Vegan Kimchi – Easy Small-Batch Ferment at Home

Kimchi is basically cabbage that went to a very exciting party and came home with a personality. This vegan kimchi keeps all that funky, fizzy, garlicky magic while skipping the fish sauce and shrimp paste, so everyone at the table can dig in.

I know fermentation sounds like a science fair project, but here is the plain-English version: salt pulls water out of the cabbage, that salty water plus time lets friendly bacteria turn sugars into tangy acid. That is it. No fancy equipment, no lab coat.

You will need one big bowl, one jar, and a little patience. The hands-on work is about 15 minutes of actual chopping and massaging. The rest is the cabbage doing its own thing while you go live your life.

About the Ingredients

1 large napa cabbage (about 3 lb / 1.4 kg), cut into 2-inch pieces

Napa is the classic choice because its tender leaves absorb seasoning fast. Green cabbage works too, but add 10 extra minutes of salting time since it is denser.

1/4 cup (70 g) coarse sea salt or kosher salt, plus more for the brine

Use coarse salt, not fine table salt, which dissolves too fast and can make things overly salty. Avoid iodized salt because iodine can slow fermentation.

1 tbsp (12 g) glutinous rice flour

This cooks into a sticky paste that helps the chili seasoning cling to the cabbage. Cornstarch or plain white rice flour are fine swaps.

1 cup (240 ml) water, for the paste

Filtered or bottled water is best. Heavily chlorinated tap water can stall the friendly bacteria, so let tap water sit out uncovered for an hour if that is all you have.

1 medium Asian pear or 1 sweet apple (about 7 oz / 200 g), peeled and chopped

Asian pear brings a clean sweetness that balances the heat. A ripe Bosc pear or a Fuji apple works beautifully as a substitute.

1/2 medium yellow onion (about 3 oz / 85 g), chopped

Yellow onion gives body and a mellow sweetness. Shallots are a great swap if you want a slightly more delicate flavor.

8 cloves garlic (about 1 oz / 28 g), peeled

Fresh garlic is non-negotiable here, it drives the pungent backbone of kimchi. Jarred minced garlic tastes flat and slightly metallic.

1 tbsp (12 g) freshly grated ginger

Grate it on a microplane so it disappears into the paste. Ground dried ginger is a last resort, use 1 teaspoon and expect a milder bite.

1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce or tamari

Tamari keeps it gluten-free and tastes a touch richer. Coconut aminos work for a soy-free version, though the color will be paler.

2 tbsp (30 g) Korean red chili flakes (gochugaru), or to taste

Gochugaru is fruity and moderately hot, not smoky like cayenne. If you only have regular chili flakes, start with 1 tablespoon and taste the paste first.

1 tbsp (15 g) sugar

Sugar feeds the bacteria during fermentation, so do not skip it. Maple syrup or brown sugar both work as direct swaps.

3 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

Scallions add a fresh green note and a little crunch. Chives or a handful of garlic chives are lovely alternatives.

Tips & Tricks

Salt by Weight, Not by Eye

Use roughly 2 to 3 percent salt relative to the cabbage weight. Too little salt means mushy, moldy kimchi, too much means it never ferments.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Salt the cabbage

Toss the chopped napa with the 1/4 cup coarse salt in a large bowl, massaging it with your hands for 2 minutes until the leaves start to wilt. Let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours, turning it every 30 minutes. The cabbage is ready when a thick stem bends without snapping and a small puddle of brine collects at the bottom.

2. Rinse and drain

Rinse the cabbage under cold running water three times, then taste a leaf. It should be seasoned like a light pickle, not aggressively salty. Drain in a colander for 15 minutes and squeeze gently, you want it damp but not dripping.

3. Cook the paste

In a small saucepan, whisk the rice flour into the 1 cup water. Warm over medium heat at 300 F (150 C) for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a glossy pudding that coats the back of a spoon. Scrape it into a bowl and cool completely, about 10 minutes.

4. Blend the seasoning

Blend the cooled paste, pear, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, gochugaru and sugar in a food processor for 45 seconds until smooth and brick-red. It should smell sharp, sweet and spicy all at once, like a punchy salsa.

5. Coat the cabbage

Put on gloves, then massage the red paste into the drained cabbage along with the scallions. Work it for 3 minutes until every leaf is stained and glistening. Gloves matter here, chili oil under fingernails is a lesson you only learn once.

6. Pack the jar

Pack the mixture tightly into a clean 1-quart jar, pressing down with a spoon so the brine rises above the cabbage. Leave 1 inch of headspace at the top because this stuff bubbles and grows. Seal the lid.

