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You are here: Home > Archives > 30 Minute Kimchi

30 Minute Kimchi

April 8, 2013 by Holly Ford 65 Comments

30 Minute Kimchi

Do you think it is possible to make a batch of cabbage kimchi within 30 minutes from start to finish?

Around this time of the year, I often have a craving of freshly made kimchi. After the winter season of having many dishes made with deeply fermented kimchi, I feel like it is about the time to embrace the spring cabbage and make a batch of fresh kimchi.

Yes, it is possible to make kimchi within 30 minutes all from scratch. I will call it 30 Minute Kimchi.

Authentic traditional cabbage kimchi takes 2 days to make. More simplified version of easy cabbage kimchi takes about 3 hours. Then how can this labor intense kimchi making be done in 30 minutes?

Koreans call this particular type of kimchi, “Gutjeori (겉절이)”, which translates into briefly salted kimchi.  However, even the traditional Gutjeori kimchi itself takes at least 1 hour alone to soak the cabbage in salt. But today I am going to share with you a unique way to speed up the soaking process.

You only need 15 minutes of soaking time. 15 minutes!!! Wonderful, isn’t it? I learned this technique from an article I read in Korean newspaper the other day and guess what? It worked! And I am so happy. (You know I am the kind of gal who gets happy with simple things in life)

Here are some cabbages. Koreans like to use young napa cabbages for this recipe which yield tenderer and sweeter flavor. They are more yellowish than full grown napa cabbage. I am using local cabbages here and they seem to be more elongated than Korean origin.

Kimchi

Cut off the stem part of the cabbage.

I like to cut the cabbage leaves vertically this time. For smaller leaves, cut in half.

For bigger leaves, cut into 2-4 sections.

Have you played “Fruit Ninja”? I love that kind of mindless (brainless..) game. Today, I will be a cabbage ninja! “Woosh, woosh!”

Now, The important part!  let’s soak this cabbages in express salt brine.  Mix 1/2 cup of Korean sea salt with 5 cups of water.

Bring it to a full boil, stir to dissolve all the salt. Let it cool down just a little, about 5 minutes.

Pour the hot salt brine over the cabbages and stir well.

Using a hot brine will help salt to penetrate into the cabbages faster to withdraw their moisture. It won’t cook the cabbages but creates crispier texture.

Let it sit for 10 minutes!

Turn the cabbages over and let it soak 5 more minutes. That’s it!

And you will see the stem part of cabbage will bend without breaking.

Rinse once and drain thoroughly.

Meanwhile let’s work on the kimchi filling.

Combine garlic, ginger, diced onion in a blender. Add anchovy sauce and puree all together until very smooth.

Pour the onion puree in a small mixing bowl and add Korean chili flakes and sugar.

30 minute Kimchi

This is plum extract for tea which is my secret ingredient in many Korean dishes, and it is home-made. You provably will have a hard time finding it outside of Korea.

Therefore, disregard this ingredient. You can omit it and your kimchi will still taste good. But if you MUST use something to make-up for the missing ingredient, use 2 tablespoon of sweet apple juice + 1 teaspoon of honey instead.

30 minute Kimchi

Mix all together very well.

In a large shallow mixing bowl combine the cabbages and the chili filling. I added some sliced fresh red chilies. (You don’t need to)

Kimchi

Toss well with your hand. Make sure you wear a protective glove for your delicate hand.

Kimchi

It is a good idea to sprinkle lots of toasted sesame seeds for this type of kimchi. Toss again.

Kimchi

Take a piece and taste. You can add a little more salt or anchovy sauce if needed. Mine was just perfect the way it was. Store this kimchi in the fridge all the time.

I want to mention that this type of Gutjeori kimchi is meant to be consumed soon, within 10 days if possible. They will go ferment after that but they are not ideal for a long term fermentation.

Kimchi

I do LOVE freshly made kimchi over freshly cooked rice. It just reminds me home of my childhood. But this type of kimchi shines the best when serve with Korean wheat noodle soup called Kalguksoo. Such a comforting combination for me.

Well, do you think you can make this kimchi within 30 minutes or so? Would you give it a try? If you do, I would love to hear from you how it turns out.

