Description
Learn how to make authentic Vegan Kimchi thats as delicious as the traditional version using this easy method! Full of gut-healthy probiotics, this recipe is fish free, gluten free and covers everything you need to know about kimchi!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Salting Cabbage
- 1 medium head of napa cabbage (1.75 – 2lbs // 787 – 900 g)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp coarse sea salt (also called pickling salt)
Kimchi Seasoning Paste
- 1 heaping tbsp (12 g) sweet rice flour
- 2/3 cup (180 ml) kombu dashi or vegetable stock
- 1/2 (90 g) fuji apple, asian pear or persimmon
- 1 small (60 g) onion, roughly chopped
- 4–6 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup korean red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegan fish sauce**
- 1 tsp salt
Vegetables:
- 4 stalks of scallions, sliced
- 1 small (40 – 50 g) carrot, sliced into match sticks
- 2/3 cup (100 – 115 g) daikon radish, sliced into match sticks (80g)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Slice cabbage into half. Then slice each half into quarters. Chop into 1 inch pieces in width. Add chopped into a large bowl and then massage in the coarse sea salt. As you do this, you’ll notice the cabbage beginning to wilt and releasing some water. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 1-2 hours. The cabbage is ready when you’re able to bend a piece without it snapping in half.
- In the meantime, prepare the seasoning paste. Add the sweet rice flour and kombu dashi into a sauce pan over medium heat and whisk together until combined for around 10 minutes until it begins to get thick. Remove from heat and let it cool.
- Once the cabbage is ready, rinse the cabbage throughly and drain well (I like to let it sit in the colander over a bowl for half an hour).
- Add the sweet rice flour paste along with the apple, onion, garlic, ginger, gochugaru, vegan fish sauce and salt into a food processor and blend until a paste forms.
- Add the drained cabbage back into the bowl along with the carrot, daikon, green parts of the scallions and kimchi seasoning paste. Put on some gloves and massage the paste throughly into the vegetables.
- Transfer into a air tight container and use your hands to pack down the kimchi. Everything should be submerged in the juices.
- Close the lid and leave out at room temperature for 2 days. Do not open lid for the first 48 hours.
- After 2 days, give it a taste. If you want it to ferment more (more sourness) let it sit for another 24 hours.
- Once the kimchi ferments into your desired flavour, store in the fridge for 1-2 months (optimal freshness) and up to 1 year. The longer it sits, the more intense the tangy and sour flavour will become. Discard any kimchi if you see signs of surface mold.
Notes
- *Substitute with 1 tbsp sugar + 3 tbsp additional kombu dashi or vegetable stock
- **Substitute vegan fish sauce with 1 tbsp miso paste and 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Helpful Equipment: Large mixing bowl, colander, fermenting jars (glass jars), gloves, food processor, small sauce pan
- Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
- Prep Time: 120 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: sides
- Method: fermenting
- Cuisine: korean, vegan, gluten free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ounce (28g)
- Calories: 10
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0