Enjoy this kimchi as a spicy accompaniment to meat and egg dishes, with salad bowls, or us it to make kimchi fried rice. This recipe works well with other crunchy vegetables such as carrots, cucumber and zucchini (see recipe notes below). If you don’t have access to Gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes), you can use regular red chili flakes and the results will be similar. Note: prep time does not include 1-5 days fermentation period.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
SOAKING (MIN)2 hourshrs
Total Time2 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: Fermented Food, Vegetarian
Servings: 6servings
Author: Melanie Steele, RD
Ingredients
1 ½cupgreen beans cut into 1” pieces (about ½ pound untrimmed)
2cupswater (more if needed, see instructions)
2tablespoonsnon-iodized salt (sea salt or Kosher salt)
2clovesgarlicminced
1tablespoongrated fresh peeled ginger
1tablespoonfish sauce
1tablespoonGochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes)
1scallionfinely sliced
1/2teaspoonsugar
Instructions
Prepare a brine solution by mixing the water and salt together in a bowl. Add the beans and let soak for a few hours, up to overnight. Make sure there is enough water to completely cover the beans; add more if needed.
After the beans have finished soaking, discard the brine solution and keep the beans in the bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, scallion, and sugar, and mix into a paste. Add the paste to the green beans and use your hands to massage and thoroughly coat the beans.
Pack the beans into a small jar and cover with a lid. Let the kimchi sit at room temperature for 1-5 days.
Check the jar everyday. You will likely see bubbles and more liquid in the jar than when you started – this is normal and indicates fermentation is occurring. Taste the kimchi when you check the jar, and when it has ripened to your liking move the jar to the refrigerator for a few more days.
Notes
Iodized salt (table salt) is not recommended for making kimchi as the iodine inhibits the beneficial bacteria during the fermentation process.
Substitute 1 ½ cups chopped zucchini or cucumber, or julienned carrot for the green beans to try different types of vegetable kimchi
Substitute red chili flakes for the Gochugaru if you can’t find them
For vegan kimchi, you can substitute kelp flakes for the fish sauce
Health Note: unpasteurized fermented foods such as kimchi are not recommended for immunocompromised individuals