Kimchi making is fun. Enjoying your labor of love is rewarding. Hope you enjoy this kimchi as much as I did.

with love of Kimchi

30 minute kimchi

30 Minute Kimchi

Holly Ford
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 5 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg 2 lb napa cabbage
  • 1/2 cup Korean sea salt
  • 5 cups water
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • 1 " piece ginger
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 3 tablespoon anchovy sauce
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • 5 tablespoon Korean chili flakes
  • 2 tablespoon Koran plum extract for tea or 2 tablespoon apple juice with 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 red chilies seeded and thinly sliced optional
  • 2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Cut off the stem part of cabbage. Cut each cabbage leaf in half or 3-4 section (depends on the size) vertically. Place the cabbage leaves in a large mixing bowl.
  • Combine salt and water and bring to a full boil dissolving the salt. Cool down for 5 minutes and pour over cabbages in mixing bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes, turn the cabbages over to the other side and continue to soak for 5 more minutes. Rinse once and drain thoroughly.
  • To make kimchi filling, combine garlic, ginger, onion and anchovy sauce in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the puree in a small mixing bowl. Add Korean chili flakes, sugar, and Koran plum extract for tea, if using. Mix well.
  • Place drained cabbages in a large shallow mixing bowl. Add the red chilies if using, and the kimchi filling. Toss all together to coat evenly. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and toss well. Adjust seasoning as you wish.
  • This kimchi will stay fresh in the fridge for 10 days. Not ideal for a long term fermentation.

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Filed Under: Archives, Gluten Free, Kimchi, Korean Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: Cabbage, Kimchi

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Comments

  1. Jane says

    April 8, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    I love any Korean recipe that starts with “30 Minutes…”! Can’t wait to try this kimchi variation. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Sandy B says

    April 9, 2013 at 1:43 am

    I will try this kimchi recipe. I’ve never made it myself yet and this sounds easy to make.

    Reply
  3. jasi says

    April 9, 2013 at 3:36 am

    actually have a small, young napa cabbage in my fridge for this very reason. craving the sweet, crunchy spicy! going to give your recipe a try. thanks!

    Reply
  4. [email protected] says

    April 9, 2013 at 4:03 am

    This is a terrific recipe! With such a short preparation time, there’s no excuse not to make Kimchi. It doesn’t get any easier than this. Thanks so much – this is terrific.

    Reply
  5. Sue | My Korean Kitchen says

    April 9, 2013 at 1:44 pm

    Wow, you make plum extract at home?! How do you source the plum? I would love to make it myself too. I think the 15 mins brine trick is really cool. I should try this method this weekend when I making more Kimchi! Thanks for the tip.

    Reply
  6. Anna says

    April 9, 2013 at 8:22 pm

    I’m really happy to have found this technique. It’s much faster than the method I usually use. In fact I just made some on the weekend and had some chilli paste leftover, so I’m trying out this method. I’ll be able to compare kimchi made by both methods. This cuts sooooooo much time off the process. The recipe I usually follow uses half of a pear for sweetness.

    Reply
    • Holly says

      April 9, 2013 at 10:11 pm

      Great! I hope it turns out good. Thanks.

      Reply
  7. Pamelastable.com says

    April 9, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    Holly can I use Kosher salt instead of Korean salt?
    And is anchovy sauce the same as fish sauce or anchovy paste?
    Thanks can’t wait to make it.

    Reply
    • Holly says

      April 9, 2013 at 10:10 pm

      You can use kosher salt. But reduce the amount a little. I would use about 1/4-1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup.

      Reply
  8. yamamichibassett says

    April 9, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    I’ve been meaning to make my own kimchi for a while now. Your recipe looks easy to tackle and the result is beautiful! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  9. Erika says

    April 9, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    This sounds great! I’ve been wanting to try making kimchi for a long time, but it’s always seemed like such a production that I never have. Thanks for making such a simple, approachable recipe! I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  10. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    April 10, 2013 at 2:19 am

    Fast and looks delicious! I can tell the flavor doesn’t look like just 30 minute cooking. Great recipe, Holly!

    Reply
  11. Andrea says

    April 10, 2013 at 4:14 am

    I was just telling my boyfriend that I wanted to learn how to make kimchi since I found out that the store brand I buy has MSG. I’m still scared to death to make the mega-super traditional kimchi. 30 minute kimchi sounds more my style.

    Reply
  12. Sandra's Easy Cooking says

    April 10, 2013 at 9:36 pm

    I love deeply fermented kimchi, but fresh one is always welcome…I could eat few cups by the time or before I put it in the containers hahaha…I love your 30 min recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Have a wonderful the rest of the week, Holly!

    Reply
  13. Elizabeth says

    April 12, 2013 at 4:20 am

    I wish that you made videos on youtube.

