BEST and EASY Vegan Kimchi Recipe.

napa cabbage

🥗Healthier: bok choy

💰Cheaper: green cabbage

bok choy is a nutritious alternative, while green cabbage is often less expensive.

red pepper flakes

🥗Healthier: gochugaru

💰Cheaper: cayenne pepper

gochugaru is traditional, but cayenne is more widely available.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

💰Cheaper: liquid aminos

tamari is gluten-free, while liquid aminos is often cheaper.

sesame oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

olive oil is a healthier fat, while canola oil is more cost-effective.

Add 6 cups of cold water to a bowl to make the brine.

Cut a 2-inch slit down the bottom of 2 heads of napa cabbage and split it down the middle.

Chop the cabbage into quarters and then into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, layer 1/4 of the cabbage leaves, 1/3 cup of coarse sea salt, and 1/4 of the salt brine, repeating for a total of four layers.

Pack the cabbage down and cover it, letting it sit for at least 90 minutes to 2 hours until the leaves begin to bend without breaking.

Julienne 2 cups of carrots and cut Korean daikon radish into thin slices and quarters.

Chop the white parts of scallions separately from the green parts, then chop the green parts at a bias.

Chop a Fuji apple or honey crisp apple into rough bits and add it to a high-power blender along with an onion, garlic, ginger, and plum syrup or sugar.

Blend the mixture until smooth and pour it into a large bowl with the julienned carrots, daikon radish, and scallion greens.

In a saucepan, mix 1/4 cup of sweet white rice flour with 1.5 cups of water over low heat until it thickens to a glue-like consistency.

Combine the thickened rice flour mixture with the blended mixture and add 2-3 cups of coarse kukat, adjusting the spice level to taste.

Check the cabbage; it should be wilted and salty. Rinse it to remove excess salt.

Sauce the cabbage leaf by leaf, packing it tightly into a jar, leaving space at the top for fermentation.

If there's space left at the top, sprinkle a little sea salt to prevent yeast growth.

Label the jar with the date and let it sit at room temperature for 1 day before transferring it to the fridge for 3 more days of fermentation.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens