Water Kimchi, aka nabak kimchi, is a super fast, easy type of kimchi when you need something light, mild, and refreshing for spring! Shall we?
Explore More
What is Water Kimchi?
Water kimchi is a type of Korean banchan that features napa cabbage, radish, and other optional vegetables fermented in a garlicky, gingery, mildly spiced brine. Unlike the more common cabbage kimchi you might see that are more like a cabbage salad covered in deep red, hot spice, Water Kimchi is more like a pickle in brine, and very mildly spiced (if spiced at all).
The chilled brine is super refreshing, and develops a light, bubbling fizz from the fermentation. You can sip the brine, or even use it as a base for a small bowl of chilled noodles.
What Ingredients You Need for Water Kimchi
Water Kimchi fresh/refrigerator ingredients:
- Napa cabbage, ½ head, about 1½ pounds
- Korean radish, ½ large or substitute Japanese daikon radish
- Red radishes, 1 bunch
- Carrot, 1 large sliced into ⅛-inch wide rounds
- Onion, ½ sliced lengthwise ⅛-inch wide
- Green onion, 1 stalk
- Garlic, 1 head
- Ginger, 1 3-inch piece
Dry/pantry ingredients:
- Gochugaru aka Korean red chile pepper powder, fine ground, 1 tablespoon
- Sea salt, 2 tablespoons
- Fish sauce, 1 tablespoon
What is Kind of Cabbage to Use for Water Kimchi
This fast and easy water kimchi recipe uses napa cabbage, the long oblong cabbage most commonly used for the well-known traditional kimchi.
If you can't find napa cabbage where you are, you can absolutely make an amazing Water Kimchi with all green cabbage.
Is Water Kimchi Healthy?
Yes! Water Kimchi is super healthy! Depending on your health needs and dietary considerations, of course. To be honest, I can't really think of a case in which Kimchi would not be healthy, unless maybe the light acid from the fermentation causes heartburn or other gastric issue for you.
Dietary Considerations of Water Kimchi
As published, this recipe for Water Kimchi is:
- pescatarian (uses fish sauce)
- dairy-free
- gluten-free/wheat-free
- grain-free
- refined sugar-free
- anti-inflammatory
This recipe for Homemade Kimchi is easily vegan/vegetarian-adaptable by substituting in vegan fish sauce (usually made with mushrooms) for the regular fish sauce.
Additional Ingredients Notes and Resources
Gochugaru: Gochugaru is a bright red Korean chili pepper powder made from a specific variety of Korean chili pepper. Its heat level ranges, but gochugaru is generally considered a medium spicy chili powder. Look for gochugaru that is made from Korean peppers that are sun-dried, and for this recipe specifically, a coarse grind, or flakes, not a fine powder. You can find gochugaru in Korean grocery stores like H-Mart and other Asian grocery stores. I have also seen some independent, new-ish spice companies like this and this at Whole Foods. This organic brand and the one in the photo above, purchased at HMart, are currently what I have in my pantry.
Fish sauce: This brand has been my favorite for years available at Whole Foods if you can't get to an Asian market, and this one I've tried recently and like, too!
Korean radish. Korean radish, translates to "mu" or "moo," looks like a shorter, wider Japanese daikon radish with pale green skin at the neck and shoulders. It is slightly more dense than other radishes, and a more pronounced flavor, though radishes tend to have a mild flavor in general. Because the seasonings, spices, and fermentation in the final kimchi are very strong, Korean radish can stand up to them! I buy Korean radish at whatever Asian grocery store happens to be on my shopping route at the time. You can substitute with Japanese daikon.
Onions, garlic, and all other fresh herbs and produce from either the Santa Monica Farmers' Market on Wednesday, or Whole Foods Market.
Pro Tips and Tricks
Vegetables. Other than the cabbage and radish or daikon, including any of the rest of the vegetables is flexible! If you don't have round radishes or red bell pepper, leave them out! I personally don't love red bell pepper, so I don't include it when making Water Kimchi for myself.
Spice level. Increase the heat level by adding more gochugaru, about a teaspoon at a time. If you're making Water Kimchi for a family or group with small children or palates that don't tolerate spice, you can leave the gochugaru out completely! The kimchi will still ferment, and taste more like a light pickle.
Sweetener. Adding slices of half an Asian pear or 2 tablespoons of sweetener like honey or sugar will give the Water Kimchi a sweeter flavor. I generally don't add any kind of sugar because the radish and carrots have a natural, subtle sweetness to them already.