    Reply
  14. Leslie says

    April 22, 2013 at 1:30 pm

    I have never tried to make Kimchi on my own (only with my mother in law in Korea). It always seems so daunting… but 30 minute kimchi seems do-able. I will have to give it a try. Thanks for posting. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Foodtiq says

    May 3, 2013 at 11:53 am

    Great post! This Kimchi has to be fresh, crunchy and crispy! Very excited to make this~

    Reply
    • Holly says

      May 3, 2013 at 11:37 pm

      Amen!

      Reply
  16. Sakura says

    May 3, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    Just made this, and it turned out really well. The taste is just right, even though I didn’t have any plum extract and therefore had to use my own “secret ingredient“ 😉
    I think I should have let the cabbage soak in the brine a little longer, as it was still quite crunchy… tastes good, though.
    A great way to make quick, tasty kimchi!
    And finally a reason to buy plum extract at my admittedly rather well stocked korean grocery.
    Ta so much for this recipe, it worked out really well, even though it was my first time making kimchi myself!

    Reply
    • Holly says

      May 3, 2013 at 11:36 pm

      That’s great to hear Sakura! I am glad your very first batch of kimchi was successful. I think soaking time might vary depends on the cabbage you use. If you can find plum extract, go for it. It has so much use in Korean cooking.

      Reply
  17. patty says

    May 8, 2013 at 3:05 pm

    hi there.

    can you tell me what the packaging for korean sea salt looks like? i only have regular sea salt, but will be going to the korean market this week so i’d like to get the korean one . thank you!

    Reply
    • Holly says

      May 8, 2013 at 11:11 pm

      Hi Patty
      You will find the picture of the Korean coarse sea salt package in this post.
      https://www.beyondkimchee.com/cabbage-kimchi-or-kimchee-part-1/

      You might not be able to find the exact same brand since there are many, but any Korean coarse sea salt will work. Ask the shop owner for the “chun-il-yum” salt for kimch making. He/She will help you find what you are looking for.

      Reply
  18. Renee says

    June 6, 2013 at 6:11 am

    Hi Holly:

    Looks delicious! I’m vegan – do you have a substitute for the anchovy sauce?

    Reply
    • Holly says

      June 7, 2013 at 7:53 am

      You can omit the fish sauce. Although the fish sauce will bring the potent flavor in kimchi, you can still make the delicious kimchi without it.

      Reply
  19. Gina says

    June 7, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    I’m craving kimchi like CRAZY lately. Gonna try this ASAP, thank you thank you 🙂

    Reply
  20. Angelina says

    June 21, 2013 at 10:49 pm

    you are brilliant and funny!! thank’s

    Reply
  21. Aneta says

    June 23, 2013 at 2:21 am

    Just made this – WOW, it tastes amazing! Maybe a little too salty as i think i soaked it for too long, but the flavour is to die for! Will make this again and again!

    Reply
  22. Marilia says

    July 24, 2013 at 12:53 am

    Hi Holly!

    I have recently become aware of all the health benefits of Kim Chee and started making it at home, with the help of your wonderful blog! =) I do have a question though: on the Kim Chee post which is divided in three parts you say that the cabbage preparation is the key to successful Kim Chee and that soaking it the way you taught (leaving it overnight with salt) will make it the kind of Kim Chee that lasts for months (at least that’s what I understood). So, ultimately, if I soak the cabbage like that, but proceed with the rest of the Kim Chee preparation in a faster way as described in this post, will it be this long-lasting kind of Kim Chee? Or would I still have to eat it quickly? I would love to hear your thoughts on that!

    Thank you very much and a hug from Brazil!

    Reply
    • Marilia says

      July 24, 2013 at 12:58 am

      Oh yes, a small PS – I’m using French coarse sea salt from Guerande since I can’t find Korean sea salt. Is that ok? Many thanks again!

      Reply
      • Holly says

        July 26, 2013 at 10:11 am

        I think it should be okay. Good luck!

        Reply
    • Holly says

      July 26, 2013 at 9:02 am

      Hi Marilla
      Sorry for the late reply.
      You can use the quick version kimchi filing to the cabbages soaked in traditional method and store for longer fermentation. However traditionally, we like to add a form of rice glue to help bind the filling to cabbages which will bring better fermentation if you intend to store kimchi longer period.
      Also adding extra favors in the filling brings layers of flavor as they ferment together.

