Vegan Kimchi (Authentic, No Fish Sauce)
Make authentic vegan kimchi at home with fruit-vegetable stock and Korean soup soy sauce. Packed with bold flavor but completely plant-based—this kimchi ferments beautifully without fish sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 lb (2 kg) napa cabbage
- 1 1/2 cup (360 ml) Korean coarse sea salt or 1/3 cup kosher salt
For vegetable-fruit stock
- 1/2 large onion or leek, sliced
- 1/4 lb (113 g) Korean radish or daikon radish, diced
- 2 large pieces dried sea kelp (dashima)
- 1/2 Asian pear or Bosc pear
- 1/2 sweet red apple
- 6 cups (1.4 liter) water
For kimchi paste
- 1/2 large onion diced
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1-2 inch (2.5–5 cm) ginger peeled and diced
- 1/2 (150 g) Asian pear or Bosc pear peeled, cored, and diced
- 1/2 (100 g) sweet red apple cored, and diced
- 4 tbsp (60 g) cooked plain potato or white rice
- 4-5 fresh red fingerlong chilies diced, optional
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) Korean soup soy sauce (gukganjang)
- 1 bunch (100 g) green onion sliced
Instructions
To salt the cabbage
- Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise, and separate the halves by hand and then repeat the process to make quarters. Rinse the cabbage and chop it into 2-inch pieces.
- Spread a small portion of cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of coarse salt (1 tablespoon for kosher salt) evenly, and repeat until all the cabbage is used. Sprinkle with water occasionally if the cabbage seems dry and push it down with your hands. Let it soak for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning it around halfway through. Rinse the cabbage thoroughly 3 times and drain well in a colander.
To make the vegetable stock
- While the cabbage is brining, make the vegetable-fruit stock by combining pear, apple, radish, onion, dried sea kelp, and water in a pot. Boil and then simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, removing the sea kelp after 5 minutes. Discard the ingredients and reserve 1-1/2 cups of stock. Let it cool.
To make kimchi paste
- Process onion, garlic, ginger, pear, apple, cooked potato (or white rice), and 1/2 cup of stock in a blender until smooth. If using fresh red chili, add the slices at the end and pulse a few times.
- Pour the puree into a mixing bowl and add Korean chili flakes, Korean soup soy sauce, and mix well. Let it sit for 5 minutes so that the chili flakes can absorb the seasoning and rehydrate.
To assemble kimchi
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cabbage and sliced green onion, add the kimchi paste, and toss well to coat all the cabbage pieces.Tip: To avoid chili stains on your hands, it is recommended to wear kitchen gloves or disposable plastic gloves.
- Transfer the kimchi into a storage container. If you want extra kimchi brine, add the remaining 1 cup of stock to the mixing bowl you assembled the kimchi in. Rinse the bowl to collect all the residue of kimchi paste and pour it over the kimchi.
- After preparing the kimchi, let it sit at room temperature for 1-2 days to allow the fermentation process to start. Then, transfer the kimchi to the refrigerator to let the flavors develop fully. See the recipe notes below for more information.
Video
Notes
Tips for Fermenting and Storing Kimchi:
- To preserve the flavor of your kimchi, use an airtight container.
- Do not fill the container to the top, but leave at least 1/5 of the container empty to allow the kimchi to expand during fermentation.
- Allow the kimchi to sit at room temperature for 1-2 days, depending on the temperature, and then store it in the refrigerator for an additional 2-4 days for ideal fermentation.
- As kimchi ferments, it creates an odor. To prevent the spread of the odor, keep 1-2 boxes of fridge baking soda in your refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2.3g | Vitamin A: 3.8IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.4mg