10 Kimchi Recipes with Different Vegetables (Part II) (2024)

FAQs

What vegetables can I add to kimchi? ›

*The beauty of kimchi is you can use any vegetables you have on hand. They can be either fresh or on the softer side. Here are some of our favourites: nappa cabbage, carrots, green onions, cauliflower and bok choy.

Play around with the veggie ratios to your kids' taste! I happen to adore daikon, so a lot of times I'll do half daikon and half cabbage for the base. You can add more carrot if the kids like that too. Shredded apple is another fun addition that can bring a flavor to the kimchi that kids enjoy.

The process of making kimchi involves brining (salting) the vegetables to draw out the water, which helps in preservation and allows the seasonings to penetrate the food over time; the final salt concentration ranges from 2-5%. Kimchi is typically fermented by 'wild cultures' naturally present on the vegetables.

The use of bold seasonings like gochugaru and, in some regions, salted seafood, offer additional layers of complexity to the overall taste of the kimchi.

“There's no vegetable you can't ferment,” he said, but added that leafy greens such as kale — because of their chlorophyll content — aren't to most people's liking. During an NPR interview, Katz explained that pickling and fermentation are not the same, although they are “overlapping” categories.

However, there were a couple of downsides to eating too much kimchi, her team added. First, the popular side dish contains a lot of salt, which is never great for health. Secondly, beyond the one-to-three servings per day that did show a benefit, eating more kimchi was linked with obesity overall, the study found.

Some fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut contain both the probiotic microorganisms and the prebiotic fibre that feeds their growth, resulting in a little extra gas and bloating. Therefore, moderation and variation are important considerations when introducing these to your diet.

The chilli pepper is the most important ingredient of kimchi, giving it its typical red colour and spicy taste. It contains a substance called capsaicin. Capsaicin is present in higher concentrations in the white stalk of red chilli pepper, where the seeds are attached, and prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Young Green Garlic and Spring Onions are also added to imbue this kimchi with a bright, Spring flavor. Traditionally, kimchi is left to ferment for many weeks, becoming pretty funky and sour. I let this pickle only go for around 4-7 days. It should develop a mild sourness but remain clean and sharp.

As the kimchi matures, it will take on earthy, tangy notes while the heat of the chiles mellows out. Your kimchi will continue to age if kept cool in the refrigerator and away from oxygen, remaining delicious for up to 12 months or even longer.

What vegetables can you add to kimchi? ›

"Fermented cabbage is the most common kind, but kimchi is actually a pickling technique, so you can make it with any vegetable," explains Marja Vongerichten. "Every Korean household has a different recipe: Some use pears, others, raw shrimp or oysters." This classic recipe includes napa cabbage, ginger, and garlic.

The biggest difference between fresh and fermented Kimchi is the taste. Fresh Kimchi is more like a salad, so it taste more raw, fresh and crunchy. Fermented Kimchi is softer and tangy.

Cut the hard vegetables and any stalks into matchsticks, cut brassica florets into bite-sized pieces and rip leafy greens into large pieces. Wash everything in cold water and drain in a colander. Massage the sea salt into the veg, leave to steep for 30 minutes, then pour off any excess liquid.

While the fruit kimchi does have jalapeno chillies, it doesn't include the distinctive Korean red pepper powder that is included in all other kimchi recipes. The recipe involves chopping up some apples, pears, plums and pineapples, and adding some grapes.

Top this Easy Kimchi Ramen with half a hard-boiled egg (or poached egg), and slices of green onion. Feel free to stop there, but if your soup bowl is big enough, add in some tofu, spinach, bok choy, daikon, or bean sprouts.