Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (2024)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I have been eating kimchi for a long time. But usually, we buy it. Most kimchi in the Korean markets have seafood, including shellfish; as someone who suffers from gout, shellfish is off the menu.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (1)

Why do we normally buy kimchi? It is a lot of time-consuming work. But making your own is cheaper, lasts longer, and you can season it how you like it.

Today’s recipe is a veganised version of Maangchi’s napa cabbage recipe. She uses salted shrimp in her kimchi, but I will use my Vegan Fish Sauce.

BTW: Walmart now sells Vegan kimchi from Korea that is not too bad. But it is expensive.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (2)

The main vegetable ingredients are cabbage, carrot, green onion, Korean radish (Mu), garlic, and ginger.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (3)

Cabbage is best in late fall, so we will only make a small batch today. Later, when cabbage is at its prime, we will make a large batch.

To open the cabbage, make about a two inch cut into it. Then pull the cabbage apart.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (4)

As you can see, I need more practice. If you want whole cabbage, this is when you would salt the cabbage. But to make it easy, I cut mine up into two-inch pieces.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (5)

One five and a half pound cabbage filled this bowl up. Remember how this looks.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (6)

To preserve the cabbage, we need to salt it. Salting the cabbage will pull out moisture and help the good bacteria grow faster than the bad bacteria. You can use any grade of salt, but it needs to be free from iodine. Iodine is a disinfectant, and we want bacteria to grow.

To salt, the cabbage sprinkles some on, then mix. Sprinkle on some more and mix again. Then add what is left of the salt and mix. The cabbage needs to salt for two hours. Mix the cabbage every twenty to thirty minutes.

While the cabbage is salting we can get our seasoning mix made up.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (7)

You can see my Vegan fish sauce, sweet rice flour, and Korean red pepper flakes. For red pepper flakes, I always look for the ones from Korea. Even in the Korean market, most are imported from China.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (8)

The first thing you need to do is make sweet rice porridge. This will give the bacteria some carbs to get the fermentation started. To a pan, add water and sweet rice flour. Mix, then heat to a boil while stirring. When it comes to a boil, and you feel it start to thicken, add some raw sugar. Please take off the heat and let it cool down.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (9)

This is dropwort or minari. My wife loves this in kimchi. It’s usually only available in the cooler months. If you can not find it, it’s ok to leave it out.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (10)

There is a lot of chopping involved to make kimchi. Here we have chopped onion, green onion, carrot, dropwort, garlic, ginger, and the Korean red pepper. To that, we add sweet rice porridge.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (11)

Add we add our Vegan fish sauce.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (12)

Mix it all. I like to let these ingredients mingle for a little bit before using but it not a requirement.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (13)

After two hours, rinse the cabbage to remove excess salt. Then drain the water off. Notice how much it has the volume has reduced.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (14)

Put on rubber or plastic gloves. Add the seasoning mix and mix everything up.

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (15)

Put into your container and mash out any air pockets. It is now ready to ferment. How much it should ferment before you put it into the refrigerator depends upon how quickly you want it to get sour.

At a minimum, let it sit out overnight the first night. But it would be best if you let it sit out until it starts to have a slight fermentation smell. At 70F, that should be twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

  • Gout friendly / vegan yeolmu mulkimchi 열무 물김치🥬
  • Dairy Free Sweet Potato Mac and “Cheese”
  • Recipe Index
  • Korean spicy cucumber salad oi-muchim 🥒
  • Sweet and sour seitan recipe 🥡
Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (16)

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (17)

Vegan Kimchi Recipe 🥢

How to make vegan kimchi

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 1 day day 3 hours hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: kimchi, Vegan

Servings: 25 people

Calories: 20.44kcal

Author: James Strange

Ingredients

Cabbage

  • 1 head Napa Cabbage 5 to 6 pounds
  • 72 grams salt no iodine

Sweet rice porridge

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 Tablespoons Sweet Rice Flour
  • 2 Tablespoons Raw Sugar

Seasoning

  • 2 each carrots Shredded
  • 2 cups radish Korean Radish Mu
  • 1 cup dropwort Chopped
  • 10 each green onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup garlic chopped
  • 1/4 cup ginger chopped
  • 2 cup gochugaru
  • 2/3 cup Vegan Fish Sauce

Instructions

Salt the cabbage

  • Chop the cabbage into 1.5 to 2 inch pieces.

    Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (18)

  • Add 1/3 of salt and mix.

  • Add 1/3 of salt and mix.

  • Add the remainder of salt and mix.

  • The cabbage needs to salt for two hours. Mix the cabbage every twenty to thirty minutes.

  • Rise the cabbage in clean water and drain.

    Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (19)

Make the sweet rice porridge

  • To a pan add two cups of water and two tablespoons of sweet rice flour. Mix well.

  • Turn on the burner and while stirring bring to a boil.

  • After it comes to a boil and starts to thicken turn off the heat and add two Tablespoons raw sugar.

    Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (20)

Make the seasoning

  • To a large bowl add the chopped onion, green onion, carrot, dropwort, garlic, ginger and the Korean red pepper.

    Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (21)

  • Then add the cooled sweet rice porridge and vegan fish sauce.

    Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (22)

  • Mix well.

Make the kimchi.

  • In a large bowl add the drained cabbage and seasoning.

    Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (23)

  • Put on gloves to protect your skin from the peppers.

  • Mix well to ensure the seasoning mix coats the cabbage.

    Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (24)

  • Put your kimchi in the storage container and press down to remove air.

  • Let sit at room temperature until the kimchi starts to ferment. Twelve to forty eight hours.

  • Your kimchi is now ready to enjoy.

Notes

The sodium value is off due to the software using regular fish sauce. Soon I can import data from another recipe. At that time I will update.

