Red Cabbage Kimchi

Red Cabbage Kimchi

with sesame seeds

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 9m
Cook Time: 2h
Total Time: 2h 9m
Servings: 2 lbs
Difficulty: Easy
5.0 (12 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

28
Calories
1g
Fat
2.7g
Carbohydrates
1g
Protein
1.5g
Fiber
600mg
Sodium
Red Cabbage Kimchi

Recipe Description

Love kimchi? Make this Red Cabbage Kimchi recipe and enjoy a popular Korean delicacy with a twist that is nothing short of absolutely delicious. The recipe starts with red cabbage instead of the commonly used napa cabbage and features flavoring from gochugaru, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, and sesame seeds. It’s a spicy, salty, savory combo, and I love the twist. If you’d like to make this recipe vegan, simply omit the fish sauce.

To make kimchi, start with the cabbage. Remove any wilted outer layers of the cabbage and discard them. Using a chef’s knife, cut the cabbage in half through the stem, then cut into quarters. Cut diagonally along the core to remove it from each wedge. Thinly slice each wedge in the short direction. Add the sliced cabbage to a large bowl. Sprinkle the cabbage with salt and massage it firmly into the cabbage with your hands. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave for 2 hours. After 2 hours, rinse and drain the cabbage well. Combine the aromatics until they form a paste. Add the cabbage to the red pepper paste and toss, mixing well. Pack the cabbage into jars and leave to ferment for 3 days at room temperature before transferring them to the refrigerator. Enjoy as a side dish or a condiment to spice up your favorite dishes.

To make the Red Cabbage Kimchi, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Red Cabbage Kimchi

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Combine cabbage and salt

    1 min
    Step 1 - Red Cabbage Kimchi

    Add the finely sliced red cabbage to a large mixing bowl and scatter over 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon fine table salt.

  2. 2

    Massage salt into cabbage

    2h
    Step 2 - Red Cabbage Kimchi

    Using your hands, massage the salt firmly into the cabbage. Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and leave for 2 hours to draw out the moisture from the cabbage.

  3. 3

    Rinse and drain

    5 min
    Step 3 - Red Cabbage Kimchi

    After 2 hours, tip the cabbage into a sieve and rinse well under cold running water. Drain well.

  4. 4

    Make paste

    1 min
    Step 4 - Red Cabbage Kimchi

    To a clean bowl, add 2 ounces finely grated ginger, 4 crushed cloves garlic, 8 tablespoons water or kefir water, 4 tablespoons gochugaru, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon sea salt and stir until well combined.

  5. 5

    Coat cabbage in paste

    2 min
    Step 5 - Red Cabbage Kimchi

    Add in the rinsed and drained cabbage and toss to coat.

  6. 6

    Place cabbage in jars

    3d min
    Step 6 - Red Cabbage Kimchi

    Spoon the cabbage into jars, packing it down well so the top is submerged in liquid. Press a piece of plastic wrap tightly down onto the surface to keep out as much air as possible, then screw the lid on. Let the cabbage ferment at room temperature for 3 to 7 days.

  7. 7

    Check

    Step 7 - Red Cabbage Kimchi

    Check the kimchi every day, pressing the cabbage back under the surface liquid and replacing the plastic wrap layer with fresh. Taste after 3 days. The cabbage should be pleasantly sour. Leave the cabbage for longer if necessary.

  8. 8

    Serve and store

    Step 8 - Red Cabbage Kimchi

    Once ready, store the red cabbage kimchi in the fridge for up to a few months.

If kimchi is your condiment of choice, give this Red Cabbage Kimchi recipe a try! It’s pungent, spicy, salty, and savory. Made it? Let us know! Tag @cookmerecipes on Instagram and hashtag it #cookmerecipes

About the author

Bethany Lim

Bethany is very passionate about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and clean diet. She’s trying to cut meat out of her diet as much as possible and focuses on cooking vegetarian food and fish. Bethany gets a kick from finding ways to add new twists to classic dishes. What’s more, thanks to her Asian roots, she’s great at combining different cuisines to come up with something extraordinary. Bethany’s recipes will inspire you to add new colors and flavors to your everyday meals.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0 out of 5 (12 reviews)
Greg Thompson
February 25, 2025
Verified

Delicious!

Jimbo
November 1, 2024
Verified

Made this for dinner with my wife; we couldn't beleive how tasty it was!

Paul
July 21, 2024
Verified

J'ai essayé cette recette de kimchi et elle est vraiment super. La combinaison de saveurs m'a rappelé mes vacances en Corée. Facile à faire et délicieux.

Rachel
April 25, 2024
Verified

This kimchi rocks!

Ursula
April 15, 2024
Verified

Incredible!

Fiona
March 22, 2024
Verified

This Kimchi recipe is superb! I made it for my friends last weekend and they loved the spicy kick. The red cabbage adds a lovely vibrancy too.

Joy
February 24, 2024
Verified

Making this Red Cabbage Kimchi brought back memories of family meals. So good!

Ivy
November 18, 2023
Verified

OMG, this Red Cabbage Kimchi is to die for! Made it for my girls' night and everyone flipped out over the flavor. So easy and fun to make, I’ll be a kimchi queen now!

Xena
August 12, 2023
Verified

I was really curious about this Red Cabbage Kimchi recipe. The bright color of the cabbage drew me in. I made it for a small dinner party, and everyone loved the unique taste. It reminded me of my travels in Korea, where I first tasted kimchi. So simple and so tasty!

Olivia
August 11, 2023
Verified

Superb recipe, love the twist.

Kevin
June 19, 2023
Verified

Superb and simple.

Athina
April 26, 2023
Verified

This is a probiotic super food! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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