy to make and so delicious!

Kimchi

Napa cabbage (about 1-2 medium cabbage)

Tbsp Ball® Salt for Pickling and Preserving (plus more as needed to make extra brine)

garlic

Korean chili flakes ((gochugaru))

Tbsp fresh ginger (grated)

Tbsp fish sauce

Tbsp lite soy sauce

carrot

onions

Remove any bruised outer leaves of the Napa cabbage, then cut it into quarters. Remove the core and cut the cabbage quarters again lengthwise into long 2.5 inch (6 cm) wide ribbons.

Put the cabbage ribbons into a large bowl and sprinkle them with salt. Massage the salt into the cabbage (this works best by using your clean hands), squeezing to release the liquid. Cover the bowl and let it stand for 1-2 hours.

Meanwhile, process the garlic, ginger, Korean chili flakes, soy sauce, and fish sauce in a food processor until a paste forms.

After the salted cabbage has sat for 1-2 hours, add the grated carrot, green onions, and chili paste. Massage everything in the bowl to combine, wearing gloves if desired.

Pack the kimchi into a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart Jar, pressing it firmly down with your hands or a spoon. Leave at least 2 inches (5 cm) of headspace. Pour any liquid from the bowl over the kimchi, pressing down firmly to help the liquid cover the cabbage. There may or may not be a lot of natural brine, but the cabbage will continue to release it as it ferments.

Place the fermentation spring on top of the kimchi, flat side down, then twist the lid on. 

Wipe the jar down and cover it with a cloth. Store in a cool place for 24-36 hours.

After this time, if the brine is still not covering the cabbage by one inch (2.5 cm), remove the lid and spring and add some additional brine to cover. You can make more brine by dissolving one teaspoon Ball® Salt for Pickling and Preserving into one cup of water. Wipe the jar rim before replacing the spring and lid, and discard any unused brine.

Check daily to make sure that the cabbage and vegetables stay under the brine.

Let the kimchi ferment for one week, then do a taste test. If you like the mild tangy flavor, proceed to the next step. If you prefer a stronger flavor, you can ferment for one more week, tasting every 3 days, until the desired flavor develops.

Once it has finished fermenting to your liking, remove the spring and add fresh brine as necessary to cover. Wipe the jar rim before replacing the lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Easy Vegan Kimchi made with fresh Napa cabbage and homemade vegan fish sauce. One of the many Korean dishes I simply cannot live without. 

Homemade Vegan Kimchi

room temperature water

dried shiitake mushrooms

kombu (dried kelp)

sea salt

MSG (optional)

light brown miso

tamari soy sauce

head (650-700 g) fresh Napa cabbage

(70 g) carrot, thinly sliced

scallions, segmented

(200 g) korean radish (or daikon radish), thinly sliced

room temperature water, for brining

coarse kosher salt

(20 g) rice flour

(240 g) water

vegan fish sauce

sugar (or maple syrup)

(50-65 g) gochugaru (Korean red chili

garlic, crushed

ginger,

(200 g) yellow onion, quartered

salt

Prepare the Napa Cabbage. Slice of the root of the cabbage and tear leaves off whole one by one. Check the middle of the cabbage for any discolored/gray leaves — if there are any, discard them. Transfer the cabbage leaves into a large bowl, and add the water and coarse kosher salt. Rub the salt into the cabbage well, and let marinate for at least 2 hours.

Make Vegan Fish Sauce. In a medium-sized pot, add kombu (dried kelp), dried shiitake mushrooms, and room temperature water. Bring the water to a boil, lower to a simmer, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Once 15 minutes is up, strain the broth into a large bowl and whisk in sea salt, MSG, light brown miso, and tamari soy sauce. Whisk until thoroughly combined and taste to adjust seasoning. Note: add more MSG to increase umami flavor; add more soy sauce/sea salt to increase depth of flavor and saltiness. While still warm, transfer to a clean mason jar and seal tight. Refrigerate to keep up to 1 month.

