Quick Vegetarian Napa Cabbage Kim Chi (Kimchee) Recipe

Quick Vegetarian Kim Chi Made With Napa Cabbage And Scallions From My CSA Box.

My latest CSA box included a large head of Napa Cabbage or Chinese Cabbage, and a nice bunch of scallions, perfect for trying out a quick version of kim chi using a recipe from Jenny Kwak's Dok Suni, Recipes from My Mother's Korean Kitchen.

Chinese Napa Cabbage from my CSA Box.

Kim Chi (or Kimchee) is a staple in Korean homes, accompanying every meal, all year round. Kim chi can be made with almost any vegetable - it is simply a vegetable, pickled with salt,then spiced with Korean hot pepper powder, garlic and other seasonings (sometimes anchovy sauce is used). Napa Cabbage Kimchi is one of the most popular kim chi served.

There are two ways of preparing Napa Cabbage Kimchi. One way is to stuff the Napa Cabbage with the spicy seasonings and let the kim chi sit at room temperature for 48 hours.  The second method of preparing Napa Cabbage Kim Chi is to cut the cabbage into pieces and massage the kim chi seasonings into the cabbage pieces. Using this method, Napa Cabbage Kim Chi can be enjoyed in 24 hours.

Chinese Napa Cabbage, Pickled With Salt, After 6 Hours

I opted for a quick vegetarian version of Napa Cabbage Kimchi. I made half the recipe as I am the only kim chi lover in my house. The original recipe calls for adding more salt (in addition to the salt that is used to pickle the Napa Cabbage). As we are trying to reduce the amount of sodium in our diet (high sodium intake is associated with high blood pressure), I left the added salt out, and also reduced the amount of salt used in preserving the cabbage. 

Quick Vegetarian Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Kimchee)

Adapted from Jenny Kwak's Dok Suni, Recipes from My Mother's Korean Kitchen. I used a blender to make the garlic and onion juice. Although some recipes include anchovy sauce, this recipe is vegetarian.
Printable Recipe

Kim Chi Pickling Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Napa Cabbage
• 1/3 cup coarse salt

Kim Chi Seasoning:

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely minced
• 1/2 cup red pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon organic sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic juice 
• 1/2 cup onion juice
• 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths

Directions:

1. Cut cabbage up into 1-inch pieces. Place in a container. Dissolve salt in 1 cup of water and pour over cabbage. Use your hands to mix it in evenly. Cover and let cabbage pickle for 3 hours. Toss and turn over and pickle for 3 more hours. Strain the cabbage and discard the salt water.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the seasoning, except the scallions. Add the scallions and mix again. Let seasonings stand for 10 minutes. Distribute seasoning all over the cabbage, blending in with your hands.
3. Tightly pack cabbage in a jar. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and press down to get rid of air pockets.
4. Store at room temperature (around 70 degrees) for 24 hours to ferment. Chill before serving.

This recipe has been submitted to “Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.