Basic Kimchi

Name: Basic Kimchi (30-Minute Quick Ferment)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 5 tbsp. sugar; 3 tbsp. kosher salt; 1 lb. Persian cucumbers, daikon radishes, baby bok choy, scallions, cauliflower, carrots, or napa cabbage (or a mix of any combination), roughly chopped; 1/2 cup peeled, cored, and finely chopped Asian pear; 1/2 cup coarsely ground gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes); 1/4 cup fish sauce; 2 tsp. minced ginger; 2 cloves garlic, minced

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This basic kimchi combines salted fresh vegetables with a smooth gochugaru-pear purée, ready to serve in 30 minutes or aged at room temperature for deeper fermented flavor. The recipe works with any combination of cucumbers, radishes, bok choy, or cabbage.

🌍Korean 🥗Gluten-Free 🥗Pescatarian 🏷️Kimchi 🏷️Quick kimchi Fermented

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🏷️Condiment

Total

30 min

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe Source

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From Saveur

Ingredients

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5 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. kosher salt
1 lb. Persian cucumbers, daikon radishes, baby bok choy, scallions, cauliflower, carrots, or napa cabbage (or a mix of any combination), roughly chopped
1/2 cup peeled, cored, and finely chopped Asian pear
1/2 cup coarsely ground gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes)
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tsp. minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced

8 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
In a large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons sugar with the salt. Add the vegetables, toss until evenly coated in the sugar and salt, and let stand for 20 minutes.
2
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with the pear, gochugaru, fish sauce, ginger, and garlic and purée until smooth.
3
Lift the vegetables from the bowl, squeeze to release any liquid, and transfer to another large bowl. Scrape the purée onto the vegetables, toss to coat, and serve immediately.

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Tips & Notes

Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.

Pro tips

Squeeze the salted vegetables gently after the 20-minute rest to remove excess liquid—this prevents diluting the gochugaru purée.
Use coarsely ground gochugaru for authentic texture; finely ground versions can make the kimchi paste too dense.
For deeper fermented flavor, let the finished kimchi sit at room temperature for 1–3 days before refrigerating; serve immediately for fresher, crunchier vegetables.
Pulse the pear, gochugaru, and aromatics in a food processor only until smooth—don't over-process, which can generate heat and dull the chile flavor.

Substitutions

Asian pear → regular pear, Honeycrisp apple, or fresh pineapple (note: texture and sweetness will vary slightly)
Fish sauce → soy sauce or tamari (note: vegetarian, but umami depth differs)
Gochugaru → other Korean red chile flakes or Aleppo pepper (note: heat level and flavor profile vary)

Storage & make-ahead

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; ferment at room temperature before refrigerating for deeper flavor development.

Equipment

food processor

Common Questions

Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.

Can I make this kimchi without fish sauce?

Fish sauce is a core umami component in this recipe. You can substitute soy sauce or tamari for a vegetarian version, though the flavor profile will differ slightly.