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The Only Vegan Kimchi Recipe You'll Ever Need

Spicy and full-bodied this Vegan Kimchi recipe is simple, vegan and delicious.
5 from 10 votes
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Course: Sides and Condiments
Cuisine: Korean
Diet: Gluten Free | Vegan
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Brining: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 25
Calories: 29kcal
Author: Amanda Logan
Cost: $8

Equipment

  • a large bowl or container to hold the cabbage
  • food processor

Ingredients 

  • 1 Wombok (Napa) cabbage outer leaves removed (and set aside) and remaining cabbage cut in to inch-size pieces
  • 6 spring onions cut in to 1-inch batons
  • ½ cup non-iodonised salt
  • 10 cups cold water

Kimchi Paste

  • ½ tablespoon glutinous rice flour (optional)
  • cup cold water (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon soybean paste
  • ¼ cup vegan fish sauce
  • ½ cup Korean chilli powder gochugaru
  • ¼ onion peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ginger around a 1-inch piece, peeled and sliced
  • ¼ cup raw caster sugar or plain sugar

Instructions

  • Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside. Chop the remaining cabbage in to 1-inch pieces.
  • Transfer the cabbage to a large bowl or container (large enough to hold the cabbage) and add enough water to just cover. I find 10 cups is usually enough. Add 1 cup (10 per cent) of fine salt and stir the mixture well with your hands until the water is salty and the leaves are covered. Add the spring onions to the mixture. Set aside, covered, for 3 to 4 hours or until the cabbage is tender.
  • Meanwhile make the kimchi paste. Combine the glutinous rice flour and the ⅓ of a cup of water in a saucepan and heat it over low to medium heat, stirring constantly. Heat until the mixture thickens to a smooth paste. It will look like thick glue. Remove from the heat to cool.
  • Add the rice flour paste and the remaining kimchi paste ingredients to a processor and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.
  • After the cabbage has been salted and is tender, drain it. Taste a cabbage leaf and if it is too salty give the cabbage a super quick rinse (don't wash away all the salt!) and drain well.
  • Put on a pair of disposable kitchen gloves.
  • Transfer the cabbage and spring onions back to the bowl and add the kimchi paste. Massage the paste in to the vegetables really well making sure they are all well coated.
  • Still wearing gloves transfer the kimchi in to clean jars making sure to fill in any gaps or air bubbles. Press down as you go. Leave a 1-inch headspace between the kimchi and the jar's opening. Fold one of the outer cabbage leaves we set aside earlier over the top of the kimchi to hold it down and seal with a lid.
  • Place the sealed jars on your kitchen counter away from direct light for 3 to 5 days to ferment. If the weather is hot only ferment for 1 to 2 days. Store in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 months. You can ferment your kimchi in the fridge rather than on the counter. Simply pop the prepared jars in the fridge to ferment for 2 to 3 weeks.

Notes

No 1. Holy Moly, if I can convince you of anything I hope it's this; wear gloves when massaging the paste in to the cabbage and packing your jars. Trust me.
No 2. Use salt that is free of iodine and anti-caking agents, which can inhibit fermentation.
No 3. The saltier the kimchi the faster the fermentation process.
No 4. Drain the cabbage as well as you can after salting. A pro tip is to drain the cabbage and give it a spin in a salad spinner. Excess water will settle on the bottom of the jars during fermentation and lift the cabbage.
No 5. You can add other ingredients to your kimchi like sliced daikon radish, Asian pear even regular pear. This recipe is a basic starting point. 
No 6. You can buy vegan fish sauce at health food stores and some supermarkets or Asian grocers. Soybean paste is available at most supermarkets and Asian grocers. 
No 7. If you cover your kimchi with a folded cabbage leaf and it goes a little funky, just get rid of it. Wipe out the rim of the jar as best you can, and replace it with a fresh one.  If cabbage touches air here, it will mold so press it down. Your kimchi should be fine underneath.  
No 8. You can eat your kimchi straight away! It's perfectly safe and delicious. Fermenting gives a fuller-bodied umami flavour. I start eating one jar pretty much right away and leave the others to ferment. 

Nutrition

Calories: 29kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4815mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1491IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
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