Korean-Style Cabbage Pickle

Name: Korean-Style Cabbage Pickle
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 23 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: cabbage 700 g; carrot 120 g; vinegar 220 ml; water 220 ml; sugar 140 g; salt 12 g; whole black pepper 1 tsp

Skip blanching to keep this pickle crisp. Pack 700 g cabbage in bite-size pieces and 120 g thinly sliced carrot into a jar with the excess water shaken off, boil 220 ml vinegar, 220 ml water, 140 g sugar, 12 g salt, and 1 tsp whole black pepper for about 1 minute only, and pour the brine over while hot. Cool fully at room temperature before sealing, then refrigerate and serve chilled from the next day.

Quick answer

Total time: 23 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Raw cabbage and carrot are packed in unblanched, and the hot sweet-sour brine poured over them is what keeps the crunch a day later.

Whole peppercorns give the brine a mild aromatic bite. Served cold beside burgers or tonkatsu, it cuts through fried food the way a sharp slaw does.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Cut 700 g cabbage into bite-size pieces and slice 120 g carrot thinly so the brine can reach the center.

Do not blanch the vegetables, and shake off excess water to keep the finished pickle crisp.
2

Pack the cabbage and carrot evenly into a sealed container or jar, spreading the carrot through the cabbage for color and sweetness. Press the vegetables down lightly, but leave a little headspace for the hot brine.
3

Add 220 ml vinegar, 220 ml water, 140 g sugar, 12 g salt, and 1 teaspoon whole black pepper to a pot.

Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve completely.
4

Once the brine reaches a boil, let it bubble for about 1 minute only.

Turn off the heat when no sugar grains remain and the peppercorn aroma is noticeable, avoiding unnecessary reduction.
5

Pour the hot brine evenly over the vegetables right away so the cabbage wilts just enough.

Press with a clean spoon until the pieces are mostly submerged, which helps them season evenly.
6

Let the container cool fully at room temperature before sealing, then refrigerate.

Serve chilled from the next day with burgers, cutlets, or rich dishes, and use clean utensils so it stays crisp within one week.