By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 3
148 cal · 600 min
Kimchi
Recipe GLPRc75e99f2eb1c50
A traditional Korean fermented cabbage side dish with a complex blend of spicy, garlicky, and tangy flavors. Napa cabbage is salted to draw out moisture, then coated in a paste made from Korean chili paste, chili powder, garlic, and ginger, before being left to ferment at room temperature and develop its characteristic punch and depth.
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Ingredients
1 large Napa cabbage (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1/3 cup white rice vinegar
3 tablespoons Korean chili pepper paste (gochujang)
1 tablespoon very finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons Korean chili powder (gochugaru)
1/2 tablespoon very finely minced fresh ginger
4 scallions, cut into 2-inch batons including green tops
Directions
Remove the tough outer leaves from the Napa cabbage and discard them. Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise, then remove and discard the hard core section at the base.
Cut the cabbage halves into 2-inch pieces. Place the cut cabbage in a large nonreactive bowl and toss thoroughly with the coarse salt until evenly coated.
Transfer the salted cabbage to a nonreactive colander. Place a plate on top and weight it down with a heavy object (such as a can or jar). Let the cabbage sit for 8 hours at room temperature to release its liquid.
In a large nonreactive bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, gochujang, minced garlic, gochugaru, and minced ginger until well combined and smooth.
Rinse the cabbage under cold water to remove excess salt, then gently squeeze each handful to remove as much water as possible. Add the drained cabbage in small batches to the marinade bowl, squeezing well before each addition, and mix gently but thoroughly to coat with the paste.
Add the scallion batons to the cabbage mixture and fold them in gently.
Pack the kimchi tightly into a clean 2-quart jar, pressing down so the vegetables are submerged under their liquid. Cover the jar loosely (or use a cloth to allow fermentation gases to escape) and let it ferment at room temperature for 48 hours.
After 48 hours, seal the jar and transfer it to the refrigerator. Allow the kimchi to chill and continue developing its flavors for at least 4 days before serving. The kimchi will keep refrigerated for several weeks.
Comments
Gochujang and gochugaru—Korean red chili paste and flakes—require a stop at an Asian market, not Charlotte's mainstream chains; H-Mart or a Korean grocer in the Charlotte area is your only real option. The 600-minute time frame is honest for fermentation, but the hands-on prep is maybe 20 minutes, so set expectations right: this is a weekend project with days of waiting, not a meal-prep shortcut. A batch feeds three servings as a side, which means stretching it across multiple meals or pairing it with rice and protein; the yield feels modest for the time. The payoff is real—homemade kimchi costs less than store-bought and keeps for weeks in the fridge—but this suits someone who enjoys slow fermentation projects and already plans to hit an Asian market."
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