Side dishes
Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Homemade napa cabbage kimchi with gochugaru, garlic and ginger, fermented in a 2-liter jar. Makes 20 servings of half a cup and keeps up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Servings
- 20
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Korean
Ingredients
For the cabbage and brine
For the paste
For mixing
Method
Cut the cabbage
Cut 1.5 kg napa cabbage into quarters lengthwise, then into 4 cm pieces.
Make the brine
Dissolve 60 g coarse salt in 1 liter water, submerge the cabbage and let it rest 1 hour 30 minutes, turning it halfway through.
Rinse and drain
Rinse the cabbage 3 times with cold water and drain it well for 10 minutes.
Make the paste
Mix 30 g gochugaru, 4 minced garlic cloves, 10 g grated ginger, 1 tablespoon sugar and 45 ml fish sauce into a thick paste.
Cut the vegetables
Cut 4 scallions into 3 cm pieces and 150 g carrot into thin strips.
Mix everything
Wearing gloves, mix the drained cabbage with the paste, scallions and carrot until everything is coated.
Fill the jar
Fill a 2-liter jar, pressing firmly so there are no gaps, and leave 3 cm of space at the top. Close the lid without tightening it fully.
Ferment and serve
Leave the jar at room temperature for 1 to 5 days, opening it once a day to release gas and tasting it. When it is as sour as you like, refrigerate it for up to 3 weeks. Serve half a cup per person.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
Nutrition facts
½ cup (about 70 g; 1/20 of the recipe)
- Protein
- 1.4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Fat
- 0.4 g
- Sodium
- 516 mg
Estimate per serving. The cabbage is assumed to keep about 15 g of the 60 g of brine salt after rinsing; actual sodium varies with the rinse and the fish sauce. The water lost in the brine is not subtracted and fermentation is not accounted for.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy (2018)
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
Homemade kimchi is made with napa cabbage salted in brine, a paste of gochugaru, garlic, ginger, sugar and fish sauce, and a little scallion and carrot. The cabbage sits 1 hour 30 minutes in the brine and is rinsed 3 times.
It is packed into a 2-liter jar and ferments at room temperature for 1 to 5 days, until it is as sour as you like. Then it goes into the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. It makes about 1.4 kg, 20 servings of half a cup.
Frequently asked questions
How long should kimchi ferment?
1 to 5 days at room temperature. Taste it every day and refrigerate it when it is as sour as you like.
How long does homemade kimchi last?
Up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator, in a clean, closed jar. It gets more sour over time.
Can you make kimchi without fish sauce?
Yes. You can replace it with soy sauce, although the flavor will be different and lack the usual savory sea note.
