Easy Kimchi Recipe
This super easy kimchi recipe is delicious, full of probiotics, and healing for your body. It is the perfect blend of crunchy, spicy (to your liking of course), and loads of flavor! Below we will look at everything you need to know to successfully make this delicious fermented food.
Disclaimer: I am not claiming that this is a traditional kimchi recipe. I am just claiming that it tastes yummy!
If you’re like me, you’ve heard that fermented foods are good for you because they are rich in probiotics but you don’t always find that they taste great. After trying many recipes and different fermented foods, this is honestly one of my favorites!
We eat kimchi on lots of different dishes. Some of our favorites are beef and rice topped with this easy kimchi recipe, baked chicken and cubed potatoes, egg roll in a bowl, the list goes on and on. I am always trying to find ways to benefit the health of my family so I love that this recipe serve a dual purpose; it tastes good and it is so good for our bodies!
Benefits of fermented food
Someone asked me once, “why are there so many fermented things in the crunchy/health crazy culture?” I sort of chuckled at their question because I remember wondering the same thing not that long ago. However, there is in fact a reason for all the fermented foods and it is not just the tangy flavor on your taste buds!
The process of fermentation kills off any bad bacteria on the food and creates an environment for good bacteria to thrive. So why do we want to eat bacteria rich food? Think of it this way, instead of taking probiotics and prebiotics, you can just eat yummy food and get rid of the supplements! Our gut biome needs good bacteria to help our bodies separate our food and make it into an energy source for our bodies (I am not a scientist so I will just leave it at that).
There are two key parts to this process that will make this easy kimchi recipe a success. Those two things are: salt and an oxygen deprived environment. The combination of these two things will create an environment where only good bacteria can grow (this is what we want! NO bad stuff allowed).
Ok now onto how to make this delicious fermented, gut healthy, probiotic rich food…
Tips for this recipe (and other fermented food)
- Be sure to use filtered water. If you use water with chlorine in it, it will kill even the good bacteria.
- After you have filled up your jar with the kimchi mixture be sure to fill the remainder of the jar with water. You want the entire mixture to be submerged. Any ingredients left above the water are at risk of molding and that would ruin the whole batch.
- Using fermentation weights and lids is a life saver. I tried many methods but most of them molded. You can use anything that will sink in water as a weight if you do not have any in your kitchen. You can get creative with it.
- For a Korean flavor flair you can add a tbsp of fish sauce. I usually have some fish broth in my freezer but I do not always use it. You can add it or skip it.
- Be sure to use unrefined salt, again like the water, you want to use salt that has not been processed to promote the good bacteria.
- To make a more mild kimchi, add fewer red pepper flakes.
Can I use any kind of cabbage?
Yes! Traditional kimchi uses Napa cabbage but I had a hard time sourcing Napa cabbage in my area so I used a regular green cabbage from the store and it is still delicious! When you can source Napa cabbage I recommend you use that.
How will I know if my kimchi has gone bad?
The easiest way to tell is if it has any mold on the top. If you see mold, throw away the whole batch! Additionally, fermented foods have a strong smell to begin with but if the smell is rancid or unbearable that is a good sign that it has gone bad as well.
How long does this easy kimchi recipe take to ferment and what do I with it when it is done fermenting?
The standard fermentation time is 3-5 days. After 3 days try it and if you like the flavor, it is ready. If you are want it to be a little softer or more flavorful, leave it a few more days.
After the kimchi recipe has reached the desired consistency remove the weights and change out the lids to regular lids. Finally, store the kimchi in the fridge.
Can I substitute any of the ingredients?
The beauty of being in charge of your own kitchen is that you can make recipes however you want! That doesn’t mean they always taste good *cough cough, been there done that* but you have the freedom to experiment in your own kitchen. I have used green onions before, I’ve added radishes, fish sauce, tried different amounts of pepper flakes. You can really make this recipe your own. Don’t feel tied down.
Tools
For this specific recipe I use the follow kitchen tools:
Ingredients
- Medium Sized Cabbage
- 2 tbsp Unrefined Sea salt
- 2 Carrots
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 1 White onion
- 3 tbsp Grated ginger
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
- 1 cup Filtered Water Make sure to use filtered water
How to make this Easy Kimchi Recipe:
First, you are going to want to chop the cabbage and onions and add them to a mixing bowl.
Next, you are going to want to add the salt. Toss the cabbage and onions in the salt and allow them to rest while you chop and grate the rest of the ingredients. The salt helps pull the natural juices out of the cabbage which you are going to want later.
After you add the salt, grate/chop the remaining ingredients and add them to the bowl. Sprinkle the crushed red pepper on top. Here comes the fun part, take your hands and toss/squeeze the mixture until you can see a small amount of liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
Now, grab your jars and begin filling them up. Be sure to pack the kimchi tightly in the jar. After you have filled the jar a little over 2/3 of the way full add filtered water until it rises above the kimchi ingredients. Drop in the ferment weights, screw on the lids. Store in a dry dark place for 3-5 days then refridgerate enjoy your kimchi my friends!
If you’re like me and you need a visual, check out the video below as I walk you step by step through the process.
Easy Kimchi Recipe
Equipment
- 2 Quart Jars
- 2 Fermenting Weights
- 2 Fermenting Lids
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Cutting board and knife
- 1 Vegetable Shredder
Materials
- 1 Medium Sized Cabbage
- 2 tbsp Sea salt
- 2 Carrots
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 1 White onion
- 3 tbsp Grated ginger
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
- 1 cup Filtered Water Make sure to use filtered water
Instructions
- Thinly slice cabbage and onions and add to the mixing bowl.
- Add 2 tbsp of salt. Toss the cabbage and onions in the salt. This will start to release the juices from the cabbage.
- Grate carrots and ginger and add to the bowl
- Finely chop or mince garlic and add to the bowl
- Add crushed red pepper and use hands to squeeze all the ingredients together until you can see liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
- Use a spoon to pack the mixture into 2 quart jars. Be sure the mixture is packed tight to help release even more of the juice.
- Add water until it rises above the kimchi in the jar. Make sure the whole mixture is submerged.
- Drop in fermenting weights, screw on lid, and store in a dark place for 3-5 days.
- After 3-5 days store in refrigerator.
