Korean Fermented Kale Kimchi

Name: Korean Fermented Kale Kimchi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: kale 400 g; coarse salt 2 tbsp; Korean radish 120 g; scallions 40 g; Korean chili flakes 5 tbsp; soup soy sauce 2 tbsp; minced garlic 1 tbsp; pear puree 80 g; minced ginger 0.5 tsp

Salt 400 g kale with 2 tbsp coarse salt for 20 minutes, rinse it once, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Mix 5 tbsp gochugaru, 2 tbsp soup soy sauce, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 80 g pear puree and 1/2 tsp minced ginger into a paste before it touches the kale, then massage it gently between the leaves along with the radish and green onion. Leave the airtight container at room temperature for 2 hours, refrigerate, and start eating the next day.

Quick answer

Active time: 35 min
Waiting: See the steps
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 9

About this dish

Kale's strong green smell mellows as it ferments while the leaves keep a firm bite, giving a kimchi that chews more than napa cabbage kimchi does.

Julienned radish adds crunch, and soup soy sauce, rather than fish sauce, supplies the salty depth. Pear puree, or apple puree in its place, wraps the chili heat in fruit sweetness and balances the slightly bitter finish of the kale. It tastes best from the day after making, once the seasoning has settled into the leaves overnight.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Wash 400 g kale leaf by leaf under running water, shake off excess moisture, then sprinkle with 2 tbsp coarse salt and let sit for 20 minutes.
2

Rinse the salted kale once under running water to reduce excess salt, then squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.
3

Julienne 120 g radish and cut 40 g green onions into 3 cm lengths, then place in a bowl together with the kale.
4

Mix 5 tbsp gochugaru, 2 tbsp soup soy sauce, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 80 g pear puree, and 0.5 tsp minced ginger together to form the seasoning paste.
5

Add the seasoning paste to the kale, radish, and green onions, then massage gently by hand until the paste is evenly distributed between every leaf.
6

Transfer to an airtight container, leave at room temperature for 2 hours to begin fermenting, then refrigerate and enjoy from the next day when the kale has a satisfying crunch.