Make Spicy Paste. While the cabbage is marinating, start preparing the spicy paste. In a pot, combine water & rice flour and heat on medium heat while stirring. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes gluey. Set aside to let cool. Once cooled, finish the spicy paste by blending onions, ginger, and garlic, sugar, vegan fish sauce (or more water), salt, and the porridge. Blend until smooth. Transfer the blended mixture into a bowl and stir in the gochugaru (red pepper powder).

Prepare Other Vegetables. Slice the scallions into segments, julienne (thinly slice) the carrots and radish. Combine them in a bowl and set aside.

Finish Making the Kimchi. Rinse the cabbage under running water at lest three times to get rid of the excess salt. Note: if you don't do this step well, your kimchi will be very salty. Dry the cabbage well after the last rinse and combine with the prepared vegetables (scallions, carrots, radish). Add in the spicy paste and massage it well. Pack the kimchi into a clean, airtight container. Press down while packing to remove all the air bubbles. Ferment the kimchi inside a refrigerator for at least 1 1/2 weeks. To speed up the process, you can leave the kimchi out on a room temperature counter for 2-3 days.

Make my easy kimchi with just one 3-pound head of napa cabbage! This small-batch mak-kimchi is cut into bite-size pieces before salting, making it simple to prepare and easy to serve.

Small-batch easy kimchi (Mak-kimchi: 막김치)

Asian pear (about ½ cup), peeled and cut into chunks

gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes), or

Korean radish

carrot (about ¼ cup),

buchu (Asian chives),

green onions, sliced diagonally

oysters, chopped, optional

sesame seeds, for serving fresh kimchi (optional)

water, divided

onion (about ¼ cup), cut into chunks

Quarter and core the cabbage

Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the core from each quarter.

Cut into bite-sized pieces

Cut each quarter in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1½-inch pieces.

Transfer to a bowl

Salt the cabbage for 2 hours

Add the kosher salt and 1 cup of water and toss well. Let stand for 2 hours, tossing the cabbage every 30 minutes so it salts evenly.

Combine flour and water

Meanwhile, combine the flour and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and stir well.

Cook the porridge

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add sugar and cool

Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes slightly translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

Blend the seasoning base

Combine the fish sauce, cooled flour porridge, saeujeot, garlic, ginger, onion, and pear in a food processor. Process until smooth, then transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Mix in pepper flakes and vegetables

Add the gochu-garu and stir well with a wooden spoon. Stir in the radish, carrot, chives, green onions, and oysters (if using). Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Rinse and drain the cabbage

Rinse and drain the salted cabbage 3 times under cold running water. Drain thoroughly and gently squeeze out any excess water.

Mix cabbage with seasoning

Add the cabbage to the seasoning mixture. Wearing disposable gloves if you like, gently mix by hand until every piece is evenly coated.

Pack into jars

Transfer the kimchi to one or more glass jars or airtight containers. Press it down firmly to remove air pockets and pack it tightly, then cover.

Serve fresh

You can serve the kimchi immediately, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Ferment and refrigerate

To ferment it slowly, refrigerate it for about 2 weeks. For faster fermentation, leave it at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, depending on the warmth of your kitchen, until it smells and tastes pleasantly sour. Then store it in the refrigerator.

Store and enjoy

The kimchi will continue to ferment and become more sour over time. You can enjoy it at every stage! Whenever you take kimchi from the container, press the remaining kimchi down with a spoon so it stays covered in its juices and is exposed to as little air as possible.

Top 3 homemade kimchi recipes from across the web

The most viewed homemade kimchi recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Kimchi

Homemade Vegan Kimchi

Small-batch easy kimchi (Mak-kimchi...

Top 3 homemade kimchi recipes from across the web

The most viewed homemade kimchi recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Kimchi

Homemade Vegan Kimchi

Small-batch easy kimchi (Mak-kimchi...

The most viewed homemade kimchi recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine