Easy. Simple. Authentic. Delicious.

This is the perfect recipe for your first time making your own kimchi, incorporating both the traditional method and easy tips on optimizing the fermentation process at home!

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The very first thing I knew I needed to veganize when I adopted a plant-based diet and started The Korean Vegan was, of course, my own homemade kimchi recipe. It is the most iconic food in Korean cuisine and the most popular kind of kimchi uses napa cabbage leaves. If this is your first time making vegan kimchi, I want to make sure that the process is as simple and easy as possible (because my first time wasn’t simple OR easy!). This is the PERFECT recipe for those who want to make their own homemade kimchi because it will be the BEST kimchi you’ll ever eat!

What Even is Kimchi?

At bottom, kimchi simply refers to pickled vegetables and is, hands down, the most prevalent traditional Korean side dish or banchan. My father cannot eat a single meal (breakfast included) without some kimchi. While many people associate the word “kimchi” with the spicy, red Napa cabbage leaves populating the tables of your local Korean restaurants or packed into those large glass jars you can find at your local Asian grocery store, kimchi isn’t limited to salted cabbage.

For example, “white kimchi”–which does not include any Korean red pepper powder or gochugaru–is also a very popular kind of kimchi in South Korea that’s less spicy and often utilizes daikon radish or Korean radish as much as (if not more than) Napa cabbage. In fact, there are over 200 different kinds of kimchi.

One of my favorite food writers for the New York Times, Eric Kim, once said “Think of Kimchi as a Verb,” and I could not agree more. In fact, he texted me the other day, saying he’d made “celery kimchi,” to which I replied, “you can pretty much kimchify anything!”

What Does Kimchi Taste Like?

Surprisingly, the most frequent question I ever get asked about kimchi is the most basic:

“What does it taste like?”

Good kimchi will have the following characteristics:

• Salty
• Sweet
• Tart
• Crunchy

If you’ve never had kimchi before, I like to think of it as a cross between sauerkraut and bread pickles. Kimchi is not as finely chopped or sour as sauerkraut, but neither is it as sweet or thickly cut as bread pickles. But if the two got married and had a baby… it might be kimchi!

Obviously, the best part about making your own kimchi is that you can tailor it to your taste. For example, my mom likes her kimchi salty, where I prefer mine a little sweeter. That said, in my opinion, all good kimchi requires all of the above. So, if you taste something called “kimchi” that’s just salty, or just sour, or just sweet, or tastes mushy–chances are, it isn’t “good” kimchi.

But what about the spice? Believe it or not, the earliest kimchi (some believe it was invented over 4,000 years ago) did not have any chili flakes or fish sauce (more on this later). The earliest kimchi was just cabbage and salt water. It wasn’t until fairly recently (relative to a 4,000-year life span) that garlic, green onions, chives, shrimp paste, and Korean chili powder were added to enhance both the flavor and the fermentation process. I therefore don’t think of “spicy” as a mandatory taste component for kimchi. The kimchi in this recipe will definitely include Korean red pepper flakes and will therefore bring the heat!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Easy Vegan Kimchi.

This vegan version of traditional kimchi is:

• Easy
• Simple
• Authentic
• Delicious

This recipe is actually a vegan version of a classic kimchi recipe called Mak Kimchi (막김치), which literally translates into “careless” kimchi. Don’t worry–“careless” doesn’t mean “less delicious.” It just means this recipe for kimchi is easier than the longer, more complicated kimchi preparation (which I’d recommend doing as a group activity when it’s cold so you’re not sweating the whole time). And lest you worry that this means it’s somehow “not authentic,” Mak Kimchi is 99% of the kimchi you’ll see at the Asian market, the Korean restaurant, and in an Ajummah’s refrigerator.

This easy vegan kimchi recipe has only 14 ingredients, doesn’t involve hours of saucing and rolling, and yields 2 large mason jars (or 4 to 5 smaller jars) of the best kimchi you’ll ever eat.

Health Benefits of Kimchi.

The secret’s out of the bag: there are many health benefits to kimchi.

The primary ingredient to any kind of kimchi–including this one–is a vegetable. Accordingly, you’re already ahead of the game here in terms of fiber, antioxidants, and other life-promoting micronutrients. But like all fermented foods, kimchi is also an excellent probiotic, promoting good gut health and the development and maintenance of good bacteria in your microflora.

But what about the salt content? As you’ll see, salt plays a vital role in the preparation of good kimchi. Does all that salt lead to hypertension? Studies, like this one, have shown that consumption of kimchi does not lead to an increase of hypertension in humans. In fact, this study even suggests that the lactic acid found in kimchi can actually help to prevent certain types of cancer.

Key Ingredients for This Vegan Kimchi & Substitutions.

