By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 8
65 cal · 30 min
Mom's Kimchi
Recipe GLPR43aa321918fed7
A traditional Korean fermented vegetable side dish bursting with spicy, garlicky, and umami-rich flavors. This homemade kimchi combines crisp napa cabbage and daikon radish with a vibrant blend of gochugaru, anchovy sauce, garlic, ginger, scallions, and onion. Perfect as a condiment, side dish, or addition to rice bowls and stir-fries.
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Ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 napa cabbage, rinsed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red chili powder)
2 tablespoons anchovy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup scallions, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
Directions
Combine water and salt in a small bowl, stirring until the salt completely dissolves. Set aside.
Rinse the napa cabbage thoroughly under cold water. Cut it into 1 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Peel the daikon radish and thinly slice it on a mandoline. Add the sliced radish to the bowl with the cabbage.
Pour the salt water over the cabbage and radish. Toss well to coat all the vegetables evenly. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften slightly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the gochugaru, anchovy sauce, minced garlic, and minced ginger until well combined.
Chop the scallions and onion. Add them to the spice paste mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
Add the gochugaru mixture to the salted vegetables in the large bowl. Mix thoroughly with clean hands or a spoon, ensuring every piece of cabbage and radish is coated with the spicy paste.
Transfer the kimchi to a clean glass jar or container. Press down gently so the vegetables are submerged in their own juices. Cover loosely and let ferment at room temperature (around 65-145°F) for 2-3 days for a fresher taste, or up to a week for a more tangy, fermented flavor.
Once fermented to your preference, seal the container and refrigerate. The kimchi will keep for several weeks and continue to develop deeper flavors over time.
Comments
Gochugaru and anchovy sauce are the sticking points: neither is carried reliably at Charlotte's mainstream chains, and you'll need a trip to an Asian grocery (H-Mart on Tryon Street or similar) to get authentic versions at reasonable cost. The napa cabbage, daikon, garlic, and scallions are standard at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, and ALDI. The 30-minute stated time assumes you have cabbage already prepped and fermentation skipped—real fermented kimchi takes days or weeks, so this is a fresh quick-pickle, which is a different animal and worth knowing upfront. The ingredients themselves run cheap once you've sourced the gochugaru and anchovy sauce (under $15 total), and the dish doesn't require fussy technique, just chopping and mixing, making it a solid weeknight option if you keep those two Asian staples on hand.
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