Homemade Korean-Style Vegan Kimchi
A homemade vegan kimchi made with Chinese leaf, Korean radish, carrot and spring onions, coated in a spicy gochugaru paste flavoured with garlic, ginger, apple, Korean plum extract, soy sauce and vegan fish sauce. The cabbage is salted to soften its texture before being mixed with the seasoning and left to ferment, developing the distinctive tangy, spicy and savoury flavour of kimchi.
There isn’t really a single point when kimchi is “ready.” You can eat it almost immediately, but its character changes continuously as it ferments which can take days to weeks. Please see the guide to fermentation times at the bottom of this recipe.
One thing I had trouble finding was vegan fish sauce which sounds a bit funny, because how can fish sauce be vegan? In fact, it contains no fish at all; it’s made from plant-based ingredients that provide a similar salty, savoury, umami flavour as traditional fish sauce. Even my local South Korean supermarket didn’t have it, so I eventually managed to find some on Amazon.
Preparation Time:
30 minutes plus salting time.
Cooking Time:
–
Serves:
15–20 servings as a side dish
Equipment
- Large sealable container, big enough to hold all the kimchi
- Blender/liquidiser
- Large bowl or 30 cm pan for mixing
- Small saucepan
- Knife
- Grater or julienne peeler
- Colander
- Measuring spoons (optional)
- Measuring cup
Ingredients
Cabbage
- 1.4 kilos Chinese leaf/napa cabbage
- 3 tbsp coarse sea salt
Rice Paste
- 4.5 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 265 ml cups water
Spice & Seasoning Paste
- 6 garlic cloves
- Ginger - approximately the same volume as 2 garlic cloves
- ½ onion
- 1 apple
- 2 tbsp Korean plum extract syrup
- 2 tbsp light/reduced-salt soy sauce
- 2 tbsp vegan fish sauce
- 120–180 ml Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru), to taste.
Vegetables
- 2 spring onions
- 1 korean radish, mooli or daikon
- 1 carrot
Preparation
Salt the Cabbage
Note: The purpose of salting isn’t primarily to make the finished kimchi salty. It draws water from the cabbage and softens its texture, preparing it for fermentation.
- Quarter the cabbage lengthways, remove the tough core and cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
- Lightly wet the cabbage so that the salt sticks to the leaves.
- Put the cabbage into a large bowl in batches, sprinkling the salt evenly between the layers. Toss everything together so that the salt is well distributed.
- Leave for about 30 minutes, then turn and mix the cabbage.
- Continue salting for approximately 1½-2 hours, turning the cabbage occasionally so that it salts evenly.
- The cabbage is ready when the thicker parts of the leaves have softened and become flexible rather than snapping when bent.
- Rinse thoroughly 2–3 times with fresh cold water, then drain well in a colander.
Make the Rice Paste
- Add the water and sweet rice flour to a small saucepan.
- Stir well and heat gently, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
Prepare the Vegetables
- Cut the spring onions into approximately 2-inch (5 cm) lengths.
- Cut the carrot and radish into thin matchsticks. A julienne peeler makes this easier. About 1½ cup of each should be plenty.
Make the Spice & Seasoning Paste
Note: Vegan fish and soy sauces vary in saltiness. Taste the seasoning paste before adding it to the cabbage and adjust if necessary. If you’re not sure, put less of the sauces in and adjust it right at the end when kimchi is completely mixed together.
- Peel the garlic and ginger. Peel and core the apple and roughly chop the apple and onion.
- Add the following to a blender: apple, onion, garlic, ginger, korean plum extract syrup, soy sauce, vegan fish sauce
- Blend or pulse until you have a fairly smooth paste.
Assembly
Kimchi Paste
- Put the cooled rice paste into a large bowl.
- Add the blended spice and seasoning paste, followed by the gochugaru. On your first attempt, I'd recommend trying at ½ cup to begin with, you can always add more later.
- Stir thoroughly until everything is evenly combined.
