SPICY, FULL OF FLAVOR, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GREAT FOR YOUR GUT!
Made a batch of this good stuff last week and it turned out better than expected, and so easy!
Even if you think your digestion is great, there are other reasons to incorporate fermented foods into your diet. Your gut is part of correcting the root cause of almost every health issue. If your gut isn’t getting what it needs, your body won’t be working optimally. Hormone balance, blood sugar regulation, cholesterol levels, etc. are all affected by your gut health. Also, remember close to 70% of your immune is housed in your gut so if we want to be feeling our best, give it a little love.
Kimchi is wonderful as it not only has fermented probiotic goodness, but the cabbage and daikon act as prebiotics (which feed your good bacteria), and the garlic, ginger, and other spices are powerful antiviral and antibacterials.
If given the choice, I always choose savory fermented foods over sweet because I know it won’t negatively impact my blood sugar balance in any way.
Kimchi is definitely one of my favorite savory probiotic-rich foods, and I hope you will give it a try.
You only need 1 special ingredient to make this recipe and that is Korean chili powder. You can find this in most Asian grocery stores and can definitely find it on Amazon. This chili powder is STRONG so ensure you are wearing latex gloves when mixing your kimchi or make sure you wash your hands really really well once you are done!
Next up, I’ll be using my kimchi to make a delicious kimchi soup!
Kimchi
A delicious, spicy, fermented food to add to your gut healing food list.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound/500grams napa cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup of sea salt or rock salt
- 1 cups daikon radish, cut into matchstick strips (optional)
- 4-5 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, whole
- 1 shallot or small red onion, quartered
- 3 Tbsp Korean-style red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce (omit for vegan & vegetarian)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Reserve 1-2 outer leaves of the napa cabbage and refrigerate for later use. Cut the remaining cabbage and place it in a bowl with the salt and toss.
- Add enough cool water to cover the cabbage and stir until salt is dissolved. Keep the cabbage submerged with a plate over the bowl and let stand at room temperature 2-4 hours (giving a stir midway through if possible).
- Drain the cabbage, and save the brine. Rinse and drain the cabbage, squeeze out any excess water and place it back in the bowl, adding the daikon radish and scallions.
- Place the ginger, garlic, red onion/shallot, Korean chili powder, fish sauce, and sugar in your food processor. Process until well combined, pulsing, until it becomes a paste.
- Scoop the paste over the cabbage and using tongs or gloves, mix and massage the vegetables and the chili mixture together really well, until well coated.
- Pack the cabbage into a large, jar (or two), leaving 1-2 inches room at the top for juices to release. Add a little of the reserved brine to just cover the vegetables, pressing them down a bit. Place the whole cabbage leaf over top, this should help keep the kimchi submerged under the brine.
- Cover loosely with a lid (allowing air to escape) and place the jar in a plate to collect any juices that may escape. (You want to keep as much of the flavorful juice in the jar, so don’t overfill.)
- Leave this on the counter for 3 days, then store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator where it will continue to ferment and develop more flavor slowly. While on the counter, you can press down on the kimchi daily with the back of a wooden spoon to keep it submerged.
- After 3 days, the kimchi is ready to be moved to the fridge, but won’t achieve its full flavor and complexity, until about 2 weeks. The longer you ferment, the more complex and sour the taste.
- This will keep for months in the fridge ( as long as it is submerged in the brine) and will continue to ferment very slowly, getting more and more flavorful.
