Happy with the success of my first AIP-friendly kimchi recipe, I decided to experiment using other vegetables. Red cabbage was on sale, so I decided to make a red cabbage kimchi. In Korea, kimchi made with western green cabbage is known as yangbaechu kimchi. I had some organic peaches in my chiller, so in they went into the kimchi as well. Instead of fish sauce, I decided to use coconut aminos or soy-free coconut seasoning. This makes the kimchi vegan-friendly too! If you love ginger, you may wish to double the amount of ginger used in the recipe. I find it gives it a nice ‘kick’ in the absence of gochugaru or red pepper flakes.
Fermenting foods may seem intimidating to folks who have never tried fermenting their own foods before, but it is pretty straightforward. I find that making kimchi is similar to making a salad, with the additional salting and rinsing step. You just have to chop all the ingredients and mix them together with seasoning. If you’re too impatient to wait for it to ferment, you can even eat it straight away!
After 3-4 days of fermentation in a dark cabinet in the kitchen, I transferred the containers of kimchi to the refrigerator. It’s very mild tasting and refreshing kimchi, and has loads more crunch factor compared to traditional mak kimchi made with napa cabbage. I like how colourful it looks when served, and goes really nicely with all sorts of dishes. This is a great alternative if you’re not a fan of classic kimchi due to the spice or pungent odour.
- 2lb/ 1kg red cabbage
- 3 tbsp coarse salt
- 4 cloves or ¼ cup garlic, crushed
- ½ tbsp ginger, finely grated
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 1 peach
- 4 spring onions
- 1 carrot
- Cut cabbage into bite-sized squares, removing the hard core
- Rinse thoroughly and drain in a colander placed over a large bowl
- Add coarse salt and toss to ensure all the pieces of cabbage are coated with salt. Allow to drain for an hour, stirring to mix and then drain for another hour
- Rinse the cabbage pieces thoroughly and taste a piece. If it's too salty, rinse again
- Set aside drained cabbage in the large bowl
- Mix together the garlic, ginger and coconut aminos in a small bowl
- Peel the peach, remove the pit and dice the peach into ½" or 1.5cm chunks
- Slice the spring onions into thin diagonal strips
- Peel the carrot and cut into thin matchsticks by hand or use a mandolin slicer
- Mix together the peach chunks, spring onion strips and carrot matchsticks in a medium bowl
- Add the garlic/ ginger/ coconut aminos mixture into the bowl of cabbage pieces, followed by the peach/ spring onion/ carrot mixture
- Mix it up thoroughly and pack into airtight containers, pressing on the vegetables to squeeze out excess air pockets
- Allow to ferment for 1-4 days (it really depends on the temperature of your room) before moving the container into the refrigerator. It can also be eaten without being fermented