The following are the key ingredients for this vegan kimchi recipe:

• Napa cabbage. To make Napa cabbage kimchi or baechu (배추김치), you need Napa cabbage. In this recipe, we utilize 2 large heads of Napa cabbage. Sure, you can substitute a different kind of cabbage (green cabbage, Savoy cabbage, red cabbage); however, it won’t be traditional kimchi and both the salting period and fermentation process will be different. But, as I said in the beginning, you can “kimchify” anything, so if all you’ve got is some regular cabbage, this recipe will provide all the tips you need to identify what modifications you might need to make for different vegetables.
• Sea salt. The next most important ingredient to making this vegan kimchi is sea salt. If you can get Korean kimchi salt, that is your best option. However, if you don’t have easy access to course Korean sea salt, a coarse Kosher sea salt is your next best option. Coarse Kosher sea salt has a very similar salinity to Korean salt. You can also order Korean kimchi salt online!
• Gochugaru. The most frequent substitution question I get is whether you can switch out gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes) for something like paprika. To be honest… not really. While it isn’t as central as cabbage, gochugaru is practically a definitional ingredient. In other words, you’d be hard pressed to call something “Mak Kimchi” without it. I realize, however, that gochugaru isn’t yet available at most non-Korean grocery stores, so if you must, you can use a mix of paprika and cayenne in place of gochugaru. You can also order it online!
• Vegan Fish Sauce. The reason this vegan kimchi recipe is the BEST vegan kimchi recipe is because we don’t skip the fish sauce. We just veganize it! If you don’t have time to make my vegan fish sauce or “Fishy Sauce,” you can certainly substitute with a strong soy sauce or even Yondu (a savory Korean flavored broth enhancer); however, I promise you, it won’t be as good.
• Plum Syrup. Korean pantries contain numerous different kinds of sweeteners and I find plum syrup or Maesil Dang (매실당) to offer the perfect balance of sweet and tart for kimchi. However, if you can’t find plum syrup, you can also substitute with maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or organic cane sugar. You can find Maesil Dang online!
• Glutinous Rice Flour. In order to make the kimchi paste, this recipe uses glutinous rice flour or sweet white rice flour. What you don’t want to do is substitute with regular rice flour. That will not work. You can, however, substitute with just plain old white rice (see FAQ below for this substitution).

Equipment You’ll Need for this Vegan Kimchi Recipe.

The following is a list of equipment that will make your kimchi making even easier:

• Large bowls. Even 2 heads of cabbage, when cut into bite-sized pieces, will yield a lot of greens. Think about the biggest salad you’ve ever made–and then double it. You’ll also need to add a great deal of cold water to the cabbage. As a result, get your hands on some large stainless steel mixing bowls (plastic bowls will undermine the pickling process).
• Large colander. In order to drain the cabbage of excess brine and rinse them of excess salt, you will need a massive colander. Otherwise, you will have to work in batches.
• Blender or food processor. In order to make the kimchi paste, you’ll need to puree a bunch of vegetables and even fruit. You’ll therefore need a reliable blender or food processor (a large one).
• Small saucepan. There isn’t a lot of “cooking” involved in kimchi preparation, but in order to make the rice flour paste or “pul” (풀), you will need a small saucepan.
• Kimchi Storage. I like to use two 1/2 gallon mason jars, or a combination of a 1/2 gallon mason jar and smaller 16 ounce or 8 ounce mason jars (for giving away to very lucky friends!).

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Vegan Kimchi.

There are generally three parts to making this vegan kimchi recipe: (a) salting, (b) saucing, and (c) fermenting.

Part One: Salting.

The single most important step to making kimchi is salting your cabbage. This is why it’s so important you get the right salt (as we talked about above). It’s also important to ensure even distribution of the salt. In traditional kimchi, the cabbage remains largely intact, with minimal chopping (this aids fermentation), and the kimchi salt is massaged into each individual leaf. But in this “careless” or easy kimchi recipe, you are going to cut the kimchi into bite sized pieces in advance. Then, you will soak the pieces in salt water and simply sprinkle them with salt.

In order to make sure that each individual piece of cabbage gets equal “love” from the salt, at about the midway point–about 2 hours after the initial salting–you’re going to flip the cabbage leaves so that the ones on the bottom are now on top. Then, you’ll allow the cabbage leaves to marinate until they are sufficiently pickled to move onto saucing.

How do you know your cabbage leaves are ready for saucing? Usually, it will take at least 2 more hours from flipping (for a total of 4 hours). However, depending on the weather, how thick your cabbage leaves are, and the salinity of your salt, your cabbage leaves may require longer: up to 6 total hours of marination.

Once you’ve determined that your cabbage leaves are ready to sauce, drain all the salt water and make sure you rinse the cabbage leaves thoroughly in cold water. Pat them dry as best you can with a kitchen towel and place them in a large bowl.

Part Two: Saucing.

Now let’s get to the fun part of making this vegan kimchi! I love making the hallmark, red kimchi sauce. It’s the part that always makes my mouth water!

The sauce for this vegan kimchi is made up of five parts:

• Chopped vegetables (daikon radish, carrots, green onions)
• Pureed vegetables and fruit (onion, garlic, ginger, apple)
• Fishy Sauce
• Gochugaru
• Pul (glutinous rice flour paste)

First, make the pul by mixing some sweet white rice flour together with some water over low heat. I recommend that you use a whisk to do this in order to prevent it from getting lumpy. Keep whisking over low heat until you achieve a consistency that looks and feels like glue. Set this aside and allow it to cool.

