Vegan Kimchi with Japanese Umami Seasoning
This vegan kimchi is made with napa cabbage, daikon, gochugaru, and shio koji, a Japanese umami seasoning. It’s naturally fermented without fish sauce or shrimp, with a simple, savory flavor.
Equipment
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- colander
- Saucepan
- whisk
- Spatula
- Storage container glass recommended
Ingredients
A. Salted Napa Cabbage
- 700 g napa cabbage The softer parts are easier to pickle
- 35 g coarse sea salt
B. Rice Flour Paste
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- 100 ml water
C. Yangnyeom (Seasoning Mixture)
- 200 g daikon The upper part, which tends to be sweeter, is recommended.
- 2-3 tbsps coarse Korean chili powder gochugaru
- 1 tablespoon powdered Japanese black sugar kokutou/黒糖
- a generous 2 tbsps shio koji
- 15 g grated garlic This recipe uses a mild variety. If using a stronger variety, start with a smaller amount and adjust to taste.
- 10 g grated ginger
Instructions
A. Salt the Napa Cabbage
- Wash the napa cabbage and drain well.700 g napa cabbage
- Cut the stems into 3 cm pieces and the leaves into 5 cm pieces.
- Place the cabbage in a bowl, sprinkle with the coarse sea salt, and mix well.35 g coarse sea salt
- Place a weight of about 1.4 kg (twice the weight of the cabbage) on top. After 1 hour, turn the cabbage over. Place the weight back on top and leave for another hour.
- When you can pinch the cabbage stem between your fingers and bend it easily without it snapping, transfer it to a colander.
Taste a piece, and if it is too salty, rinse it with water to remove some of the salt. Leave it to drain for at least 1 hour.
B. Make the Rice Flour Paste
- Add the water and rice flour to a saucepan and whisk well until the rice flour is fully dissolved.1 tbsp rice flour, 100 ml water
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
- Once the mixture starts to thicken, continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. The finished paste should be thick, and you should be able to see the bottom of the pan as you stir.
C. Make the Yangnyeom
- Peel the daikon and cut it into thin matchsticks or fine strips.200 g daikon
- Add the daikon, seasonings, and rice flour paste from Step B to the storage container and mix well.2-3 tbsps coarse Korean chili powder, 1 tbsp powdered Japanese black sugar, a generous 2 tbsps shio koji, 15 g grated garlic, 10 g grated ginger
D. Mix Everything Together
- Add the salted napa cabbage to the yangnyeom and mix thoroughly, then close the lid.
- Leave at room temperature for 2–3 days to allow it to ferment.
- Cover the surface of the kimchi directly with plastic wrap (optional, but it helps prevent the surface from drying out), then close the lid and store it in the refrigerator.