By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 4
202 cal · 30 min
Water Kimchi
Recipe GLPR37e8749c50f61a
A refreshing, lightly fermented Korean condiment featuring crisp daikon radish in a seasoned brine infused with garlic, ginger, chiles, and sweet pear. This chilled side dish is crunchy, tangy, and naturally spiced—perfect as an accompaniment to rice dishes or grilled meats.
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Ingredients
4½ lb Daikon radishes, peeled and cut into 3-inch by 1.5-inch lengths
12 cloves Garlic cloves, halved
5 Red Korean or Holland chiles, pierced in the middle with a knife
4 Scallions, white and light green parts only, plus more for garnish
4 2-inch pieces Fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
1 Asian pear, unpeeled, cored, and sliced into 3/4-inch-thick wedges
3 tbsp Sea salt
1 tbsp Distilled white vinegar
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Bring 8 cups of water to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the sea salt until fully dissolved, then add the distilled white vinegar. Set aside.
Arrange the cut daikon radish pieces in a clean glass jar or container, layering them with the halved garlic cloves, pierced red chiles, scallion pieces, and sliced ginger.
Pour the cooled saltwater brine over the daikon and other ingredients, ensuring all vegetables are submerged. If needed, add more cooled saltwater (using the same proportion of 3 tbsp salt per 8 cups water).
Arrange the Asian pear wedges on top of the brine so they float and infuse the liquid with their sweetness.
Cover the jar loosely or with a perforated lid to allow gentle fermentation. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, though flavor develops more fully after 2–3 days.
Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or vinegar if desired. Garnish with fresh scallion pieces and pomegranate seeds (if using). Serve chilled as a side dish.
Comments
Water kimchi is genuinely good and the ingredient list is achievable in Charlotte, though daikon radish and asian pear require a specific stop—Harris Teeter's produce section carries both, but Food Lion and Walmart may not stock them reliably. At roughly $12–15 total for four servings ($3–3.75 per serving), the cost is reasonable, but the 30-minute time is optimistic if you're hand-cutting the vegetables and chilling the brine; budget 45 minutes for a first attempt. This is a same-night dish that tastes better after a few hours cold, so it suits a dinner that doesn't need reheating, and it's the kind of thing that works as a pickle-like side or light starter rather than a main. If you can commit to the Harris Teeter trip for daikon and pear, it's worth it for a palate-cleansing addition to a weeknight table.
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