Next, julienne the carrots or chop them into “matchsticks.” They don’t need to be perfectly uniform, but the thinner they are, the easier they will be to incorporate into your kimchi. The prettiest kimchi always has thinly julienned carrots, so if you can afford to spend some time, try and make them as thin as possible. But if you really want to live up to the name of this kimchi–Careless Kimchi–you can just use a julienner and save yourself the trouble!

In addition to the carrots, you’ll be adding fresh scallion greens to your vegan kimchi. My mother advised me to cut them on a bias (see video below), but you can just cut them into 2-inch pieces. The last bit of freshly chopped vegetables will be the daikon radish. I like to cut these into bite sized pieces that mimic the size of the cabbage leaves, to make them easier to eat. Simply place all of these chopped veggies into a large bowl.

Next, you’ll blend some rough chopped onion, scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and apple, together with some plum syrup (or your preferred syrup). You’ll end up with a pale green mixture that’ll look a little bit like the sludge you played with in junior high chemistry class, but trust me–this stuff is GOLD! Pour this straight into the same bowl as your chopped vegetables, together with the pul.

The last two components to the sauce—Fishy Sauce and gochugaru–can be added directly to the bowl containing everything else. Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are well-combined. Give it a taste to see if you need more Fishy Sauce (if you like it salty) or more plum syrup (if you like it sweeter). Once you’re happy with the flavor of your sauce, pour it into the bowl of rinsed cabbage leaves and mix until all the cabbage leaves are evenly coated with the sauce. And now, you’re ready for Part 3: Fermenting!

Part Three: Fermenting.

Once you’ve completed saucing all the cabbage leaves, place them in an airtight container by packing your vegan kimchi in as tightly as you can. It would be best to use containers that are not too large, in order to optimize fermentation. What works best are two 1/2 gallon wide-mouthed jars or 4 to 5 smaller mason jars. Add any leftover sauce to the top of your kimchi. If you have space left over in your last jar, sprinkle it with a little extra sea salt in order to prevent the growth of yeast.

In terms of fermentation, the typical rule of thumb is to leave your vegan kimchi out at room temperature for 24 hours. Afterwards, you place your kimchi in the refrigerator and wait anywhere from 4 to 10 days (or even longer, if you like your kimchi really sour) before enjoying. One of the best parts about vegan kimchi is that it lasts longer than traditional kimchi, because it doesn’t contain any fish sauce or shrimp paste (which hastens fermentation). Accordingly, you can enjoy your vegan kimchi for months and months!

Storing Kimchi.

After the initial 24 hours, your vegan kimchi should be stored in the refrigerator. How long will kimchi stay “good” for? Technically speaking, kimchi never goes “bad,” at least not in the traditional sense. It just gets more and more sour and soggy, over time. Finding the sweet spot to your kimchi is about personal taste (some like it less fermented while others like it practically rancid), but generally speaking, 2 to 3 weeks is usually when kimchi starts tasting amazing.

The good news is vegan kimchi stays in the sweet spot a lot longer than non-vegan kimchi. My mother is always shocked at how good my vegan kimchi stays, long after her non-vegan kimchi gets too sour to eat raw.

Once your vegan kimchi has passed its sweet spot, it’s ready to be cooked! The following are just a few recipes that utilize aged kimchi:

• Kimchi Stew
• Kimchi Pancakes
• Kimchi Fried Rice

Troubleshooting Your Vegan Kimchi.

Even the most experienced Korean moms can screw up their kimchi. But the good news is that even the biggest screw ups are usually repairable. Here are a couple of common mistakes and “fixes” for those mistakes, to ensure that this vegan kimchi is truly the best!

• Not Salty Enough. As I said, your cabbage leaves should taste “too salty” right before saucing. Why? Because the saltiness will dissipate over time. You’ll know within the first 24 hours of fermentation whether your kimchi is salty enough. You’ll taste your vegan kimchi and scratch your head, wondering how something that tasted so salty could taste so bland within just a day. Luckily, the fix for this is easy–simply add 2 tablespoons of kimchi salt to each 32 ounce mason jar or 1 tablespoon of salt to each smaller mason jar. You don’t even need to mix it in. It will taste overly salty, at first, but after a few days to a week, it will be perfect.
• Too Salty. On rare occasion, your kimchi will be too salty–for real. This usually means that you kept your cabbage in the brine for far too long. If this happens to you, no worries! Simply cut up some more of your daikon radish and mix it into your kimchi. The radish will suck up the extra salt and in a few days, your kimchi will taste great!
• Yeast on my Kimchi. Sometimes, you might see the formation of white “mold” on the top of your kimchi. But, it actually isn’t mold! It’s yeast and usually forms when your kimchi is exposed to too much oxygen. The good news is, you can simply remove the kimchi on top that has the yeast and the rest of your kimchi is just fine. However, in order to guard against this type of thing happening, make sure you use an airtight container. If you have a lot of space between your kimchi and the lid to your container, consider sprinkling with a little sea salt or adding plastic wrap over the top before sealing the container. Finally, your kimchi should be submerged, as much as possible, in its own juices.

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