Try it Tuesday: Make Your Own Kimchi (vegan and gluten free!)
My husband and I are crazy for kimchi. It’s the perfect spicy and crunchy addition to your meal or recipe. It pairs perfectly with Asian inspired meals and it’s the perfect ingredient for soups and stews like this kimchi tofu soup. Kimchi is also a super fun and creative way to spice up other surprising dishes, like tacos.
While there aren’t too many ingredients, making kimchi is a process since you have to prepare the cabbage leaves and wait for it to ferment. However, making kimchi yourself is more cost effective than buying a store-bought product AND you can adjust the spices and ingredients to your preferences. See below for step-by-step instructions and photos.
Ingredients
- 2 heads napa cabbage
- sea salt
- 2/3 cup water
- 2.5 tablespoons rice flour
- 2.5 tablespoons cane sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh ginger
- 6 gloves garlic
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- Korean red chili flake (to taste, approximately 2-3 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce if gluten is ok)
- 2 whole carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 4 green onions (cleaned and chopped)
- 3/4 -1 cup daikon radish or white turnip (cleaned and chopped)
- apple or pear if you want some sweetness (peeled)
- gloves (optional)
Directions
- First, clean and sanitize surfaces, bowls, jars, and utensils that you plan on using. Wash your hands several times throughout these steps so bacteria is not introduced to the fermentation process.
- Next, remove the bottom core from your cabbage heads. Rinse and dry your cabbage leaves. Quarter cabbage.
- Layer your cabbage leaves in large bowls, pouring generous amounts of sea salt between each layer. Once all leaves have been salted, press down on the leaves. Let rest for 30 minutes. The salting process draws out moisture and softens the leaves.
- While the cabbage rests, prepare the rice paste. Combine the water and rice flour in a small saucepan. Heat on low-medium heat and stir until the mixture thickens. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Wash hands each time you touch the cabbage. After 30 minutes, flip the leaves over and press down to release more moisture. Let rest for 30 more minutes. You will want to repeat this step 2 more times (2 hours total). This can be done during and after you complete steps 6 & 7.
- Next, prepare the chili paste. Add the ginger, garlic, onion, chili flake, tamari, and rice paste to a food processer and blend until smooth. If using fruit, add it to the food processer too. Start with 1-2 tablespoons of chili flakes and adjust spice level to your preferences. We use 3-4 tablespoons. You can purchase Korean chili flakes online or at an Asian grocery store/market.
- Add chopped carrots, onions, and radish to a bowl. Mix paste with vegetables and set aside.
- Once your cabbage has rested for at least 2 hours and it is tender and reduced in size, rinse each leaf in very cold water to remove the salt. Pat dry.
- Put the rinsed and dried cabbage into a clean bowl. Pour in the vegetables with the chili paste. Coat each piece of cabbage with paste. This can be done with gloves or clean, bare hands.
- Once thoroughly coated, layer the leaves in a clean and sanitized jar, packing the leaves down to remove air. Once pressed and filled, top with a clean and sterilized lid.
- Place the jars in a cool dark place, such as a cabinet. Ferment outside of the refrigerator for at least 48 hours and up to several days. Open the jar and press down the liquid every 24 hours. This releases pressure and ensures that the cabbage leaves are covered with the juice. Bubbles in the liquid will develop during the fermentation process.
- Once you are satisfied with the taste of the kimchi and the tenderness of the cabbage, move it to the refrigerator for storage and use.
- ENJOY!
Ready to tackle this process?
Katie G.