Learn how to make Homemade Vegan Korean Kimchi with this quick and easy recipe + simple fermentation guide! This Korean fermented vegetable dish is not only loaded with healthy nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and microbes but also with delicious spicy flavors, making it to the perfect exotic side dish that goes well with any Asian food!
Have you ever tried kimchi? The Korean version of the local sauerkraut is getting more and more popular. And that’s for a reason! It’s packed with delicious flavors, exciting textures and it is super healthy, too – An absolute superfood! With this simple fermentation instructions, kimchi is very easy to make and can be perfectly combined with a lot of different flavors and ingredients. So what are you waiting for?
What is kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made from fermented vegetables that’s kind of like sauerkraut, but with Korean flavors such as garlic, ginger, and chilis. Most often napa cabbage and white radish are used for the basis but there are endless options for how to make kimchi so you can swap out the ingredients to your liking!
What happens during the fermentation?
Fermentation is a metabolic process by which small lactic acid bacteria convert carbohydrates into carbon dioxide and lactic acid. This creates an acidic environment that gives the kimchi along with the spicy marinade its unique aroma. It’s like a metamorphosis of taste.
Preserving vegetables by fermentation
Many years ago there were no refrigerators or other electric cooling methods. So the fruits and vegetables had to be preserved by fermentation because not all fresh foods could be used up or eaten immediately. At that time, kimchi was a very popular winter dish in Korea as a source of vitamins and minerals. Thanks to this original form of preservation, it’s very healthy because it’s loaded with vital minerals, vitamins, and probiotics.
Where does kimchi come from?
The fermented cabbage is originated in Asia, or rather in Korea. Kimchi can be dated back to many thousands of years and it is an integral part of Korean (eating) culture. That’s why it is claimed as a popular national dish and has a traditional status. Whether for breakfast in the morning or for lunch or dinner, kimchi is served at any time of the day!
In Korea, there are kimchi competitions, kimchi songs, and even stage play about kimchi (no joke!). When an entire nation pays so much attention to a dish, it means something special. Because of the health benefits and the deliciously spicy taste, fermented cabbage is becoming more and more popular in many cuisines all over the world.
Vegan Kimchi Ingredients and Variations
If you don’t have all the ingredients for our vegan kimchi recipe on hand, feel free to get creative and to swap them out to your liking. I assure you the results will always be healthy and delicious!
Ingredients for this kimchi recipe with variations:
- Chinese or napa cabbage: or kale, white cabbage, etc.
- Rice flour: or all-purpose flour.
- Raw cane sugar: or coconut sugar or regular white sugar.
- Daikon radish: also known as white radish or use other radishes.
- Yellow onions: or shallots, red onions.
- Spring onions: or leek, chives.
- Ginger: or galangal, turmeric.
- Soy Sauce: or Tamari (gluten-free).
- Chili flakes: or Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes).
- Nashi pear: or native pear or grated apple (preferably sweet varieties).
- Cold vegetable broth: or just cold water.
… do you have everything ready? If so, let’s start with the recipe!
How to make kimchi from scratch
First, check out the recipe video and this step-by-step guide. Then find the full recipe including ingredients, exact quantities, and instructions in the recipe box below!
Step 1: Prepare the Chinese or Napa cabbage.
Start to cut the cabbage into halves. Then cut into quarters and finally into bite-size pieces. Put the chopped cabbage in a colander and rinse it thoroughly under running cold water. Then drain well, and transfer to a large bowl or container. Mix the cabbage with the sea salt and let it rest for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours at room temperature. During this time the cabbage loses water and gets its typical soft kimchi consistency.
Once it’s soft (after a maximum of 2 hours), rinse it under running water and drain well. To speed up the process, you can use a salad spinner or pat dry the cabbage with paper towels.
Step 2: Prepare the rice paste.
Whisk together the rice flour and cold vegetable broth in a small saucepan. Be sure to use a whisk to avoid any lumps. Bring the water-flour mixture to a boil and cook until it starts to thicken. Then stir in cane sugar until it has dissolved. Finally, allow to cool.
Step 3: Cut the vegetables.
In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. For the marinade, peel the ginger, onion, and garlic. Rinse, clean, and finely slice the spring onions, then set aside. Also, cut the carrot and radish into thin strips or grate them finely with a vegetable grater. If you use an apple instead of pear, be sure to finely grated it, too.