      Reply
      • Marilia says

        July 27, 2013 at 8:24 pm

        Oooooh, I see, that totally makes sense! I’ll definitely try to make the full traditional Kim Chee one day then. But it’s good to know that my “hybrid” version could be stored for longer periods too, just in case I can’t find all the ingredients for the traditional filling. But I’ll try!

        Thank you very much for your reply Holly! And it didn’t take long at all btw, hehe =)

        Reply
  23. donna says

    July 31, 2013 at 8:18 am

    Thank you for this recipe, Holly! I just made some and it cured my Kimchi craving. I will make this often.

    Reply
  24. Line says

    August 6, 2013 at 5:31 am

    Thank’s!!! c’est parfait!

    Reply
  25. katelyn says

    August 15, 2013 at 10:39 am

    Thank you for this recipe. I love kimchi but my tolerance for spicy food/dish is very low to zero. How do i make it less spicy? Or it is possible to make a non spicy kimchee?

    Reply
    • Holly says

      August 15, 2013 at 10:27 pm

      You can use less chili flakes to meet your need. There is a kind of kimchi that doesn’t use any chili. I will think of posting it someday.

      Reply
  26. chanta mon says

    August 23, 2013 at 7:21 am

    U made it alot easier for me. Can’t wait to make it 🙂 <3

    Reply
  27. Catherine says

    September 3, 2013 at 4:45 am

    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I have been trying to make good kimchi for the last 17 years (since I got married to my Korean husband) and this one is by far the best, easiest and most reliable recipe I have come across. All kimchi-eaters in our family simply love it.

    Reply
  28. Shaz says

    October 15, 2013 at 12:12 pm

    Hi Holly,

    I am from India and I love Korean food and especially “KIMCHI”. I plan to make it at home. But I am unable to find Korean Chilli Pepper Flakes( “gochugaru”) here in India.
    Is it ok to use either the Sweet Thai Chilli Saise (ONG’s) or shall i take dry chillies we get here in India and use them instead.

    Please advice.

    Thank You
    Shaz

    Reply
    • Holly says

      October 15, 2013 at 1:02 pm

      Hi Shaz, as long as the Thai chili is not the kind that are extremely hot, you can use it. I personally recommend to look for finger long red chilies that are common in Asia. You can use fresh chilies instead of dried kind. Just process the fresh chilies until you get the finely chopped consistency. You can adjust amount depends on how much redness or spiciness you desire.

      Reply
  29. Beata, Magazyn Kuchenny says

    January 15, 2014 at 6:19 pm

    Holly, your recipes never fail. I’ve tried this 30 minute kimchi and I love it even though I’m a huge fan of old, sour and well fermented kimchi 🙂 Thank you! Will share this one with my readers.

    Reply
    • Holly says

      January 17, 2014 at 8:46 am

      That is so great. Hope your readers will like it, too.

      Reply
  30. Ling says

    February 7, 2014 at 5:15 am

    Hi Holly, I am a complete dummy in the kitchen but took the plunge to try this “express” kimchi recipe… well it didn’t turn out too well i’m afraid 🙁 First of all not all the cabbage stems bended, although I left them in the brine for a longer time. The second problem was adding too much ginger I believe. Sorry but how big a piece of ginger did you use? My 10 yr old daughter, who is a big kimchi fan, was hugely disappointed. She said the ginger taste is too strong. So how do I counteract the strong ginger taste? The kimchi also tasted crunchy instead of limpy. Is sand eel sauce the same as anchovy sauce? I used sand eel sauce since that was what the lady at the mart gave me when i asked for anchovy sauce. I hope to hear back from you, so I can have the courage to try other recipes from you. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Holly says

      February 7, 2014 at 5:43 pm

      Ling, ginger is essential ingredient in kimchi, but too much of it will overpower the taste and makes it even bitter. The good guide for the amount of ginger in kimchi recipe would be about 1/3-1/2 volume amount of garlic.
      Fresh kimchi is usually slightly crunch. It gets lumpy as fermenting. Also I am not so sure what the sand eel sauce is, but it doesn’t sound right one to use in kimchi.

      I am sorry to hear that your kimchi didn’t turn out well. But keep trying. You will eventually get it right. Cheers!

      Reply
      • Ling says

        February 8, 2014 at 11:30 am

        Hi Holly, thanks for getting back. The kimchi tasted much better today 🙂 But yes, I shall take note of what you said. And btw, you’d be pleased to know I attempted the “braised pork ribs and kimchi” recipe today for a pot luck dinner, and boy was it good! Thanks to you, I garnered a lot of praise! For a complete novice like me, it was very encouraging indeed. Thanks again for your excellent blog – very reader friendly, the step by step explanation is great, and not to mention the enticing shots of the food… I can’t wait to try the other recipes!

