Mild Vegan Kimchi Recipe

There are as many kimchi recipes out there as there are kimchi makers if you’re looking for a kimchi recipe without fish sauce then this recipe is for you! Using savoy cabbage, carrot, red onion, and just enough chili, ginger, and garlic, this mild vegan kimchi produces beautiful ferment. Mild enough for the whole family to enjoy!

It’s important to follow some basic hygiene rules when fermenting!

• Clean hands are essential!
• Wash all utensils in hot soapy water and leave to drip dry upside down on a clean tea towel while you are preparing your vegetables. It’s not necessary to sterilize your containers as with canning. But if you prefer, you can sterilize your jars and lids in boiling water for 5 minutes. Alternatively, upright on a tray in the oven for 15 minutes at 110°C/230°F.
• Use fresh ingredients! Old or aging vegetables have already started to break down and may cause your ferment to go bad. Always wash your vegetables and remove any parts or outer leaves that may be damaged.
• Good quality salt is preferable; the only rule here is not to use iodized salt, which may hinder the growth of good bacteria. It may seem like a lot of salt, but remember,   we want to hold back the growth of any bad bacteria so the good guys can get to work. When they’ve had a chance to do their work, the ph of the mixture will sink, leaving no hope for the bad guys to take hold. Don’t worry; your sauerkraut will not taste salty if given enough time to mature. 
• If your vegetables don’t create enough brine after you have added it to the jar and pressed down to compact it, you can add some extra liquid to the jar; the important thing to remember here is that a 2% brine is optimal! So for every 100g /100ml of water, use 2 grams of salt and mix thoroughly before topping up your mixture.

Ingredients

600g/ 21oz Savoy cabbage 

350 – 300 g/ 9-10 oz Carrots – peeled and finely grated

1 small Red onion – thinly sliced adds color, vibrancy and flavor.

10g/ 0.3 oz Fresh ginger – peeled and finely grated

3-4 Cloves of garlic – peeled and finely grated

1/4 – 1/2 Chili – mild chilies that are particularly suitable for this recipe include Coronado, Doux Des Landes, Espanola, and Italien Long Hot Peppers.
Taste your chili and judge from there how much to use. In this recipe, I used Coronado. 
Alternatively, you can use chili flakes.

20 – 30g Salt without iodine – The amount of salt needed is based on the weight of the ingredients. We will be using 2% salt in this recipe.

You will need:

• A clean chopping board 
• A weighing scale that can weigh small amounts OR a measuring spoon 
• A sharp knife or mandolin 
• A Grater or shredder
• Clean jars with lid OR canning jars with a rubber seal. You will need something that will hold roughly 1 litre or 1 quart. They should be thoroughly cleaned in hot soapy water or sterilised as described above.
• A clean freezer bag
• A large, clean bowl

Method

1. Weigh the bowl that you plan to use and jot down the weight for later.

2. Rinse the head of the cabbage and remove the outer leaves. (if they are reasonable, you can save them to use instead of a freezer bag for submerging the mixture.)

3. Divide in two and cut out the hard stem or core and put it to the side.

4. Slice the cabbage as evenly as possible with a sharp knife or mandolin and place it in the bowl.

5. Grate the core of the cabbage and add it to the bowl.

8. Peel and finely slice the red onion and add to the bowl.

6. De-seed and finely chop 1/4 -1/2 of the chili. Carefully taste to check the strength of the chilli before you add it to the bowl. You can always add more if it is a very sweet chili.

7. Add the vegetables, including the garlic, chili, and ginger, to the bowl and weigh the bowl again. Calculate the amount of salt that is needed. You will need 20g of salt per kg of vegetables. or one generous tablespoon per 2 lbs.

8. Add the salt to the bowl. Mix and squeeze the mixture until it starts to produce liquid. It can take between 5 and 15 minutes.

You can also use a pestle or a meat hammer to pummel the mixture instead of using your hands. If necessary, you can allow half an hour of resting time for the salt to work its magic. 

9. Transfer the wet mixture to your jars, or crock when it has turned limp.

Push down to compact the mixture and remove any air.

Pour any remaining liquid from the bowl into the jar as well, and divide evenly between jars if using several.

Leave about 1 inch or 2cm at the top of the jar; this is where you will put your freezer bag (or use your cabbage leaf).

