Simple homemade kimchi recipe
This traditional Korean side dish is crispy, tangy and fiery
Making kimchi in the traditional manner requires a two-stage salting process, said Tim Spector. My simpler version cuts down on time significantly – and I doubt you’ll be able to tell the difference. You can use any whole cabbage, Chinese napa cabbage and/or daikon (Japanese radish) for this recipe.
Ingredients (makes 1 jar)
- 1 cabbage or Chinese napa cabbage
- 1 daikon
- sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and sliced
- 1-2 tbsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (or fermented miso paste for vegans)
Method
- Trim the cabbage and cut it into 4-5mm thick slices. Trim and peel the daikon and cut into thin half-moons.
- Weigh those vegetables, tip into a bowl and add 2% salt of the total weight. Using your hands, massage the salt into the veg until they are starting to soften, then cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.
- Combine the garlic, spring onions, chilli flakes, soy sauce and fish sauce in a processor and pulse to combine. Add to the vegetables and mix well to coat them. Pack tightly into a clean jar ensuring that the vegetables are submerged beneath the brine. If necessary, add a little 2% brine (i.e. 2g salt for every 100ml water) to cover. Press weights on top and loosely cover with a lid, then leave in a cool, dark place for 5-10 days until fizzy.
- Transfer to the fridge and eat within 1-2 months.
Taken from “Ferment” by Tim Spector.
Sign up for The Week's Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Crossword: October 26, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
6 well-crafted log homesFeature Featuring a floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace in Montana and a Tulikivi stove in New York
-
Film reviews: A House of Dynamite, After the Hunt, and It Was Just an AccidentFeature A nuclear missile bears down on a U.S. city, a sexual misconduct allegation rocks an elite university campus, and a victim of government terror pursues vengeance
-
Book reviews: ‘Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife’ and ‘Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong With Baseball and How to Fix It’Feature Gertrude Stein’s untold story and Jane Leavy’s playbook on how to save baseball
-
Rachel Ruysch: Nature Into ArtFeature Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through Dec. 7
-
Music reviews: Olivia Dean, Madi Diaz, and Hannah FrancesFeature “The Art of Loving,” “Fatal Optimist,” and “Nested in Tangles”
-
Gilbert King’s 6 favorite books about the search for justiceFeature The journalist recommends works by Bryan Stevenson, David Grann, and more
-
Ready for the apocalypseFeature As anxiety rises about the state of the world, the ranks of preppers are growing—and changing.