Easy Low FODMAP Kimchi
This simple homemade kimchi recipe yields an incredibly flavourful product. After very minimal hands-on prep, simply let the fermentation process of kimchi work it's magic. After about 3 days of fermentation, you'll have a delicious probiotic-rich food to add to almost any dish!
Servings: 32 servings (2 tbsp = 1 serving)
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 food processor (or high speed blender)
- 1 2-quart jar (or 2-3 smaller jars)
Ingredients
Cabbage Preparation
- 2 lbs Napa Cabbage, cored and chopped into 1 inch pieces save 2 of the whole outer leaves for later
- ¼ cup Sea salt
- 3-4 cups Water (as much as needed to submerge the cabbage)
Vegetables
- 1 ½ cups Daikon radish, cut into matchsticks
- ⅔ cup Carrots, cut into matchsticks
- 1 bunch Green onions, cut into 1 inch sections green parts only
- 2 Leek leaves, cut into 1 inch strips green parts only
Paste
- 2 tbsp Fresh ginger, cut into large chunks (can leave peels on)
- 4 tbsp Gochugaru flakes (can adjust spiciness to personal preference *see note)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar (cane sugar or maple syrup would also work)
Instructions
Prepare the salted cabbage
- Pull 2 outer leaves from the cabbage and set them aside in plastic wrap or a container in the fridge. Prep the cabbage by cutting out the core and chopping the leaves into 1 inch segments. Place the chopped cabbage in a large mixing bowl.
- Add salt and toss to cover the cabbage fully. Add water to the bowl until cabbage is covered. Stir the cabbage mixture to ensure the salt dissolves. Optional: lay a plate on top of the salted cabbage to ensure that it is fully submerged.
- Let this mixture stand at room temperature for 6 hours, stirring every couple hours if possible
Prepare the Vegetable Medley
- Once the cabbage is finished, drain it, saving the brine (as this will be used later). Give the cabbage a quick rinse and remove any excess water. The cabbage should be damp but not drenched.
- Add the cabbage back to the mixing bowl and add the cut daikon, carrots, green onions, and leeks. Mix thoroughly.
Prepare the Gochugaru Paste
- In the bowl of a food processor, add ginger, gochugaru, fish sauce, and sugar. Mix well on high speed until it becomes a paste.
- Add the paste into the mixing bowl with the cabbage/vegetable mixture and mix well with tongs or your hands (I suggest using gloves, as the spice may irritate skin) until well coated.
Prepare the Kimchi for Fermentation
- Using tongs, pack the kimchi mixture into a large jar or a few smaller jars. Leave some space at the top (about 1 inch). Add the brine that was saved until the vegetables are covered. Press the veggies down a bit to ensure they are not above the brine.
- Fold a whole cabbage leaf and place it over top of the vegetables in the jar. This is meant to help keep the kimchi submerged underneath the brine. Put the lid on.
Fermentation
- Put the jar(s) somewhere cool and dark - not in the refrigerator, but a dark cabinet or basement work well. Leave it for 3 days.
- After 3 days, check on the kimchi to see if it is fermenting. Tap the side of the jar to see if bubbles rise to the top. If bubbles rise, you can now transfer your kimchi to the refrigerator. If the mixture looks like it has risen higher in the jar, this is also a sign of fermentation.
- Not seeing bubbles? Allow the kimchi to ferment for 1-2 more days and assess again. Sometimes it needs longer!
Notes
Want less or more spice? For a milder kimchi, try using only 2-3 tablespoons of gochugaru. For more spice, use up to 6 tablespoons in this recipe instead.
Mold during fermentation: If you notice that the cabbage leaf on top of your jar is starting to develop some mold, this is fairly normal, as anything touching air can develop mold. This is why we put the cabbage leaf there in the first place - so the kimchi itself isn't touching the air! Remove the leaf and replace it with a new one, pressing down to ensure the rest of the kimchi is under the brine.