Health Conscious Vegan Kimchi Recipe

Vegan, Gluten free, Refined sugar free, Fish sauce free, Rich in Antioxidants and Vitamins and more!

The Korean superfood=Kimchi! Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean delicacy made from vegetables, seafood and seasonings. Also, the National dish of Korea!

There are crazy amounts of health benefits to Kimchi. Kimchi is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2 and C. It is also rich in essential amino acids and minerals such as iron, calcium and selenium. Kimchi has powerful antioxidants and provides an additional benefit of probiotics.

Like many fermented foods, kimchi promotes excellent digestion, lowers cholesterol, reduces and clears skin conditions. Kimchi exercises healing effects in numerous medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, obesity, and gastric ulcers.

We have some Korean members as part of our family, and so we are lucky enough to have Kimchi always stocked in our fridge! Traditionally, kimchi has sugar, fish sauce, small salted fish and commonly raw oysters, squid, and or octopus for added flavour. We have decided that we can make this traditional fermented Korean delicacy into a much more healthy, simple dish.

There are so many ways to enjoy kimchi. Simply with a bowl of rice and some nori! Mmmmm… Fried rice, on a salad, a side dish, Korean pancakes, adding it to Ramen, BBQ, stews, with bibimbap etc! Impressed yet??  It’s also low in calories! Need we say more?! Kimchi is a must have side dish in every household!

Makes approximately one large ziplock bag full (4-5 mason jars)

Prep time: 30 minutes

Wait time: 2 hours+

Ingredients 

• 1 Napa cabbage (medium, approximately 2lbs, Savoy, Sui choy works too)
• 3 tbsp Kosher Salt
• 2c hot water
• 4c cold water
• 1 small Onion
• 1 small apple or pear (any variety will do)
• 1.5 tbsp minced Ginger
• 3 tbsp crushed Garlic
• 1 bunch Green onions
• 1 large Carrot (cut into matchsticks)
• 1 small Daikon radish (cut into matchsticks)
• 1 tbsp Maple syrup
• 1 tbsp Tamari Shoyu
• 1 tbsp gf Brown rice Miso
• 1 tsp Konbu dashi granules (optional)
• 1/2c+ Kochukaru (Korean red pepper powder, adjust to how spicy you’d like it)

*The “fine” red pepper powder has a nicer red than the “extra fine” red pepper powder but either one will do

Directions

1. Combine salt with 2c boiled water, let the salt dissolve. Set aside
2. Quarter cabbage and chop laterally into 2 inch pieces. Place the cabbage in a large bowl or pot
3. Pour the salt water over the cabbage, plus the 4c cold water and stir
4. Let the cabbage soak at room temperature until the cabbage is wilted. Stir occasionally. The cabbage will release quite a bit of liquid. (This will take approximately 2 hours. You may leave the cabbage up to around 12 hours since it won’t make much of a difference.)
5. In a food processor or blender combine green onion whites, apple or pear, onion, ginger, garlic, maple syrup, tamari and miso. Process or blend until a rough paste is formed. Set aside.
6. Drain cabbage leaving approximately 1/4-1/2 cup of liquid with the cabbage. At this time, taste the cabbage and or water. Adjust the salt to your taste. (Too salty? Run cold water through the cabbage and wash off salt. Not salty enough? Add a little bit of salt. A little on the salty side is perfect)
7. In a large bowl or pot combine cabbage, paste, Kochukaru (korean pepper powder), dashi, sliced green onions, carrot cut into matchsticks, and daikon cut into matchsticks.
8. Mix well with hands (Use plastic gloves to protect your hands from the pepper!)
9. Pack in a large container or mason jars (Don’t forget to pack the juice with it and make it as air tight as possible)
10. Leave out at room temperature for about 24 hours to kickstart the fermentation process and then store in the fridge. (It will last around a month in the fridge)

*There are many stages to enjoy kimchi! If you eat it quite early after making it, the cabbage will be still quite crispy and like a salad. The longer the fermentation, the sour the kimchi will get. Once it reaches this point, it is perfect in stews, Korean style pancakes, fried rice etc.