Step 4: Prepare the marinade.
Put the ginger, nashi pear, onion, garlic, chili flakes, paprika powder, soy sauce, and the prepared rice paste in a blender. Then blend the ingredients into a smooth kimchi paste. Be careful when doing a taste test, because it is super spicy but delicious.
Step 5: Mix the cabbage, vegetables & marinade.
Now mix the cabbage with the spring onions, grated apple (optional), carrots, radish, and kimchi paste until everything is marinated evenly. Transfer the kimchi in clean mason jars and press it firmly to the bottom. The vegetables must be completely covered with liquid to prevent them from drying out. So be sure to add a little extra salted water as needed.
Step 6: Let the kimchi ferment.
Finally, seal the kimchi airtight and let rest at room temperature for about 2-3 days. Depending on the room temperature, the fermentation process may take less or more time. If you like the kimchi a little more sour and aromatic, leave it at room temperature a little longer. For a milder taste, transfer it to the refrigerator sooner. After that, place the vegan kimchi in the fridge where it keeps for at least 2 months.
Please note that the fermentation continues slowly when chilled. It tastes best when served in the first few days after the fermentation at room temperature.
Why should I ferment my vegetables?
The whole topic about fermentation is incredibly exciting and complex so it really needs its own book. Anyway, this vegan kimchi recipe is the perfect easy guide for beginners in the world of fermentation.
What can be roughly summarized is that small microbes (bacteria and yeast) do their work in all fermentation processes. They feed on sugar structures in vegetables, fruits, or beverages and, under comfortable conditions, produce essential substances and vitamins that benefit the body.
The perfect source of nutrients for a healthy gut!
The small microbes can significantly support our intestinal flora, gut, and even positively influence our mood. If you want to learn more about it, have a look at Marius’ book.
Fermentation is fascinating, versatile, healthy, and above all one thing: alive. Therefore it is worth learning how to make Kimchi or other fermented foods at home!
This Korean Kimchi Recipe is:
- Vegan
- Lactose-free
- Gluten-free (use Tamari)
- Exotic
- Delicious
- Spicy
- Flavorful
- Slightly sour
- Healthy
- Full of vitamins and minerals
- The perfect superfood for everyone!
Serving suggestions
Here are some vegan recipes that you can serve with homemade kimchi:
- Kimchi Fried Rice
- Kimchi Pancakes
- Korean Bibimbap
- Scallion Pancakes
- Vegetable Dumplings (Vegan Gyoza)
- Vietnamese Noodle Salad
- Crispy Sesame Tofu with Tahini Peanut Sauce
Would you like to see more similar recipes or informative step-by-step guides on my blog? Then feel free to leave a comment! And if you’ve tried this homemade kimchi recipe, please leave me a feedback! Of course, you can also share your photo on Instagram and tag me @biancazapatka and #biancazapatka so I won’t miss your post. I can’t wait to hear from you! 🙂
Homemade Vegan Kimchi
Author:Ingredients
Cabbage
- 3 lbs (1,4 kg) napa cabbage or kale or white cabbage
- 2 tbsp (40 g) sea salt
Rice paste
- ⅔ cup (160 g) cold vegetable broth or water
- 2-3 tbsp rice flour
- 2-3 tbsp cane sugar or other sugar
Vegetables
- 7 oz (200 g) white radish grated, or small pink radishes
- 1 carrot about 3,5oz (100g), grated
- 2 spring onions finely sliced
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 6 large cloves of garlic peeled
- 1,2- inch (3 cm) piece of ginger grated, or sub galangal/turmeric
Marinade
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (gluten-free)
- ½ cup (50 g) chili flakes e.g. Gochugaru
- ⅓ cup (40 g) red paprika powder
- 1 Nashi pear or apple, grated
Instructions
- *Note: Check out the recipe video and step-by-step photos above!
Cabbage
- Chop the cabbage into bite-size pieces. Then place in a colander and rinse thoroughly under running cold water. Drain well and place in a large bowl/container. Toss with the salt and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, until it has softened.
Rice paste
- Whisk together the rice flour and cold vegetable broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until it starts to thicken. Then stir in the sugar until it has dissolved and allow to cool.
Vegetables
- Rinse and slice the spring onions. Cut the carrot, radish, and apple (optional) into very fine strips or finely grate using a vegetable grater.
