Kimchi has live bacteria and is relatively simple to make.
One of my favorite sandwiches is a Reuben because of sauerkraut. I have made it with tempeh for a vegan version and I also really like the one that Native Foods Cafe serves with seitan (a protein substitute made out of wheat gluten).
I heard about kimchi that is a spicy Korean version of sauerkraut made with napa cabbage and Korean red chilies. People all over the world eat fermented foods which help to preserve them and also provides health benefits.
Foods that you’re familiar with that either use bacteria in their preparation or include them in the final product might be bread, yogurt, beer and wine, dill pickles, tempeh, cheese, and sauerkraut.
But, did you know that chocolate and coffee also use bacteria as part of the processing? Not all fermented foods have live bacteria, but for this dish, we will.
We’re going to let nature takes its course with the bacteria that’s already on the food instead of using a culture. Serve with tofu and rice, or a cold side salad, with stir-fried noodles and broccoli, or over steamed vegetables.
Take care of your gut, it’s helping to take care of you.
The recipe for this dish is from a class I took at Whole Foods Market, Del Mar, with Austin from the Fermenters Club. Thank you, Austin. Thanks also to Sara Vance, C.N. for her help with the mixing.
See her website, rebalancelife.com, for info on her health and wellness services.
Enjoy Kimchi with one these delicious recipes:
- Baked Tofu
- Cheezy Veggie Divan
- Eggplant Szechuan-Style with Peppers & Mushrooms
- Roasted Curried Cauliflower with Peas
- Sweet Potatoes with Swiss Chard
Finished product. Now, just wait.
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Kimchi! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
Kimchi
Equipment
- 1 Gallon Glass Jar
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 medium heads of cabbage (green, Napa, or bok choy) cut into 1″ chunks, 2-3 lbs
- 2 carrots thinly sliced
- 1 medium daikon radish thinly sliced
- 1 scallion chopped
Paste:
- 4 Tbl red pepper powder find the Korean version if you can
- 1 Tbl vegan fish sauce
- 1 Tbl soy sauce
- 6-8 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 3 scallions sliced
- 1 Tbl ginger sliced about 3″
Instructions
- In a 1-gallon glass jar or ceramic crock soak vegetables for 4-6 hours in a brine made of 3 pints filtered water, 4-5 tablespoons iodine-free salt. Make sure the veggies are submerged under the water by weighing them down.
- Make the paste in a food processor or blender. Add all of the paste ingredients and pulse until a paste forms.
- Drain vegetables, reserving 1 cup of soaking liquid.
- Wearing gloves, mix paste thoroughly into vegetables with your hands.
- Pack into wide mouth jars or a large crock. Put a cabbage leaf over the top of the veggies and make sure they are submerged under the brine which should form within 1 day. If not, top off with reserved brine.
- Ferment. Cover with a towel to keep dust out and let sit in a warm dark spot for at least 4-7 days.
- Taste for flavor and let sit longer if you wish. Refrigerate when ready.
Is there a reason for so much sodium?
Thanks for letting me share.
Hi Greg and thanks for your question. I recalculated the recipe and it was way off. Not sure what happened, but I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. It’s actually a low calorie food.
6-8 cloves roughly chopped
Is that cloves as in the spice or cloves of garlic?
Hi Alicia, it’s cloves of garlic. Thanks for bringing that to my attention!