QUICK KIMCHI (Sauerkraut Style)

Your first kimchi made easy. This is essentially kimchi flavoured sauerkraut, but it is perfect for adding to open sandwiches and as a side for almost anything. It uses fine-sliced napa cabbage with carrots and spring onions, fermented in a simple spice paste. It’s gentler than traditional chunky kimchi and absolutely delicious—perfect if you’re comfortable with sauerkraut and want to expand into something new. Made with what you’ve got in the kitchen.

Ingredients

This is for half a cabbage – use double quantities for a full cabbage
  • 1.3kg napa cabbage, sliced 3mm – 5mm (thicker slices at the leafy end, much thinner at the coarser stem end), this is about half a cabbage.
  • 200–250g baby carrots, unpeeled, topped and tailed, sliced into strips
  • 26g sea salt (2% of total vegetable weight)
  • 300g spring onions, sliced into 2cm pieces (add before the spices, not at salt stage)
  • 6–7 cloves garlic, minced finely
  • 40-50g gochugaru (Korean chilli powder)
  • 40g fish sauce (or fermented miso paste for vegan)
  • 40g soy sauce

Optional Add-Ins (Use What You’ve Got)

  • Capsicum, sliced into strips (adds sweetness and colour)
  • Daikon radish, julienned (adds peppery bite—traditional but not essential)
  • Garlic chives, sliced (adds extra allium punch)
  • Nashi pear or apple, grated or finely sliced (adds sweetness and aids fermentation)
  • Extra ginger, minced (adds warmth and spice)
  • Extra garlic (you can never have too much)
  • Gochugaru substitute (if your first attempt – saves the commitment to buying Korean Chilli powder)
    • 30g paprika
    • 10g red chili flakes
    • 4g cayenne pepper

Method

Salt the vegetables

1. Place the sliced cabbage and carrots in a large bowl, and daikon if using. 2. Sprinkle the sea salt over and spread it around with your hands for 3–5 minutes until softened and beginning to release liquid. 3. Cover and leave at room temperature. Check at 2 hours—when the cabbage feels bendy and soft and has released enough liquid, you’re ready to move on. You don’t need to wait the full 4 hours; every batch is different depending on temperature and how finely you’ve sliced.

Make the spice paste

1. Combine the paprika, red chili flakes, and cayenne in a food processor or tall jar of a stick mixer. 2. Add the minced garlic, fish sauce, and soy sauce. 3. Blitz until a thick, dark red paste forms. You may need to add back some of the drained brine from the cabbage if the paste is too stiff—adjust to get a workable consistency that coats all the vegetables.

Mix everything together

1. Drain any excess liquid from the cabbage and carrots (save this brine—you may need it for adjusting the paste consistency). 2. Add the spring onions (and any optional add-ins you’re using) to the bowl with the cabbage and carrots. Add them now, not at the salt stage—they’re more delicate and will stay fresher and crispier this way. 3. Pour the spice paste over and mix thoroughly. Wear rubber gloves—they protect your hands from staining and make it easiest to mix everything by hand. Make sure every piece of vegetable is evenly coated.

Pack and ferment

1. Transfer the mixture into a clean glass fermenter jar (a large jar with a water seal works brilliantly for this quantity). 2. Press down firmly with a spoon or your fist to pack it tightly. This forces the vegetable juices to rise and cover everything. 3. Leave at least 2cm of headspace at the top for expansion during fermentation. 4. Cover the jar and leave it in a cool, dark corner of your kitchen. 5. Check at day 3. Taste a small piece—if it’s tangy and punchy, it’s ready. If you want it more sour, leave it another day or two. With fine slices, fermentation can be faster than traditional chunky kimchi. 6. When ready, decant into smaller jars for the fridge, making sure to transfer all the liquid with it. It will keep for months in the fridge.

Notes

The fine slices ferment faster than traditional chunky kimchi. This recipe can use paprika, red chili flakes, and cayenne instead of Korean gochugaru—it works well, though next time you might try gochugaru for a more authentic flavour. You don’t need daikon; carrots do the job perfectly. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand—capsicum, garlic chives, nashi pear, extra garlic, ginger—this is a flexible recipe. The beauty of making kimchi at home is using what’s already in your garden or kitchen.