- Add the spring onions, radish and carrot and mix well.
Combine with the Cabbage
- Add some of the drained cabbage to a large bowl or pan, followed by some of the kimchi paste.
- Mix thoroughly, making sure the cabbage is evenly coated.
- Continue adding cabbage and paste in batches until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Transfer the kimchi to a clean container with a lid, pressing it down firmly to remove large air pockets and keep the vegetables in contact with the liquid as it develops.
- Fermentation produces gas, so don't fill the container right to the top. Leave some headspace. If your container is completely airtight, open it briefly as necessary during the more active stage of fermentation to release excess pressure.
Fermentation
- Leave the kimchi at room temperature for 1–2 days, then transfer it to the refrigerator.
- Allow it to continue fermenting in the fridge for approximately 5–7 days, or longer if you prefer a stronger, more sour flavour.
- The kimchi can be eaten after the first day, so taste it at different stages to find the level of fermentation you prefer.
- See the information below for how flavour changes over time.
About Kimchi
Background
Kimchi is a traditional Korean food made by fermenting vegetables with seasonings such as chilli, garlic and ginger. Although cabbage kimchi is probably the best-known variety outside Korea, there are hundreds of different types, made with vegetables including radish, cucumber and spring onions.
The origins of kimchi go back many centuries. Fermentation was originally a practical way of preserving vegetables so they could be eaten during the Korean winter when fresh produce was less readily available. Early kimchi did not contain chilli; red chilli peppers arrived in Korea centuries later and gradually became an important ingredient in many varieties.
Traditionally, kimchi was often prepared in large quantities and stored in earthenware pots called onggi. These allowed the vegetables to ferment while protecting them from the outside environment. Today, most people simply ferment and store kimchi in suitable containers in the refrigerator.
During fermentation, naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria convert sugars in the vegetables into lactic acid. This gives kimchi its characteristic sour flavour and helps preserve it. The flavour continues to change as it ferments: young kimchi is fresher and crunchier, while older kimchi becomes softer, stronger and more acidic.
Advantages of Kimchi
Kimchi has several nutritional advantages. Because it is primarily made from vegetables, it can provide fibre, vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds while generally being relatively low in calories.
Fermented kimchi also contains live lactic acid bacteria. These are often described as probiotics, although the number and types present vary considerably depending on the ingredients, fermentation method, temperature and age of the kimchi. Regularly eating fermented foods can contribute to a more diverse diet and may support a healthy gut microbiome.
Another advantage is that fermentation allows vegetables to be kept for much longer than they would remain fresh. The flavour also develops over time rather than simply deteriorating. If kimchi becomes too sour to enjoy by itself, it can still be excellent for cooking in dishes such as fried rice, noodles, pancakes, soups and stews.
One thing worth mentioning in a health section is salt. Kimchi can contain a significant amount of sodium because salt is important to the preparation and fermentation process. Remember that the cabbage in this recipe is salted to draw out water and soften it and then thoroughly rinsed before the seasoning paste is added. Soy sauce and vegan fish sauce which both contain salt are also minimised.
Kimchi Fermentation Stages
- First 24 hours - Very fresh and crunchy. The flavours are still quite separate, with the chilli, garlic and vegetables prominent. Little sourness.
- 1–2 days at room temperature - Fermentation becomes active. Liquid develops, small bubbles may appear and the kimchi begins to acquire a pleasantly tangy flavour. This is a good point to refrigerate it.
- 3–5 days - Fermentation continues more slowly in the fridge. The flavours begin to blend and the kimchi becomes noticeably tangier while remaining fairly crisp.
- 5–7 days - A good balance of fresh, spicy, savoury and sour flavours. This is likely to be the stage many people think of as typical kimchi.
- 1–2 weeks - Stronger and more sour, with a deeper fermented flavour. The vegetables gradually become softer.
- Several weeks+ - Quite sour and strongly fermented. Still useful, but increasingly suited to cooked dishes such as kimchi fried rice, pancakes, soups and stews.
