Fresh and lightened Kimchi – Napa Cabbage Kimchi Salad!
I’ve been buying 2kg of Kimchi from a Korean grocery store. That usually lasts us for about one month. Now that I’m back to food blogging again, I thought I “ought to” make Kimchi myself instead of buying it.
With homemade Kimchi, you get to taste it when it’s most fresh which is a great deal for my husband as he loves eating fresh Kimchi (1-2 days old). I reckon he can eat 1 cup worth of fresh Kimchi on the spot. So I decided to make fresh napa cabbage Kimchi salad (Baechu Geotjeori 배추 겉절이) to fill up my empty Kimchi jar.
Though Baechu Geotjeori is normally made with an intention to consume within a day or two in a typical Korean household, if you can’t finish it all like that, just put the remainder into an air tight glass container and eat it as your normal fermented Kimchi.
Fresh napa cabbage Kimchi salad is a particularly popular companion food to Bossam (Korean steamed pork) and Kalguksu (Knife cut noodles with soup). Shall we start making some fresh Kimchi salad then?
Ingredients for Kimchi Salad (10+ servings)
(Prep time:1 hour 10 mins incl. soaking time, Cooking time: Less than 5 mins)
Main
- 820g/1.8 pounds napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage)
- 240g/8.5 ounces Korean radish (Daikon radish)
- 50g/1.8 ounces brown onion
- 40g/1.4 ounces green onion
- 2/3 cup rock salt (or Korean coarse sea salt)
- 1 cup water
Kimchi sauce (mix these in a small bowl)
- ¼ cup Korean chilli flakes (Gochugaru)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp minced ginger
- ½ Tbsp soy sauce
- ½ Tbsp Korean fish sauce
- 1½ Tbsp sugar (I used raw sugar)
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml
** If you want to learn more about Korean cooking ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean cooking ingredients list!
How to Make Kimchi Salad
1. Prepare the main ingredients.
- Rinse the outer layer of the Napa cabbage in running water. Cut the stem off. Tear the leaves into long shapes (using hands and/or knife). Alternatively, you could cut the leaves into 4-5 vertical sections.
- Rinse the radish, peel the skin and thinly slice it (Julienned).
- Peel the onion skin, rinse then thinly slice it.
- Rinse the spring onion and cut each stalk into 3-5 sections.
2. Put the torn/cut Napa cabbage in a big bowl. Add the salt and the water into the bowl and mix well with the cabbage. Put something heavy on top of the cabbage to assist saltiness getting into the cabbage. (Osmosis process) – I used a big sauce pan and water to put pressure on the cabbage. Leave the cabbage like this for about 1 hour. During this time, mix the cabbage every 20 mins so that salt water gets into the leaves evenly.
3. After 1 hour, drain the water off. Rinse the cabbage in running water several times and shake off the salt (if any). Tightly squeeze the cabbage to remove the water.
4. Put the cabbage and other prepared vegetables into a big clean bowl. Add the sauce and mix them well together.
5. Serve it on a plate & enjoy!
Note:
- Koreans typically use only the softer leaves of napa cabbage (leaves with yellow edges) for Baechu Geotjeori.
- As I explained earlier, any leftover Geotjeori Kimchi can be stored in an air tight container and consumed like fermented Kimchi. (My Geotjeori Kimchi is now one week old and it still tastes fresh!)
Fresh Napa Cabbage Kimchi Salad (Baechu Geotjeori)
Ingredients
Main
- 820 g napa cabbage , (1.8 pounds) Chinese cabbage
- 240 g korean radish or daikon radish, (8.5 ounces)
- 50 g brown onion , (1.8 ounces)
- 40 g green onion , (1.4 ounces)
- 2/3 cup rock salt , or Korean coarse sea salt
- 1 cup water
Kimchi sauce (mix these in a small bowl)
- 1/4 cup Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp minced ginger
- 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp korean fish sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar (I used raw sugar)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the main ingredients.-Rinse the outer layer of the Napa cabbage in running water. Cut the stem off. Tear the leaves into long shapes (using hands and/or knife). Alternatively you could cut the leaves into 4-5 vertical sections.-Rinse the radish, peel the skin and thinly slice it (Julienned).-Peel the onion skin, rinse then thinly slice it.-Rinse the spring onion and cut each stalk into 3-5 sections.
- Put the torn/cut Napa cabbage in a big bowl. Add the salt and the water into the bowl and mix well with the cabbage. Put something heavy on top of the cabbage to assist saltiness getting into the cabbage. (Osmosis process) - I used a big sauce pan and water to put pressure on the cabbage. Leave the cabbage like this for about 1 hour. During this time, mix the cabbage every 20 mins so that salt water gets into the leaves evenly.
