• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Living Well Kitchen logo

  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Meme
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizer & Snacks
      • Snacks
    • Main Dish
      • Vegetarian
      • Seafood
      • Meat
      • Poultry
      • Pork
    • Specific Recipes
      • Vegetarian
        • Vegan
      • Kid Friendly
      • Gluten Free
      • Dairy Free
      • Nut Free
      • Egg Free
      • Soy Free
    • Sides
      • Vegetables
      • Beans
      • Grains
      • Potatoes
      • Bread
      • Sauce
    • Salad
    • Soup
    • Drinks
    • Dessert
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Season
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
  • Videos
    • Recipes
    • Bloopers
  • Easy Meals
  • Quiz
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Easy Meals
  • Breakfast
  • Main Dish
  • Dessert
  • Slow Cooker
  • Videos
  • Intuitive Eating
  • Quiz
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Recipes » Special Diet » Dairy Free

    My unauthentic kimchi

    Published: Sep 21, 2012 · Updated: Jun 29, 2019 · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Even though this recipe is hardly authentic, it's easy & quite tasty.

    kimchi

    Happy Recipe ReDux Day!

    "What's that?" you might ask.

    Well, Recipe ReDux is a recipe challenge started by registered dietitians. "The Recipe ReDux is focused on taking delicious dishes, keeping them delicious, but making them better for you."

    This month's Recipe ReDux is fermented foods.

    Honestly, when I read that, I thought "um whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! What can I possibly do...fermented foods?...hmmm..."

    Fermented foods... {Still puzzled}

    What kind of fermented foods should I work with or use in my recipe? What should I make?

    So so many questions.

    Sauerkraut seemed obvious to me, and I've never been a huge fan of sauerkraut.

    What about kimchi...?

    I mean, it's a great way to get in some veggies, and cabbage is a great cancer-fighting veggie.

    Cabbage has multiple health benefits including its anti-inflammatory effects & cholesterol lowering benefits; plus it's high in vitamins C & K and very low in calories.

    Since cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable {like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower}, it can reduce rates of cancer.

    It's obvious that cabbage is a great addition to a healthy diet, but not many people are jumping the gun to go out and fix cabbage every night. It's time to change that...

    So I did a little research and thought it'd be fun to make something I would never have made if not for the monthly Recipe ReDux. Why not take advantage of this chance?

    If anything, I could just write about how I failed miserably to make my own kimchi, so you wouldn't make that mistake yourself.

    Luckily {!!} my experiment worked! It actually worked! Ha!

    First things first...

    This is not an authentic recipe for kimchi.

    Let me repeat that... this recipe is not authentic.

    It's a little sad but as much as I tried, I could not find Korean hot pepper paste or Korean hot chili powder.

    Four {different} grocery store trips later, I decided I was just going to have to make do with what I could find.

    I was determined to try to make kimchi with or without Korean hot pepper paste and chili powder.
    Oh and I also accidentally bought regular green cabbage instead of Napa cabbage...

    Anywho, I found a recipe from David Lebovitz and based mine off his & the recipe he used for his inspiration.

    Here is my unauthentic interpretation of kimchi:

    Kimchi

    Even though this recipe is hardly authentic, it's easy & quite tasty.
    No ratings yet
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Fermenting Time: 6 days
    Total Time: 6 days 30 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Author: Meme

    Ingredients

    • 1 (2-3 lb. head) Napa cabbage or green cabbage
    • 2 tablespoon salt Kosher or sea salt
    • 1/2 cup rice vinegar {plain not seasoned}
    • 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
    • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
    • 3 tablespoon red chili paste
    • 3/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
    • 5 green onions sliced

    Instructions

    • Cut cabbage in quarters. Cut the core out of each section.
    • Slice cabbage leaves into about 2 inch strips.
    • Put cabbage in a large plastic or glass bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoon salt.
    • Place the salt covered cabbage leaves in a plastic colander {you can use the basket of a lettuce spinner if you don't have a plastic colander}.
    • Put the colander over the large bowl {the one you used to toss the cabbage in}.
    • Put a plate or bowl over the cabbage to weigh it down.
    • Let sit 24-48 hours at room temperature.
    • In a plastic or glass bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, red chili paste, cayenne pepper, and Sriracha sauce. Stir in the green onions and set aside.
    • Take a little cabbage at a time and squeeze it over a bowl or sink to remove any liquid.
    • Transfer the squeezed cabbage to a bowl, and stir in vinegar-chili mixture. Stir so all cabbage leaves are completely coated.
    • Pack the coated cabbage leaves into glass jars or other airtight glass container; cover & ferment {you have two options: room temp or refrigerate for at least 4 days before use.}
    • Kimchi keeps about 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator.
    • You can serve it as a side or on top of things like burgers, baked potatoes, or eggs.

    Notes

    This recipe is based on Betelnut's Cabbage Kimchi from Alex Ong and this one from David Lebovitz
    Makes 4 cups
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    Meme

    « pumpkin doughnut holes
    twice baked potatoes »
    • Yummly
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elizabeth says

      September 21, 2012 at 7:40 am

      I love how easy it is to make kimchi! definitely need to get back to that!

