How to make Kimchi ~ Vegan

Fermenting foods has recently risen in popularity. However, since the invention of cooking, cultures worldwide have been preserving food with microorganisms, leading to some of our most common and favourite foods. These include yogurt (made vegan), cheese (some vegan cheeses are now fermented), wine, tea, pickles, and more. 

Some of the lesser-known fermented foods in the west are those commonly used in eastern countries, such as miso, kerfir tempeh, kombucha, and also Kimchi, which is one of the oldest culinary traditions that exist, with its origins spanning back thousands of years!

Kimchi mainly consists of cabbage and has a rich flavour of garlic, ginger, spring onion, chili, and other seasonings. Traditionally it's also often made with shrimp paste, which in my recipe, I have made vegan by replacing with vegan fish sauce, and even though there's no distinct fishy taste (thank goodness), it still tastes fantastic!

As Kimchi is a fermented food, it has many health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, aiding in preventing obesity, and is loaded with nutrients such as Vitamin C, B, A and K. 

Consuming Kimchi is especially good for gut health as its probiotic content can increase microbiome diversity, significantly benefiting our immune health, digestion, energy levels, nutrient assimilation, and more.

Making Kimchi at home is super simple; all you do is massage brine into your kimchi vegetables, let them sit, make up and mix in your paste, then leave them for a couple of days to ferment, and you can then enjoy your homemade Kimchi.

I make my Kimchi because I have loved it since the first time I tried it, and buying it is expensive, and a tiny 220g jar can cost as much as £4.80!! With making my own, I realised I could make about 1kg regularly for around £3 in groceries per batch. 

This price, baring in mind, is once I had the main ingredients such as the vegan fish sauce, gochujang, and a big bag of chili flakes which lasts ages and made it so I only had to buy the fresh ingredients, making it much more cost effective in the long run.

There are thousands of kimchi recipes out there, all claiming to be the most authentic, but the truth is they all follow a basic formula, and there is no best version other than a vegan version, of course!

Once you understand the primary method, your kimchi recipe will evolve into your recipe, as mine has done for me. I like mine extra spicy with just a hint of sweetness, which is why a lot of chili is added and some coconut nectar too. You might prefer a milder version with more salt, so feel free to adapt it. 

Traditional Kimchi uses napa cabbage, spring onions, and daikon radish; however, I swapped the radish for carrot in my recipe, and you can swap the cabbage for regular green cabbage and add any other veggies you wish. 

As every batch of Kimchi has its own unique favour, it's good to experiment and have fun with creating new styles; you could even try adding firm fruits, so don't be scared to be creative, and as long as you keep the basic formula intact you can't go wrong!

HOW KIMCHI IS GOOD FOR YOU

You may have heard Kimchi has many health benefits, but what are they? 

Here are the top 5 benefits of consuming Kimchi:

High in probiotic beneficial bacteria

Kimchi uses Lacto-fermentation to increase the volume of probiotics it contains, aka beneficial bacteria, to create an environment favourable to increase the diversity of good gut bacteria in your gut. Kimchi is a great way to introduce probiotics into your diet. After all, a happy gut microbiome needs fibre which Kimchi is also a good source of. Fibre feeds your friendly gut bacteria, allowing them to thrive and multiply.

Kimchi is linked to the prevention and treatment of several conditions, including colds and flu, constipation, GI issues, Heart health, and mental health (read more on the gut and brain connection here)

Reduces risk of yeast infections

Kimchi has antimicrobial properties due to the Lactobacillus, which is a live bacteria found in fermented foods and is shown to inhibit candida which is the yeast that causes infections such as thrush and candidiasis, which is a form of gut dysbiosis.

Anti-inflammatory

A study found that those who ate Kimchi every day had reduced enzymes related to inflammation, suggesting a link between Kimchi and decreased inflammation in the body. Research has shown that the phytochemicals and probiotic bacteria in fermented food such as Kimchi may aid with modulating inflammatory responses.

It supports the immune system

The strain of bacteria known as Lactobacillus Plantarum found in Kimchi and other fermented foods have been linked to the immune system's efficiency. If Kimchi can help to decrease levels of inflammation, this could suggest a connection between consuming this type of bacteria and a healthier immune system. However, more research is needed to confirm this.

Aids weight loss

Kimchi is low in calories, high in fiber, and contains beneficial gut bacteria making it an excellent weight loss food. Also, the presence of both raw cabbage and chili has for a long time been linked with weight loss.

Vegan Kimchi Recipe

Makes around 1kg of Kimchi

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE KIMCHI VEGETABLES

• 2 heads of Napa cabbage/Chinese leaf cabbage
• 3 spring onions
• 2 carrots
• 4 tbsp salt

FOR THE KIMCHI PASTE

• 1/4 cup chili flakes, I used Chinese and regular
• 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
• 2 shallots
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1 inch fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce
• 1 tbsp coconut nectar 

METHOD

1. Wash and chop the veggies (Napa cabbage, spring onion, carrot).
2. Place in a large bowl or giant saucepan work the salt into them until they releases their juices and the cabbage reduces in size.
3. Leave for up to 1 hour with a weight on top to keep it submerged in its brine.
4. In the meantime add the kimchi paste ingredients to a blender, blitz until a thick paste forms, add small amounts of water needed to achieve this starting with 1/4 cup.
5. Rinse the kimchi veg that you've been soaking in the brine under fresh water. This removes the bulk of the salt.
6. Add the paste to the kimchi vegetables, mix in well to fully incorporate.
7. Add the kimchi vegetables to a sterilised large jar, or several small jars, you'll want to fill them almost to the top and push the veggies down allowing the juice to sit over the top (add additional water if needed), then place on their lids.
8. Leave 3-5 days to ferment and open the jar 2x a day to release gas, or leave slightly ajar watching for spills as it ferments, and if needed continue to press down the veggies under the liquid each day as this helps create a seal over your veggies protecting them from any bacterial or mold contamination.
9. Taste the kimchi and when it reaches your preference, then add to the fridge to halt the fermentation process.

Consume within 1 month.

Enjoy with soups, stir-frys, fried rice, buddha bowls, or as a side dish, experiment and see how you like it best!

Recipe by Rose Wyles - The Vegan Nutritionist

For professional assistance with adopting a healthy and nutritious plant-based diet, go to https://www.thevegannutritionist.co.uk/work-with-me