Chic Bites: How To Make Vegan Kimchi Recipe

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e love trying new foods and delicacies so when we took our first bite of Kimchi years ago, we fell in love. This traditional Korean side dish consists of fermented vegetables like Napa cabbage, carrots and daikon (white radish), along with a variety of spicy seasonings. While it’s a favorite dish to eat, finding a vegan version can be difficult to find, which is why we are bringing you a great recipe on how to make a delicious Vegan friendly kimchi that will satisfy all the Kimchi lovers. So go grab a pair of disposable gloves and the necessary ingredients, and let’s begin.

What You Need:
[ezcol_1half]2 to 3lbs Napa Cabbage
3 tbsp Coarse Sea Salt
2 to 3 cups of Cold Water
4-5 green onions[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]½ cup of Gochugaru Korean Chili Pepper Flakes
½ of a daikon (peeled and cubed)
1 large carrot (peeled and shredded)
1/2 an apple (peeled and shredded)[/ezcol_1half_end]

Ingredients for Paste

[ezcol_1half]1 medium onion
1 to 2 pieces of seaweed (soaked)
¼ tsp of vegan soy sauce
1 tsp coconut sugar (or vegan sweetener)[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]¼ cup of water
6 to 7 cloves of garlic
1 slice of ginger (size of your thumb)[/ezcol_1half_end]

Preparation/Storing

[ezcol_1half]1 quart Mason Jar
[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]Disposable gloves[/ezcol_1half_end]

[large_title title=”Directions”]

Begin by removing the outer leaves of your Napa cabbage. Don’t throw away as you’ll be needed that for later. Once you’ve removed the outer layer, it’s time to cut the cabbage in half lengthwise. Cut in half again. Do this again so you end up with quarters.

Take each quarter, and chop off the end. Now begin to cut the cabbage into medium size pieces (feel free to differ based on your preference). Repeat the process. Transfer your cabbage to a large pot and set aside.

There are two methods you can use to brine your cabbage. You can simply pour coarse sea salt over the cabbage and then massage it in. Or you can create a salt bath. We’ve gone for the salt bath this time.

Creating the salt bath is easy. Simply add three tablespoons of coarse sea salt to two or three cups of water. You may need to add another ½ tsp depending on much water you use. Stir until the salt completely dissolves. Pour the salt bath over your cabbage and toss the cabbage a few times so every piece absorbs the water. Leave it to brine for at least two to three hours.

In the meantime, soak your seaweed in water for ten to fifteen minutes.

You can check on your cabbage after a few hours have passed. If your cabbage is wilted and a bit translucent, then it is ready. Head over to the sink and rinse the cabbage three times to get most of the salt off. Drain afterwards.

To prepare the paste, grab your blender and blend together the onion, soaked seaweed, soy sauce, sugar and approximately ¼ cup of water. Add the fresh garlic and ginger in the mix and blend for another 20 to 30 seconds (or until all is incorporated).

It is time to assemble. But first, put on a pair of disposable gloves (trust us you’ll need it!).

Pour the paste over your cabbage and mix until completely incorporated. Next, add the daikon, carrots and apple. Toss everything together a couple of times. Once everything is well combined, simply add in the Gochugaru (Korean Pepper Flakes). We do not recommend substituting this ingredient. Feel free to adjust how much pepper flakes you use based on your preference.

Make sure to take your time massaging in the pepper flakes into the cabbage and tossing it gently a few times to ensure every last piece is flavorful.

Just add the green onions (roughly chopped) and toss gently. And there you go, you have kimchi!

Next step is to fill your large mason jar with the kimchi, making sure to use a spoon to press down the kimchi. Continue until you only have a one to two inch gap on top. Before you seal it, take a long cabbage piece you stored from earlier and place it on top of the kimchi. This is optional, but we like to do so to help prevent any bad bacteria from developing.

If using a jar with a two-piece lid, turn the inner lid upside up and then seal the jar tightly. This will help your jar from exploding the moment you try opening the lid. Now let your kimchi ferment at room temperature for two to three days. If you see little bubbles moving in your kimchi then it’s a great sign that your kimchi is in fact fermenting.

Move your kimchi to the refrigerator when it’s done fermenting. And enjoy!

We also have a video tutorial on how to make this delicious kimchi at home.