      Reply
      • memeinge says

        September 21, 2012 at 10:03 am

        I know! I was pleasantly surprised

        Reply
    2. graincrazy says

      September 21, 2012 at 9:07 am

      Thanks for the great information. I have never made this. I will have to give it a try. I have heard about the benefits of eating it. 🙂

      Reply
      • memeinge says

        September 26, 2012 at 9:40 am

        I hope you get a chance to try it! It's delicious on eggs, plus I love knowing I'm eating something healthy that adds so much flavor to everything

        Reply
    3. Alysa (InspiredRD) says

      September 21, 2012 at 11:01 am

      You could just call this version "Kimchi made from what you can actually find at the grocery store". Love it!

      Reply
      • memeinge says

        September 26, 2012 at 9:43 am

        That's a perfect name for this recipe!! Just might have to change its name 🙂 thanks!

        Reply
    4. Carlene RD says

      September 21, 2012 at 11:02 am

      Thanks for a good tutorial! We love to make kimchi (although not spicy!) to add to dishes.

      Reply
      • memeinge says

        September 26, 2012 at 9:06 pm

        It's such a great thing to add to dishes! This one is pretty spicy, but I like spicy 🙂

        Reply
    5. Deanna Segrave-Daly says

      September 25, 2012 at 9:26 am

      While I appreciate the disclaimer that this isn't authentic, it sure looks amazing to me! The next head of cabbage in my CSA share will become this recipe - great to have you on board with ReDux. Great post!

      Reply
      • memeinge says

        September 27, 2012 at 10:36 pm

        Thanks! I am loving Recipe ReDux! It's fun to try to come up with the recipe I'll be making each month 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Meme (a brunette female) is holding umbrella and spinning around in front of the Eiffel Tower wearing a denim jacket, skirt, and blue shoesHi, I'm Meme -- a thirty-something girl from Alabama living in San Diego! Join me as I prove that living a guilt-free, healthy lifestyle can be budget friendly, delicious & fun!
    Read More

    Let's Connect

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Most Popular

    pork tenderloin with gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans on white plate with yellow and white striped napkin

    Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

    jar of chocolate sauce with a spoon in it. empty small glass ice cream cups with a bowl of cherries on a wicker table

    Easy Chocolate Sauce

    Protein Pancakes from Living Well Kitchen

    protein pancakes

    white plate with a slice of zucchini lasagna

    Zucchini Lasagna

    spatula holding a microwave cookie

    Microwave Oatmeal Cookie

    stack of almond butter banana cookies with one cookie facing the front on wooden cutting board with a glass of milk, banana, oats, vanilla extract, and almond butter container

    Almond Butter Banana Cookies

    Gluten free Crab Cakes from Living Well Kitchen @memeinge

    Gluten free Crab Cakes

    chicken salad and a ritz cracker in a glass bowl on white table with green napkin

    No Mayo Chicken Salad

    Intuitive Eating

    brunette female holding a heart shaped pizza in a Parisian cafe

    Why Emotional Eating Isn't Bad

    hand holding an apple in front of apple trees

    Should I Eat Conventional or Organic Produce?

    havanese dog standing on arm of cream chair with a quilt in chair

    Intuitive Eating and Weight Loss

    brunette female sitting in a blanket in Versaille garden smiling and holding a container of container of food she is about to be eating

    What is Intuitive Eating

    Easy Meals

    Tuna Cucumber Avocado Salad from Living Well Kitchen

    Tuna Cucumber Avocado Salad

    Ranch Burgers from Living Well Kitchen

    Ranch Burgers

    white bowl with hominy, tomatoes, beef, and cheese on a white and blue checkered napkin with a blue pot in background

    Beef and Hominy Casserole

    Salmon with Mango Yogurt Sauce from Living Well Kitchen

    Salmon with Mango Yogurt Sauce

    Salads

    white countertop with clear bowl of miso dressing with a silver spoon next to a container of miso paste and a microplane with fresh ginger

    Miso Dressing

    white and black napkin with plate of pita chips, celery, and red bell peppers, and a bowl of chicken salad with pita chip in bowl

    Hummus Chicken Salad

    fresh strawberries on white counter with glass container of strawberry dressing, jar of balsamic vinegar

    Strawberry Salad Dressing

    bowl of Buffalo Chicken Salad, blue cheese, wing sauce, celery, cilantro

    Buffalo Chicken Salad

    As Seen On:

    As Seen On

    In Season

    bowl of ginger beef soup on a gold and white napkin with garlic, limes, and ginger

    Ginger Beef Soup

    Avocado Deviled Eggs

    rectangle serving dish with crawfish dip on a square plate with sliced orange bell peppers and pita chips with a green napkin

    Crawfish Dip

    salmon fillets covered in pesto in a white baking dish on wooden table

    Pesto Salmon

    Footer

    Living Well Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    • Home
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Recipes

    Copyright © 2022

    We use cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT