Best Vegan Kimchi (비건 김치)｜Authentic, Easy, No Fish Sauce
This Vegan Kimchi is inspired by Korean Buddhist temple cuisine, which has been naturally plant-based for centuries. While traditional temple kimchi omits alliums, this version includes garlic and onion for extra depth of flavor. Instead of fish sauce or shrimp, it uses guk-ganjang (Korean light soy sauce) for deep umami and jocheong (rice syrup) to enhance natural fermentation, creating a balanced tang and fizziness. Crisp, flavorful, and packed with probiotics, this easy vegan kimchi is perfect for both beginners and seasoned fermenters.
Servings: 1.7 liter-container (1.8 quarts)
Ingredients
Brining the Cabbage:
- 1 Napa cabbage (baechu) around 1kg (2.2 lb.)
- ½ cup Coarse sea salt kosher salt
- 2 cups water
Seasoning (Yangnyeom)
- 1 tablespoon flour (for flour slurry) 1 ½ tablespoon glutinous rice powder for a gluten-free option
- ¾ cup water (for flour slurry)
- ⅓ cup gochugaru (Korean red chili powder)
- 250 g Korean radish (substitute with Kohlrabi or daikon), cut in match sticks ½ lb. (around 2 cups)
- ½ red apple (cored & diced) crisp & juicy variety like Fuji or Gala
- ¼ onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed) around 1 ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 thin slice ginger around1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1½ tablespoons guk-ganjang (Korean light soy sauce) also sometimes called "Korean soup soy sauce"
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon rice syrup
- 1 stalk green onion (diagonally sliced) around ½ cup
To finish
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt (or kosher salt)
Instructions
Step 1: Brine the Cabbage
- Cut the napa cabbage into quarters, then slice crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Pro-tip #1: Don't throwaway the cabbage core. Thinly slice it and use it for kimchi as well. It givesgood crunchy bite!
- Dissolve ½ cup of sea salt in 2 cups of water, then pour over the cabbage. Toss gently to coat evenly.
- Weigh it down with a plate and flip every 30 minutes. Brine until the thickest white stem bends without breaking - about 1.5 hours in summer, 3 hours in winter. You can work on prepping the seasoning paste in the meantime.
Step 2: Make the Seasoning Paste
- Prepare the flour slurry: Make simple vegetable stock by combining dried shiitake mushrooms, dried kelp and 1 cup of water in a pan. Bring to aboil, when boiling, remove the kelp. Keep simmering for 10 minutes. Take out the mushrooms and let cool.
- Combine 1 tbsp flour with 1 cup of water, whisk until smooth, and bring toa boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Let it cool to room temperature, then mix in half of the gochugaru (Korean red chili powder), and this helps the spice blend evenly.
- Blend the apple and onion until smooth. Add crushed garlic and ginger, then pulse until minced.Pro-tip#2: Not using too much garlic and ginger is the key to refreshing kimchi. Also, don't puree your garlic & ginger too fine, as it can turn bitter during fermentation.
Step 3: Mix the Kimchi
- Once it's all brined, rinse well under running water three times and drain for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine the blended mixture with the rest of the gochugaru, Korean radish (kohlrabi), guk-ganjang (Korean light soy sauce), salt, rice syrup, and green onion.
- Gently toss the drained cabbage with the seasoning paste until evenly coated. Pro Tip #3 : Mix gently. Don’t mash! Keeping the crunch is key.
- Pack the kimchi tightly into a clean container or glass jar.
- To finish, add ½ cup of water + ½ tsp salt to rinse the mixing bowl, saving every bits of the seasoning , then pour the liquid into the container.For the best fermentation, push it down with fermentation weight. Kimchi has to be submerged in its juice for the best results.
Step 4: Fermentation
- Let it sit at room temperature for 1–2 days (just half a day in summer), until small bubbles form.
- Transfer to the refrigerator, where it will slowly develop deeper, complex flavors.
- Try it at different stages! Fresh, tangy, or deeply fermented, find what you love. (My favorite stage? After around three weeks!)