- After 1 hour, drain the water off. Rinse the cabbage in running water several times and shake off the salt (if any). Tightly squeeze the cabbage to remove the water.
- Put the cabbage and other prepared vegetables into a big clean bowl. Add the sauce and mix them well together.
- Serve it on a plate & enjoy!
I just followed your recipe and I have no doubt that I will have to make some more in a couple days. Seriously good! Thank you!! 😀
Great! I’m pleased to hear that! 🙂
Hi Sue! Is it ok to use just soy sauce? And do you only use half of a napa cabbage? I have a small napa cabbage
Hi Diana, as for the cabbage, use the recipe by the weight. Mine was 820g. Depending on the size of the cabbage, it can be one whole small cabbage or half large cabbage.
When you say, just using soy sauce, what would that replace? Korean chili flakes? Korean fish sauce? If you do, it won’t taste anything like real kimchi! 🙂
Hi Sue,
How would i make Kimchi in a country where I cant get Korean food. What spices would i need to add. Our country also gets very hot, about 35 in summer.
(South Africa)
Hi Michele, The main ingredients you would be struggle to find are Korean chili flakes and fish sauce. While not ideal, you can make kimchi with cayenne pepper and south asian fish sauce. Just use a lot less pepper than what the recipe calls for since cayenne peppers are much spicier.
Also, people typically leave out the kimchi container to ferment for a day or two after making it. I suggest you only keep it out for 6 to 8 hours if you’re making it in summer.
my family complains that my kimchi is not hot enough. (I’m using medium ground dried chili flakes.) Does the hotness depend on the brand? I had to buy some unknown brand at a new market.
Hi K, are your chili flakes Korean ones? Korean chili flakes are quite different to other kinds. I’d say, the spice level is dependant on the chili itself (as well as brand). If the problem is only the lack of spiciness, you simply need to add more to your taste. 🙂
This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I definitely want to try making this one at home. Kimchi is so delicious and I love how you put everything together!
Thank you! Hope you like it! 🙂
Can I substitute Vietnamese fish sauce for Korean fish sauce? Thanks!
Hi NJ, I’ve only tried Korean fish sauce so far, so I don’t know for sure, but some people think that it won’t work. But again, you can always give it a try and see how it turns out. 🙂 It’s also worth reading the first comment on this post as it compares those two fish sauce. https://mykoreankitchen.com/korean-fish-sauce/ Hope this helps!
HEY!
Can I have a vegeterian substitute for Fish Sauce?
Amazing website!
Hi Anisha, I know some people use this type of vegetarian fish sauce. http://amzn.to/2ifuYCI
Hello. Just a question. How much gram represent One cup? Thanks a lot
Hi Kim,
If it’s water, 1 cup = 250ml = 250g. I just updated my recipe above to give imperial measurement as well. Hope this helps!
Hi Sue
I love kimchi and really want to have a go at making it myself, but I’m having difficulties getting hold of Gochugaru (living in Sweden). Can I substitute it with something else? I was thinking perhaps Sriracha?
Hi Kajsa,
It’s sad to hear that you can’t get Korean ingredients easily in Sweden! Did you try the Korean grocery store called ‘Korean Food’ in Stockholm? (http://www.koreanfood.se) Unfortunately, Gochugaru isn’t something you can replace easily. Sriracha sauce is definitely NO!
You could perhaps try generic chilli powder, but they tend to be spicier than Korean varieties. I’ve never tried it, but I know some people have.
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I didn’t know about the Korean food shop. Will check out their site straight away (I live too far away from Stockholm). Again, many thanks for your reply AND for all your fab recipes!
I have made kimchi with other recipes and they used gochujang. Is there an advantage to using one over the other?
Typically & traditionally gochujang is not used in Kimchi making at all. It just doesn’t go well in my opinion (the texture, flavour and colour wise). What was it like? Did you like it?
It was pretty good. I haven’t had the batch of kimchi from your recipe yet so I can’t compare the two yet. I just looked at the recipe again and it does say Korean chile pepper flakes or paste (gochugaru) so I was reading it wrong. I saw paste in the description and thought gochujang. Must read the recipes slower next time.
That’s OK! You liked it anyway. 🙂 Let me know what you think of this recipe.
hmmm, thankyou for kimchi recipe
No problem! I hope you like it! 🙂
Sue. Your website is fantastic! Having recently discovered Korean food, your wonderful recipes and photographs have made it easy to create great Korean meals.
Thanks
Richard
Thanks Richard! I’m glad that you found my website as well. 🙂
Shouldn’t there be also rice flour??
