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A dark bowl filled with kimchi, featuring napa cabbage and spices, sits on a wooden surface. A twisted-handled spoon rests in the bowl, with some kimchi scooped up. A dark cloth is partially visible beside the bowl.

🥬 Homemade Kimchi Recipe

Little Figgy Food Team
This homemade kimchi is bold, spicy, and tangy, made with napa cabbage, gochugaru, garlic, and ginger. It’s easy to prepare, packed with probiotics, and perfect for enjoying as a side, topping, or mixing into rice and soups. Once you make your own, you’ll never want store-bought again!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Fermentation Time 5 days
Total Time 5 days
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Korean
Servings 10 people
Calories 25 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 napa cabbage (about 3 lb)
  • 1 cup fine sea salt
  • Water (enough to cover cabbage)
  • 6 green onions diced
  • 1  small carrot finely diced (optional)
  • 3-5 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper powder)
  • 5–6 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 (2-inch) knob fresh ginger grated
  • 4–6 tsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp sugar

Instructions
 

  • Prep Vegetables: Slice cabbage into 1½-inch pieces; cut green onions into 2-inch pieces.
  • Salt and Soak: Place cabbage, green onions, and carrot in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt, cover with water, and let sit 1–2 hours, tossing occasionally. Rinse well.
  • Drain: Rinse cabbage 3 times under cold water, then drain for 15–20 minutes
  • Make Paste: Combine garlic, ginger, sugar, fish sauce, and gochugaru until smooth.
  • Mix: Squeeze excess water from cabbage and toss with spice paste (gloves recommended).
  • Pack and Ferment: Pack into a jar, pressing veggies down until brine covers them. Leave 1 inch of headspace. Ferment at room temperature 1–5 days.
  • Check & Store: Open daily to press veggies under brine and release gases. Refrigerate once desired flavor is reached.

Nutrition

Calories: 25kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFiber: 2g
Keyword Easy Kimchi Recipe, Fermented Cabbage, Homemade Kimchi, How to Make Kimchi at Home, Kimchi with Gochugaru, Korean Kimchi, Napa Cabbage Kimchi, Probiotic Foods, Spicy Korean Side Dish, Traditional Kimchi Recipe
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