7. Ferment at room temperature

Leave the jar in a cool, dark spot at 65 to 72 F (18 to 22 C) for 2 to 5 days. Burp the jar once daily by cracking the lid over the sink, it will hiss like a soda bottle. It is done when the brine looks cloudy, bubbles rise when you tap the jar, and it tastes tangy with a faint fizz.

8. Chill and serve

Move the jar to the refrigerator, where the flavor deepens for another week and fermentation slows to a crawl. It keeps getting better for about a month. Serve cold with rice, eggs, noodles or straight from the fork.

Delicious Variations

Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Sobagi)

Swap the napa for 6 Persian cucumbers, salt them for only 30 minutes, and stuff the seasoning into deep cross-cuts. Ready in 24 hours.

Radish Kimchi (Kkakdugi)

Use 2 lb of daikon cut into 3/4-inch cubes, salt for 1 hour, and skip the rice paste for a crunchier, cleaner bite.

Extra-Spicy Gochugaru Blend

Add 1 tablespoon of gochujang to the paste and let it ferment 5 full days for a sweeter, deeper, noticeably hotter kimchi.

How to Store Vegan Kimchi

Frequently Asked Questions

Grab a cabbage, a jar and a little patience, and you will have a fridge staple that makes everything from rice to tacos taste better. Make a batch this weekend, then come back and tell me how fizzy yours got. Stay curious, stay safe.

Vegan Kimchi

Vegan Kimchi made with napa cabbage, Korean chili flakes and sweet pear delivers bold umami tang in 6 servings, no fish sauce needed.

★★★★½ 4.8 (213 ratings)

25 minPrep time5 minCook time6Servings62 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 1 large napa cabbage (about 3 lb / 1.4 kg), cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup (70 g) coarse sea salt or kosher salt, plus more for the brine
• 1 tbsp (12 g) glutinous rice flour
• 1 cup (240 ml) water, for the paste
• 1 medium Asian pear or 1 sweet apple (about 7 oz / 200 g), peeled and chopped
• 1/2 medium yellow onion (about 3 oz / 85 g), chopped
• 8 cloves garlic (about 1 oz / 28 g), peeled
• 1 tbsp (12 g) freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tbsp (30 g) Korean red chili flakes (gochugaru), or to taste
• 1 tbsp (15 g) sugar
• 3 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

📋 Instructions

1. 1Salt the cabbage — Toss the chopped napa with the 1/4 cup coarse salt in a large bowl, massaging it with your hands for 2 minutes until the leaves start to wilt. Let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours, turning it every 30 minutes. The cabbage is ready when a thick stem bends without snapping and a small puddle of brine collects at the bottom.
2. 2Rinse and drain — Rinse the cabbage under cold running water three times, then taste a leaf. It should be seasoned like a light pickle, not aggressively salty. Drain in a colander for 15 minutes and squeeze gently, you want it damp but not dripping.
3. 3Cook the paste — In a small saucepan, whisk the rice flour into the 1 cup water. Warm over medium heat at 300 F (150 C) for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a glossy pudding that coats the back of a spoon. Scrape it into a bowl and cool completely, about 10 minutes.
4. 4Blend the seasoning — Blend the cooled paste, pear, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, gochugaru and sugar in a food processor for 45 seconds until smooth and brick-red. It should smell sharp, sweet and spicy all at once, like a punchy salsa.
5. 5Coat the cabbage — Put on gloves, then massage the red paste into the drained cabbage along with the scallions. Work it for 3 minutes until every leaf is stained and glistening. Gloves matter here, chili oil under fingernails is a lesson you only learn once.
6. 6Pack the jar — Pack the mixture tightly into a clean 1-quart jar, pressing down with a spoon so the brine rises above the cabbage. Leave 1 inch of headspace at the top because this stuff bubbles and grows. Seal the lid.
7. 7Ferment at room temperature — Leave the jar in a cool, dark spot at 65 to 72 F (18 to 22 C) for 2 to 5 days. Burp the jar once daily by cracking the lid over the sink, it will hiss like a soda bottle. It is done when the brine looks cloudy, bubbles rise when you tap the jar, and it tastes tangy with a faint fizz.
8. 8Chill and serve — Move the jar to the refrigerator, where the flavor deepens for another week and fermentation slows to a crawl. It keeps getting better for about a month. Serve cold with rice, eggs, noodles or straight from the fork.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: Use gloves when mixing the paste, chili oil lingers on skin for hours and does not care about your plans for the evening. If your kimchi smells like a swimming pool, you used too much salt, rinse a portion before serving.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: Korean

Course: Side Dish

Nutrition (per serving): 62 kcal · 2g protein · 9g carbs · 1g fat

Written by Kwame Osei

Kwame writes about technology and digital privacy for everyday users. He breaks down complex topics like data tracking and encryption into simple, relatable terms.