Vegan Cabbage Kimchi with Apples and Ginger
Korean Vegan Temple Cabbage Kimchi that is made without fish sauce and no garlic and no green onions. Simple but delicious.
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 small bomdong cabbage or napa cabbage ((or two) (750g/10 oz))
- 1 medium radish ((500g/1 lb))
- 1 piece kelp ((dashima) – 2 x 2 inch)
- 10 cups water
- 1 cup Korean coarse sea salt with bittern removed ((cheonilyeom 천일염))
- 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
- 1 1/2 cup sea kelp stock
- 1 cup Korean chili powder ((Gochugaru) – use less to reduce spicy level)
- 1 small apple (, grated (1/4 cup / 62.5 ml))
- 1 tsp ginger (, grated or chopped)
- 2 tsp Korean soup soy sauce ((Guk ganjang))
- 3 Tbsp Korean sea salt (, bittern removed)
- 5 tsp green plum syrup ((maesil extract) or 2 tsp to 1 Tbsp sugar)
Instructions
- 1
Make brine by mixing 10 cups water and 1 cup Korean coarse sea salt.
- 2
Simmer 1 large piece of dashima (sea kelp) in 2 cups of water to make sea kelp stock. Simmer for 10 minutes and let it cool.
- 3
Cut bomdong cabbage by cutting the end so that you have individual leaves.
- 4
Add cabbage to brine. If brining bomdong cabbage leaves, leave for 1 hr. If using a regular napa cabbage, cut it in half and pickle for 3 hrs and then cut into pieces. See my Mak Kimchi post for more details on how to brine cabbages for Kimchi.
- 5
While cabbage is in the brine, make sweet rice flour paste by mixing 1 1/2 cup sea kelp stock and 1/4 cup sweet rice flour in a pot. Bring paste to boil.
- 6
Once the paste starts to bubble, lower heat to medium low and simmer. Mix with a whisk for 2 min. or so while it’s simmering (slight bubbles). Let it cool.
- 7
Julienne radish.
- 8
Separately grate apple and ginger.
- 9
Coat radish slices with 1/3 of the gochukaru (korean chili powder) or just enough to coat.
- 10
When sweet rice paste has cooled (can be warm to touch but not hot), add grated apple and ginger and mix.
- 11
Add remaining chili powder, soy sauce and salt to seasoning mixture.
- 12
Finish with green plum syrup or sugar.
- 13
When cabbages are pickled (if cabbage bends easily without breaking), rinse in cold water 2-3 times. Let excess water drain for about 15-20 minutes. Because bomdong is thinner than napa cabbage, we are just lightly pickling these. Pickle napa cabbage longer for 3 hrs.
- 14
In a large bowl, add cabbage, radishes and mix with seasoning paste.
- 15
Taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- 16
Leave kimchi at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 day until it has started to ripen. Then store in fridge and it will ripen further in the fridge but slowly.