Hi Petra,
Some recipe calls for it but this one doesn’t. Rice flour is usually used to assist with the fermenting process but I don’t want this Kimchi to be fermented fast as it’s supposed to be eaton fresh just like salad. 🙂
Hi Sue, I came across your site today and I’m so engrossed I think I need to get a quick Korean food fix very soon (like tonight). Thanks for all the clear instructions and beautiful pictures. I will definitely try making this Baechu Geotjeori soon!
Thanks Angeline, I hope you enjoy my recipes! Let me know if you have any questions.
Hello sue thanks for the recipe. I want to ask about the type of salt. Can i use a fine salt or i must use rock salt or korean coarse sea salt ? The size of rock salt is bigger than fine powder salt. Thank you
Sue,
Thank you for this recipe! I have made two batches of your Kimchi salad and I love it! I am going to experiment with more vegetable variety. I will continue to explore your recipes and let you know how I like them!
Jimmy
I’m so happy to hear about your successful outcome Jimmy! Yes, please try and experiment with other vegetables and let me know how you go. I would love to hear your story. 🙂
Sue,
I decided to try using just vegetables from our local grocery store to make my third and fourth batches of your Kimchi salad. Here are my list of main ingredients.
Main ingredients
½ head of Cabbage
½ head of Red Cabbage
6 Red Radishes
½ Sweet yellow onion
½ Green Bell Pepper
1 Jalapeno Pepper
1 bunch of Green onions
I had to allow more time to soften the cabbage and carrots than you do with nappa cabbage. Aprox. 2 hours longer so 4 hours compared to your original recipe. The results was very good! It was also a very colorful salad as well. I brought a batch to work and all my friends really enjoyed it…I like mine really spicy so I also added a Jalapeno pepper(Julienne without seeds) which also added a fresh crunch. Thanks again for this wonderful recipe! I will always be able to get my Kimchi fix!
Jimmy
That sounds very creative Jimmy! Would love to see the picture if you have one so I can share it. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
you’re a lifesaver, Jimmy! although, instead of green bell pepper, i sub poblano pepper — green bell pepper doesn’t like my digestive system AT ALL! and i’ll keep the seeds in the jalapeno because i like most foods, and definitely kimchi, HOT HOT HOT! now i can throw this together TODAY, using your list of ingredients, along with my subs for your subs for Sue’s ingredients. LOL!
I succeed making my first Kimchi thanks to your recipe. We enjoyed it so much esp my husband who’s a picky eater. I’m Viet but inspiring to cook both Viet and Korean food. Thanks again and please post more yummy recipe.
Hi Quyen, I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed my Kimchi recipes! For sure, I will continue to post more yummy recipes. 🙂 I hope you enjoy them all!
Hi,
I am so excited to try this recipe! I’ve been looking all over the place for a Kimchi recipe.
I have a quick question, for the left over kimchi, after putting it into a sealed container, did you put it into the refrigerator or left it out?
Hi Lucy, I hope you like your Kimchi. I always keep my Kimchi in the fridge. Otherwise they age too fast for my liking! Though if you want more matured taste, you could leave it out. :>
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I always love seeing step by step pictures of your post. It’s fun to see how you cook and prepare food. Your kimchi looks so delicious!
Thanks Nami!
I had some fresh kimchi salad a few weeks ago and I was a bit apprehensive as I’ve never been able to attain a palate that could accept really spicy foods. That doesn’t stop me from trying but often I feel like my lips have melted off. 🙂
I think I’d love to try this recipe and adjust and use it for spiciness training. LOL
LOL, Kimchi is not everybody’s a cup of tea for sure. Either you like it or don’t like it. There is no in between. 😀 If you need any help with your spicy training, just let me know. 😉
You have just made my day. We eat so much kimchi too, though I have always wanted to try and make it myself.
Thanks for stopping by my blog too. Can’t wait to read more of your recipes.
Hey Lizzie, welcome to my blog. Glad to hear you eat Kimchi so much! I hope you get to try this recipe with your garden grown veggies. 😀
A perfect salad for all the kimchi fans! I have read about it recently in a Korean cookery book, but now seeing your beautiful photos, I am even more motivated to try it.
You have just reminded me I have a small leftover jar of my kimchi in the fridge… it must be 2 months old. I’m even afraid to open it 😉 It will be an interesting experiment!
Your 2 months old Kimchi might be still edible. 😀 It might smell a bit stronger than usual though. How about making some Kimchi stir-fried rice with it? 😉
Thanks a lot for the advice. I love kimchi rice and do it regularly. I smelled my kimchi yesterday and it still smells and looks like kimchi… I will test it.
Hehe, that’s a good sign! Safe to eat. 🙂
LOVE it! I made so much over the winter and it was really good. Great recipe, Sue and yummy pics!
Thanks Sandra, It looks like I will be making more Kimchi soon already. Need to make bigger batches I think.