Nutrition

Calories: 20.44kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.25g | Protein: 1.04g | Fat: 0.11g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1610.67mg | Potassium: 140.01mg | Fiber: 0.68g | Sugar: 1.92g | Vitamin A: 134.2IU | Vitamin C: 12.07mg | Calcium: 38.91mg | Iron: 0.25mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @james_strange_eats or tag #james_strange_eats

4.5 2 votes

Article Rating

Vegan kimchi recipe - James Strange (2024)

FAQs

What makes kimchi not vegan? ›

Traditionally, kimchi is not vegan. This is because it is typically seasoned and fermented in a seafood paste to deepen the flavour. This means that lots of kimchi bought that is made by Korean brands are not vegan-friendly.

Does vegan kimchi taste good? ›

There are many reasons to make vegan kimchi. Maybe you're avoiding animal products, or maybe you don't like the funkiness of fish sauce. Personally, I prefer this vegan kimchi over any traditional kimchi I've ever tried because it's got an incredible flavor.

What vegetable is Kim Chi? ›

Kimchi can be made from a variety of vegetables, and even fruits, but the most recognized version — baechu kimchi — is made with cabbage. Alongside cabbage, it often contains radishes, scallions, carrots, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and other flavorings. Kimchi has a sour, salty, savory, and often fiery taste.

Is vegan kimchi still healthy? ›

Kimchi made without seafood products still has the same probiotic bacteria. Good news, vegans: a new study finds that kimchi made without fish products has the same type of bacteria as more traditionally made kimchi.

Why not to eat kimchi? ›

Kimchi is high in sodium, with about 500 milligrams per cup. That's more than 20% of all the sodium that you're supposed to get in a day. Too much sodium can raise your risk of high blood pressure. If kimchi isn't prepared or stored properly, it can cause food poisoning, especially in people who are immune compromised.

Is vegan kimchi still fermented? ›

However, there are vegan ingredients that will also provide umami flavours. It is therefore very easy to make vegan kimchi that is just as tasty (if not tastier) than traditional kimchi. Note: Kimchi is produced by lactic acid fermentation. This fermentation is completely vegan and has nothing to do with milk!

What does kimchi do for your body? ›

Because it's a fermented food, it boasts numerous probiotics. These healthy microorganisms may give kimchi several health benefits. It may help regulate your immune system, promote weight loss, fight inflammation, and even slow the aging process. If you enjoy cooking, you can even make kimchi at home.

What's the difference between vegan kimchi and regular kimchi? ›

In vegan kimchi, producers swap in things like miso, which is a fermented soybean paste, in place of the seafood components,” explained Michelle Zabat, an undergraduate at Brown University and lead author of the study.

What is the shelf life of vegan kimchi? ›

Keep the pouch refrigerated in an upright position or decant in an airtight container. Kimchi will keep for weeks when stored correctly but we recommend to cook it if eating after the Best Before date. Usual shelf life is 5-6 weeks when you order online.

Who is the vegan kimchi queen? ›

Aruna Lee's path to running a fermented food brand is riveting, from her journey as an orphan to Buddhist nun to founder of Volcano Kimchi.

Why is my kimchi so fishy? ›

Why Does Kimchi Taste Fishy? Traditional kimchi is often made with Korean fish sauce and salted fermented shrimp, which is why it has a fishy taste. However, there are also vegetarian and vegan versions of kimchi that do not use fish sauce, which means they don't have that fishy flavor.

Can I eat kimchi everyday? ›

Cabbage and radish kimchi, a popular fermented vegetable dish, in particular were effective in reducing the risk of obesity and abdominal obesity in both men and women.

How often should you eat kimchi? ›

Eating up to three daily servings of kimchi could reduce men's risk of obesity. Also, radish kimchi is associated with a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity in both men and women, according to a new study. The findings were published in the journal, BMJ Open.

Why do Koreans eat so much vegetables? ›

The Korean diet is characterized by high vegetable intake, which is due to the agricultural environment in Korea. Vegetables such as lettuce, peppers, carrots, or cucumbers, were often consumed raw with sauces made of gochujang, doenjang, kanjang, or vinegar, and topped with sesame seeds.

What is the difference between vegan kimchi and regular kimchi? ›

As you may know, kimchi is seasoned, fermented vegetables. It usually contains cabbage, raddish, scallions, chili powder, salt, garlic, ginger,… and fish sauce (or fermented shrimp). Now vegans will want to avoid that last ingredient, but it gives kimchi an umami flavor, so vegans will need something to sub it.

Is kimchi supposed to be vegan? ›

In fact, it's generally considered one of the most important elements of Korean cuisine and has been around for thousands of years. Unfortunately for those following a vegan diet, kimchi is more often than not flavored with some type of fermented seafood product, such as fish sauce or salted shrimp.

Is authentic kimchi vegan? ›

A single serving also provides more than half of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C and carotene. The presence of a seafood-based sauce makes kimchi unfriendly to vegans and vegetarians, but there are plant-based alternatives readily available.

Is kimchi originally vegan? ›

Not always. According to the 2022 iteration of the Codex Alimentarius international food standards, kimchi is vegetarian in that it's simply “prepared with Chinese cabbage as a predominant ingredient and other vegetables which have been trimmed, cut, salted and seasoned before fermentation”.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Pres. Carey Rath

Last Updated:

Views: 6447

Rating: 4 / 5 (41 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Pres. Carey Rath

Birthday: 1997-03-06

Address: 14955 Ledner Trail, East Rodrickfort, NE 85127-8369

Phone: +18682428114917

Job: National Technology Representative

Hobby: Sand art, Drama, Web surfing, Cycling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Leather crafting, Creative writing

Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.