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    Home / Recipes / Course / Snack

    21 Jan 8, 2014 DIY  |   Jump to Recipe

    Quick Fennel and Cabbage Kimchi

    Quick Fennel and Cabbage Kimchi

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Growing up in a family that was half Italian and half Eastern European (Polish, Czech and Hungarian), never would I have thought that kimchi, Korean fermented cabbage, would become such a widely-used ingredient in my kitchen.  But it is.  There’s something about kimchi’s salty, sour and spicy notes that can transform the flavors of a dish into something so unique.  For example, when you add it to pizza, the sour notes of the cabbage cut through the richness of the mozzarella cheese while the salt and spice amp up the tomato sauce.  I also love mixing chopped kimchi into my morning scramble, adding it to deviled eggs, or stirring it into a hot bowl of broth.

    The key to really enjoying kimchi is to find a particular brand that suits your taste.  There are many varieties of kimchi available for purchase, and not all of them taste good.  Some can be too mushy.  Others overly funky or fishy.  Don’t give up on your kimchi hunt after your first bite of bad kimchi!  Keep searching.  Here in San Diego, my boyfriend discovered a suuuuuper tasty kimchi sold at our local farmer’s markets called Happy Pantry Kimchi.  It’s got a nice spicy fermented flavor without the fishiness that can be found in traditional varieties.  I also enjoy the kimchi available at Trader Joe’s.

    The other option is to make a kimchi recipe at home.  This will allow you to control each flavor, adding more or less of something to taste.  Which brings us to this Quick Fennel and Cabbage Kimchi.  Continue reading for the recipe.

    Fennel and Cabbage

    This easy kimchi recipe starts with napa cabbage and fresh fennel.  Fennel is completely untraditional, but Jorge and I had this amazing fennel kimchi at Revel in Seattle, so now I like to add fennel into my own kimchi.  The flavors just work.  Cabbage and fennel are then sliced thin and salted to release water (also known as weeping).

    Quick Fennel and Cabbage Kimchi

    After the sliced veg are squeezed (this is a fun task) of excess water, they are then flavored with green onion, garlic, ginger, chile paste, fennel seed, sugar and rice vinegar. It’s at this point when kimchi purists may say “HOLD UP.”  Traditional kimchi recipes do not contain vinegar.  Instead, kimchi gets its sour flavor from the process of fermentation.  This process can take days or weeks, and sometimes I just can’t wait that long.  Instead, I make this quick kimchi.  Start to finish, this recipe can be prepared in about 45 minutes (or up to 2 hours if you want to let the flavors hang out a bit).  Most of the time is inactive wait time.

    Despite the deviation from tradition, this quick kimchi tastes very similar to the real thing.  It definitely hits the spot when I’ve got a kimchi craving.

    Kimchi Flavorings

    Quick Fennel and Cabbage Kimchi

    Quick Fennel and Cabbage Kimchi

    by Brandon Matzek
    Adapted from here.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 8 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/2 head (1.25 pounds) napa cabbage
    • 2 fennel bulbs, stalks and fronds removed
    • 4 tablespoons kosher salt
    • 2 green onions, root ends trimmed, chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
    • 2 tablespoons hot chile paste (I used sambal olek)
    • 1 tablespoon toasted fennel seeds
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • 1/2 cup rice vinegar, unseasoned

    Instructions
     

    • Remove any tough outer leaves from the cabbage, and remove the core. Shred remaining cabbage leaves. Slice each fennel bulb in half lengthwise, and remove the core. Thinly slice fennel widthwise (against the grain). Place shredded cabbage and sliced fennel in a large bowl, then sprinkle with kosher salt. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
    • Squeeze the liquid from the cabbage and fennel, then place in a medium bowl. You can do this with your hands or a kitchen towel (I used my hands - it's kindof fun). Discard the liquid.
    • Add the green onion, garlic, ginger, chile paste, fennel seeds, sugar and rice vinegar to the bowl with the cabbage and fennel, tossing to combine. You can enjoy immediately, but I let the mixture sit at room temperature for 2 hours to let the flavors mingle a bit more. Store up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

     

    Quick Fennel and Cabbage Kimchi

     

    21
    Brandon and Federico
    Brandon

    I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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    Categories: DIY Tags: chile, fennel, fennel seed, garlic, ginger, green onion, kosher salt, napa cabbage, rice vinegar, sugar

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

      January 8, 2014 at 12:43 pm

      I’ve never made kimchi and not sure why not – I thought it was hard, I guess! Thanks for this tutorial and your kimchi is gorgeous! Pinned!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        January 9, 2014 at 6:51 am

        Given your kombucha expertise, I thought you would have given kimchi a try too by now ;)! This version is much easier than normal kimchi. It’s more of a pickle rather than fermented vegetables.

        Reply
    2. Lizthechef says

      January 8, 2014 at 1:52 pm

      5 stars
      Ditto – I will also try the stuff at Trader Joe’s when I get lazy. Pinned!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        January 9, 2014 at 6:51 am

        Thanks Liz!

        Reply
    3. Dan from Platter Talk says

      January 9, 2014 at 7:17 am

      Brandon,
      Nice post! We grew fennel on our back deck last year for the first time. Since then I have been looking for uses of it, this is a great idea. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        January 9, 2014 at 10:46 am

        Thanks Dan! This would definitely be a good use up for your fennel crop. You could even make this with all fennel (no cabbage). I’d use 4 – 5 bulbs (2.5 pounds worth after trimming). Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Shikha @ Shikha la mode says

      January 10, 2014 at 11:43 am

      Kimchi really is moving up the food latter, and I’m into it!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        January 12, 2014 at 5:34 pm

        Haha, that it is!

        Reply
    5. sippitysup says

      January 10, 2014 at 2:17 pm

      I always have kimchi in the house. I’ve even made it before. I’m so relieved your version doesn’t have to be buried in the back yard in an earthen jug! GREG

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        January 12, 2014 at 5:36 pm

        Haha yes! Eventually I’ll tackle tradition kimchi. But for now, I am fine with this quick version.

        Reply
    6. Rachel says

      January 11, 2014 at 4:04 am

      I really got into Korean food when I was living in Los Angeles, so thanks so much for this post. It was really interesting to read, because I’ve been thinking about making my own for a while now.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        January 12, 2014 at 5:33 pm

        Give it a try :)! You won’t be sorry.

        Reply
    7. Debra says

      January 11, 2014 at 1:04 pm

      4 stars
      I have always wanted to make kimchi (in a small batch). Thanks for a delicious sounding recipe! (Have you ever tried kimchi over fries?)

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        January 12, 2014 at 5:32 pm

        Thanks Debra. Never had it over fries, but that sounds pretty darn amazing.

        Reply
    8. David @ CookingChat says

      February 6, 2014 at 5:52 pm

      Have just been reading in Michael Pollan’s “Cooked” about the healthy virtues of fermented food. Will have to save this to try!

      Reply
    9. sandra says

      February 8, 2016 at 4:23 pm

      5 stars
      Can this be made with regular green cabbage.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        February 18, 2016 at 10:27 am

        Yes! Enjoy 🙂

        Reply

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    Brandon and Federico

    I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


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