My Grandma's simple Korean kimchi is mild & easy to make with just cabbage, cucumbers, and salt. It's still full of flavor from the quick-fermented vegetables, and tastes great alongside everything from rice & meat to noodles.
Inspiration from My Grandma for this Kimchi Recipe
Today I want to share with you my Grandma's simple kimchi recipe. This mild kimchi requires just three ingredients: cabbage, cucumbers and salt.
Kimchi is a popular Korean side dish (called banchan) and I love serving it with everything from my Grandma's traditional bulgogi to spicy Korean shredded chicken tacos.
Honestly, I could sit with my Grandma and listen to her stories for hours. In fact, as little kids, my sister and I would beg my Grandma to tell us "just one more story" about a thousand times every day.
Lessons from My Grandma Outside the Kitchen
My Grandma has taught me a lot, both in the kitchen and about life. Every time I learn a new Korean recipe from my Grandma, I feel like she's sharing a bit of her history and culture with me. Which in turn, is my history and culture too.
And she's taught me a plethora of life lessons outside the kitchen as well. I can't even count how many times she'd lecture me on staying away from "wise guys" who act like snakes and steal your virtue. She'd wiggle her finger like a snake and pretend to bite me with her "snake finger."
To this day, my Grandma is still teaching me how to find the balance between being self sufficient and independent, while also being a loving wife and serving my family. I hope by sharing this recipe with you, you can find both nourishment and enjoyment from it.
Ingredients
- Green cabbage - Napa cabbage is most traditional, but savoy or green cabbage work as well, depending on what you have available
- Cucumber - You can use any cucumber variety including Korean cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, Kirby cucumbers, or English cucumbers
- Salt - The measurement is for table salt. If you sub kosher salt, use a little less quantity to avoid over-salting your kimchi.
Types of Kimchi
When I visited Korea with my grandma, I saw more varieties of kimchi than I ever could have dreamed of! Many kimchi jars you'll find on major grocery store shelves are made with napa cabbage or radishes along with tons of garlic, salt to preserve it, and gochugaru (Korean dried chili peppers) to give it a red color and heat. And my Grandma often makes this spicy style too, but it's nice to have this mild kimchi on hand.
In fact, it was only about a hundred years ago that kimchi started getting chili added to it, according to Joanne Molinaro in her book The Korean Vegan. Before that, kimchi was vibrantly green, just like my Grandma's simple kimchi.
Grandma's Mild Kimchi
developed & tested by:
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cabbage (napa cabbage is traditional, but savoy or green cabbage work as well)
- 4 cups cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise and sliced again into half-moon pieces (you can use any type of cucumber including Korean cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, Kirby cucumbers, or English cucumbers)
- 2 Tablespoons fine sea salt (or non-iodized table salt)
Instructions
- Chop the cabbage into large bite-sized pieces. Mix it with the sliced cucumber in a large bowl. Sprinkle the salt on top and stir so the salt evenly coats the vegetables. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Stir the vegetables again, then cover and let it rest another 30 minutes.Continue stirring and resting at 30 minute intervals until a total of 3 to 4 hours have surpassed. Water will pool at the bottom of the bowl, having been drawn out of the vegetables by the salt.
- Thoroughly rinse the cabbage and cucumber in a large colander or strainer with water, until the vegetables taste slightly salty, but not overly salted. Rinsing with water is just to remove the excess salt, since a lot of the salt will have diffused into the vegetables.
- Pack the vegetables into clean glass jars and secure the lids on the jars. Enjoy right away, or transfer to the fridge for up to a few weeks.
Notes
- Spice Level: This kimchi is not spicy, and can be enjoyed with everything from rice and pasta to eggs and salad.
- Storing: Since this kimchi is quick-pickled, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a few weeks. Traditional kimchi is often fermented for days or even weeks. But I like this quick version when I want a mild green side dish.
Yum-number1 says
It's interesting how most of the kimchi you find in grocery stores is NOT the actual original type of kimchi, food can definitely change through out time. Great post and great way to honour your grandmother!
strawberryandcream says
Right! When I learned that, I was like, oh my grandma's is the OG kimchi!
And thank you so much! 🙂