If you don’t feel your cabbage has released enough liquid to cover the mixture you can mix up a little extra brine to top up with; Weigh your salt and water to create a brine with 2% salt. For example, if you are mixing 100g of water you will need 2 g of salt. 200g of water will require 4g of salt.

You can also use the outer leaves of your cabbage as a weight, cut them to the size of the jar and give them a wash under running water. Place them on top of the mixture and press down hard to submerge the leaf.
You can also invest in fermentation weights, but they are not essential!

11. Place your jars on a plate or tray to catch any liquid that may leak, and place the tray somewhere at room temperature (18-22 degrees Celsius or 64-71 F) and out of direct sunlight for 3 Days. It will take longer for the fermentation process to start in a cooler room, but it may also bring out more flavor.

12. If using a jar with a rubber seal, you will need to lift the lid twice a day to release gases that build up during the process. I’ve found this step is not necessary if using regular jars. The air can force its way past the screw-top lid as it is not 100 percent air-tight.

13. After 3 days you should see bubbles forming, if not you can wait a further day or two, remember to continue to lift the lid twice a day if has an air-tight rubber seal!

You can enjoy your homemade kimchi after two weeks, but I recommend allowing the flavors to mature for a further 2 -4 weeks to reach their full complexity. It should start to taste slightly sour and no longer taste like salted vegetables.

Serving tips

It’s hard to resist eating this kimchi straight from the jar (not advisable – you don’t want to introduce any pathogens that will affect the shelf life of our ferment! ).

Mixed through cold rice with some marinated beans or some fried Tofu Croutons, you can create a vegan rice salad that is full of flavor!

You can serve it as a side dish, to be eaten alone, with sourdough bread and butter, or as a complement to almost any meal!
Why not enjoy it as a hot dog topping?

Storing kimchi

After the fermentation process is complete, you can store your kimchi in the coolest room in your house. Preferably in the fridge if you have space. The fermentation process will conserve your vegetables, but to maintain color and consistency for longer, cold is best. 

Stored cool, below 15 degrees Celsius/ 59 Fahrenheit, your ferment will hold well for 4-6 months, perhaps longer.

It should look fresh, have a crunch, and have a sour, slightly vinegary smell and taste.

Any opened jars should be kept in the fridge and enjoyed within the same period. Remember to use a clean utensil every time you dip into the jar to avoid introducing harmful bacteria that would cause your cabbage to spoil.

Variations to enjoy

A tablespoon of smoked paprika adds an interesting flavor dimension!

Use shallot onions in place of the red onion in this recipe for a milder onion flavor Or why not try finely chopped leeks?

You can use red cabbage for this recipe! Or why not try making  Fermented Red Cabbage?

Bok Choi can also be used, either to replace or in addition to the cabbage in this recipe.

You can experiment with adding a little miso paste to the brine if you prefer a more traditional kimchi flavor but still want to make vegan kimchi.

Troubleshooting

There are times when for some reason or another, things don’t go as planned, and you find yourself with unexpected results. This can happen to the most experienced fermenter and doesn’t necessarily mean you need to throw it out. 

Top yeast is the most common concern for first-time fermenters. It can be tricky to see the difference between top yeast and mold. The top yeast is always white and is a little powdery, as though you have sprinkled flour on top. It can even have thin threads of growth if it has been there for a while and can smell yeasty. Top yeast doesn’t destroy your ferment, but it is best to remove the top layer of ferment and taste the vegetables under. It can give it a yeasty flavor but if it tastes good, it’s okay to enjoy! Top yeast usually grows back, so you don’t wait before eating the rest of the jar!

White sediment is normal when fermenting with salt brine. It is often milky, and a thin layer can often be seen at the bottom of the jar. 

Mold is, unfortunately, one reason not to eat your ferment. Usually white, grey, or green and a little fuzzy and grows in patches (as opposed to top yeast that covers the whole top layer). Some molds produce mycotoxins, a kind of poison. Because it’s difficult to identify which molds are dangerous and which are harmless, I recommend throwing out any fermented vegetables that show signs of mold. Toxins from mold can cause symptoms of acute poisoning, such as tummy pain and vomiting. Mycotoxins are water-soluble and can therefore spread throughout the whole jar even if it is just visible on the surface. Throw it out and start again.

A good rule of thumb is to use your senses. Does it look, smell and taste good? Then you‘re good to go!