Marinade
- Peel the ginger, onion, and garlic. Then add them along with the nashi pear, chili flakes, paprika powder, soy sauce, and rice paste to a blender and blend until a spicy paste forms.
Prepare Kimchi
- Once the cabbage has softened, rinse it under running water. Then drain well in a colander or salad spinner.
- Put the cabbage back in the bowl/container. Add the prepared vegetables and the marinade and mix well to combine.
- Spoon the kimchi into a clean airtight container or glass jars, pressing it down firmly so it's well packed. (Add a little extra salted water as needed so the vegetables are covered completely with liquid). Then seal the jars airtight.
Ferment
- Serve the kimchi right away or let it ferment for 2-3 days at room temperature. Then transfer to the refrigerator where it keeps for at least 2 months.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Depending on your room temperature, the fermentation process may take less or more time. If you like the kimchi a little more sour, leave it at room temperature a little longer. For a milder taste, transfer it to the refrigerator sooner. Also, note that the fermentation continues slowly in the refrigerator.
- Homemade Kimchi tastes best when served in the first few days after the fermentation at room temperature.
- You can find more information about fermentation as well as helpful tips and kimchi recipe ideas in the blog post above!
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Have made this a few times now and it’s a crowd pleaser! Very tasty, and great flavour. I made a triple batch and it worked perfectly.
That’s great! Thank you.
Thank you for this recipe! The Korean meal, kimchi, usually contains Korean radishes, Napa cabbage, and various flavors such as ginger, garlic, pepper, and fish sauce. Drying and salting are the oldest food conservation methodology’s most well-known practices. Likewise, the most common way of making kimchi includes tenderizing the vegetables to draw out the water.
Great! ☺️
Das leckerste Kimchi, das ich je gegessen habe! Da kann selbst der Koreaner nicht mithalten. Diverse Menschen, die entweder keine Fans von Fermentiertem oder Scharfem waren, haben beim selbstgemachten Kimchi ihre Meinung geändert 😁
Schön, das freut mich! 🙂
Vielen Dank für dein klasse Feedback! ♥️
Easy to follow and most ingredients are at home
Great! 🙂
I have yet to try the Kimchi I have made but I would just like to comment on how the recipe is written.
It is written in a confusing way to read ( and i am a pretty experienced cook) and also the time you have written down for prep etc is way under what it takes. There are quite a few steps that included a lot of fine grating and slicing which take much longer than the half hour ( and I used a Mandolin).
I look forward to trying the kimchi when it is fermented so thank you for the recipe>
May I ask how much time did you need exactly?
I hope you’ll like it! 🙂
Aren’t all kimshi’s vegan??! No meat in them!
Although kimchi is made primarily of vegetables, some varieties include seafood as one of the ingredients. While the two most common are fish sauce and salted shrimp, some recipes call for ingredients like anchovies or sardines.
Great fun making this and a fantastic step by step explanation. My first ever homemade kimchi! Thank you for the receipe!!!
That’s great! I am glad you had fun preparing this. 🙂
Hi,
I am staying in Singapore.
Should I let it fermented at room temperature in consideration of the weather here?
Hi Eva,
unfortunately I don’t know much about weather in Singapore. When I talk about room temperature I mean something about 21 °C. You can also store it in your fridge in case it’s too warm out there!
Hello! :3 I wanted to ask if you can let the cabbage rest a little longer, like for about 4-5 hours? Or does that influence anything?
Sure! 🙂
Love this recipe but why did my glass jar and bright orange paste explode all over my white kitchen 😫
Hi Kate!
It sounds like your glass jar was too full. The production of carbon dioxide during the fermentation process creates an increase of pressure within the jar. So when there is no space for the gas in that jar, it can lead to an explosion. It never happened to me, so I’ve been lucky.
Thanks for sharing this detailed instruction manual on making kim-chi !
Instead of vegetable broth I used coconut water & a bit of organic soya sauce, & because I didn’t have rice flour I substituted the 3 tbs for 1.5 each of organic unbleached all purpose flour & tapioca starch – so far so good, did a little taste test & it tastes even better than the 1st time I tried making it however at that time I didn’t have a food processor & didn’t even know about the “paste”.
Will let you know how it turns out in a week or so after I let it ferment if you want email me back or find me online @ShieldOntario :]
I hope you’ll be happy with your Kimchi. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