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Vegetable Kimchi

Small glass bowls of various sizes filled with different kinds of vegetable kimchi.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh

Turn any vegetable into a flavorful, spicy pickle with this simple kimchi technique.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 2–4 quarts

Ingredients

2

pounds crunchy vegetables (such as radishes, asparagus, carrots, cucumbers, beets, or turnips), cut into ¾" pieces

3

tablespoons kosher salt

1

tablespoon sugar

10

scallions, cut on a diagonal into 1" pieces

⅓

cup gochugaru (coarse Korean red pepper powder) or 4½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, finely ground

3

tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2

tablespoons fish sauce

1

tablespoon finely chopped peeled ginger

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, toss together vegetables, salt, and sugar. Let sit at room temperature 1–3 hours for juices to release. Add scallions, gochugaru, garlic, fish sauce, and ginger; toss to coat.

    Step 2

    Divide kimchi between two 1-qt. jars, distributing liquid evenly and leaving 1" headspace.

    Step 3

    Eat immediately or let sit on countertop 2 days to allow fermentation to begin before refrigerating. Flavors will deepen over time.

    Do Ahead: Kimchi can be made 2 months in advance. Open occasionally to release gases.