        Reply
  31. David Coates says

    May 8, 2014 at 3:33 am

    Thanks for the recipe Holly, it’s gotten me out of a bit of a pickle. I had only a few of your ingredients so I used fish sauce, probably same as anchovy, ground chilli paste(sambal Oelek) and pickled ginger, no plum so used plum sauce. Has turned out just fantastic and so quick, thanks again
    Cheers
    David C

    Reply
  32. Whitney says

    October 27, 2014 at 10:00 pm

    I’m taking baby steps in my kimchi evolution! Just made this quick version and can’t wait to experiment with the real deal fermentation! Thank you!!

    Reply
  33. Brad says

    December 4, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    I used to visit a little restaurant that had the greatest kimchi, but I don’t live in that area anymore and really don’t like store bought. It only took one phone call to find the ingredients at a nearby Asian Grocery that I cannot buy in most grocery stores, including the Koran Plum Extract for Tea. I am looking forward to trying this.

    Reply
    • Holly says

      December 4, 2014 at 8:24 pm

      That is so great, Brad! Glad to hear that you were able to find the plum extract. Have fun making kimchi and all the culinary adventures in your kitchen!

      Reply
      • Brad says

        December 7, 2014 at 5:52 pm

        Hi, I wanted to update my post, I purchased what I could at the Asian market and made the kimchi, minus the extra chilis and toasted sesame seeds. It tasted better than the kimchi that the market makes. My wife suggested putting in some toasted sesame seed oil, and that gave it a fuller, better taste. I am guessing once it sits in the fridge overnight, it will even be better. I don’t think the plum extract was exactly right, it is Gung Jung Plum Juice, but it worked.

        Thank you for a great recipe.

        Reply
  34. Jacqueline says

    January 31, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    Tried your 30 min Kimchi recipe and it was yummy! Thanks for sharing!
    By the way, great recipes.

    Reply
  35. Terra says

    July 24, 2015 at 1:02 am

    I made some about 15/16days ago. Do you think it is still good?

    Reply
    • Holly says

      July 24, 2015 at 1:27 pm

      Yes, it should be alright for another week or two.

      Reply
  36. Amado Diaz P.A. says

    October 11, 2015 at 4:00 pm

    I will try to make this soon -looks so good.

    Reply
  37. Louna-84 says

    February 11, 2016 at 8:51 am

    Hi Holly it seems delicious and I wanted to try kimchi since forever but instead of the anchovy sauce can I use soja sauce?
    Thank you for the recipe~

    Reply
    • Holly says

      February 11, 2016 at 8:30 pm

      Regular soy sauce won’t bring the right flavor of kimchi. If you want to avoid anchovy sauce, try with Thai fish sauce. That will work fine. If you want to avoid any type of fish sauce, then you can use a sauce called “Korean soy sauce for soup (gookganjang)”. It is similar to fish sauce but made with fermented soy and more pungent than regular soy sauce. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  38. Cindy says

    March 4, 2016 at 10:32 pm

    Can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m far from a store that carries gochujaru, but I have gochujang! Will that work?

    Reply
    • Holly says

      March 5, 2016 at 7:16 am

      No, gochujang is not the same as chili flakes and it won’t work on kimchi recipe.

      Reply
  39. jc says

    September 15, 2016 at 2:14 pm

    Could you use radish (daikon) instead of cabbage for this 30 minute recipe?

    Reply
  40. Robert Fox says

    January 23, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    I’ve actually been making a quick kimchi for years that’s alot like your recipe, in fact I am soaking a Napa cabbage right now for kimchi. I could never wait for fermentation. My ingredients, unlike normal, is napa cabbage, red boat fish sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, sea salt, cayenne pepper (for my heat) green onion & daikon. I have even included hondashi (bonito stock) to my last batch (don’t know if that added anything to the flavor). I am going to include the sugar from your recipe & see what that adds. I have made this kimchi for 40+ years (I spent several years in Pusan, South Korea) & never, until recently used fish sauce, but I can’t believe the added flavor (great umami). Kamsahamnida!

    Reply

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I am Holly, a native Korean mother and a wife whose favorite place in the house is the KITCHEN. I hope you find lip-smackingly delicious Korean recipes and beyond in my site.

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