VEGAN EASY KIMCHI キムチ

Vegan Easy Kimchi – キムチ

We all know that fermented foods are good for our guts, so this easy kimchi recipe is a must! As usual, even if “fermented cabbage” sound vegan, it isn’t. It is pretty common that fish sauce, or similar, is used on kimchi recipes. In this recipe we are going to substitute the fish sauce for kombu powder. This will give the sea flavour touch we are looking for. Another ingredient that is important to add is APPLE! The sweetness of the apple will make a nice contrast with the rest of the ingredients. 

There are a few brands that make vegetarian kimchi. I saw it in England but I’m not familiarized with them. Anyway, making this vegan easy kimchi may require a few hours but it is easy and totaly worth it. 

Ways to eat:

  • Stir-fry rice with kimchi
  • Hummus and kimchi on toast
  • Kimchi ramen
  • Trinxat with kimchi (check my trinxat recipe)

Ingredients: 

  • ¼  nappa cabbage
  • 3 Tbsp salt (free of iodine)
  • 1 Tbsp garlic
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Kombu dashi 2 Tbsp (½ tsp kombu dashi powder+½ cup warm water)
  • 3-5 Tbsp Korean Chilli flakes mix 
  • Radish
  • Spring onions 
  • ¼ grated apple

 

-How to make-

  1. Cut the nappa cabbage. Put it in a bowl with 3 Tbsp of salt and massage until it starts to soften.
  2. Place a plate on top and weight it down (You can use any jar or bottle). Soak for 2 hours.
  3. While waiting, cut the radish and spring onions. Then, dissolve the kombu dashi powder in warm water. You can also boil a piece of kombu for 20 minutes.
  4. After 2 hours, rinse the cabbage 3 times and drain thoroughly.
  5. Mix everything in a bowl. Add from 3 to 5 Tbsp of Korean chilli flakes, depending on how spicy you like it. We use a medium-hot mix and add around 4 Tbsp. You can use your hands but do NOT touch your eyes or mouth. Remember we are using chilli! 
  6. Put the mix in a jar and press well until the liquid covers the cabbage. We need to remove all the air. Let it ferment for 3 to 5 days at cool room temperature, mixing once a day. If it’s got bubbles and smells like fart means you are doing a great job.
  7. After 5 days, keep in the fridge. It will get to it’s best after a week. 

-Video Recipe-