Use the Water Kimchi brine for cold soup noodles! You can ladle some of the Water kimchi brine into a small bowl and add super thin noodles for a type of Korean cold noodle dish.
Best Kimchi Recipes
Water Kimchi recipe
Ingredients
- ½ head napa cabbage
- ½ head green cabbage
- ½ Korean radish or substitute Japanese daikon radish
- 1 bunch red radishes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 carrot sliced into ⅛-inch thick rounds
- ½ onion
- 1 stalk green onion
- 1 head garlic
- 1 3-inch piece ginger
- 1 tablespoon Korean red chile pepper powder fine ground
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
Instructions
Prep Water Kimchi Vegetables
- Slice both cabbages into 1-2" bite size pieces
- Slice Korean radish into 1½-inch squares and round radish into ¼-inch wide slices.
- Sprinkle cabbage and radishes with ¼ cup salt, toss to coat, and let sit to draw out moisture for 1-2 hours.
Prep Water Kimchi Seasoning
- While cabbage and radishes marinate, slice onion, green onion, red pepper, garlic, and ginger into ¼-inch wide slices
- Drain salted liquid from cabbage and radishes, saving the salted liquid.
- Fill a large glass jar or container halfway with cold, clean water. Add the drained salty liquid from the vegetables. Stir in 2 tablespoons sea salt, 2 tablespoons Korean red chili pepper powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce if using.
- Add all of the sliced cabbages, radishes, onion, green onion, and bell pepper. Give the jar a good stir to make sure all of the salt is dissolved.
- Cover and place in a cool spot on the countertop for 1 day, then store in the refrigerator.
Food for Afterthoughts
It was a Saturday afternoon. My phone was flashing green and when I flipped it open, it said "mom's cel." Would my mother worry if, when I click "Ignore," it goes straight to the default greeting of "Please leave a message?" Am I a horrible daughter if I just let it ring and go to voicemail as if I didn't even hear it? Now, I both love and like Mom - love her because she is my mother and like her because she's pretty badass. But right at that moment, I didn't have time. Wait, she spent 23 hours in labor giving birth to me, she cooked and fed me three times a day, cleaned up after me, chauffeured me on-demand for 16 years, paid for my higher education with her hard earned money. Is it so much to ask to just talk to your mother for five minutes?!?!
"Hi Mom."
"Unh...Sarah-yah?"
"Yeap. It's Sarah. You called me." I had to chuckle.
"Hi Sarah!" Hmm. I knew she wasn't calling to just chit-chat. She had that tell-tale tone, where "Sarah" came out saccharin sweet, buttering me up for some big favor that only the single daughter could to do.
"I forgot to tell you, when you picked me up last week, about your go-mo." She forgot to tell me about my aunt? No she didn't. She planned it this way. My mom doesn't forget anything.
"Your gomo is flying back home to Toronto from Korea and she has to stop in LA tomorrow for..." She made a semi-dramatic pause. "...six hours." After emphasis on six, another purposeful silence to let the horrible flight schedule sink in. I could totally picture her face, eyes widened and mouth half agape, with the silent look of "Can you believe that?!?!" Six hours. So, what? I made an audible *gasp!* just for my Mom. "Oh my gosh! Six hours? How could they schedule her flights like that?" And then I stopped for her to fill me in, as I knew she would.
"I know. Isn't that sooooo bad? Six hours in the LAX. So I offered to pick her up and take her to dinner around there so she wouldn't have to sit there by herself in the LAX for six hours."
The LAX. Not just LAX, but she said THE LAX. She was turning on her best FOB. That meant there was more.
"But I have to run some errands down here in Fullerton so I might be late picking her up..."
Aha. There it was. But before I knew it, before I could stop myself, I heard the words coming out of my mouth "Mom, why don't I meet gomo at the airport, take her somewhere around there, and you can meet us when you're done?" I hit myself squarely in the forehead with my first knuckle. How does she do that?!?
She's good. Damn, my mom is good. She had gotten me to offer to wait around all day Sunday afternoon for a phone call from my gomo letting me know that she had gotten through US Customs and would be waiting at the curb on the "Arrivals" level of Tom Bradley for me to drive-by, slow down, pick her up, and take her to a restaurant that we would choose in the car depending on her mood.
Sunday afternoon rolled around and without going into any more detail than I already have, there had been a mix-up of cel phone numbers, missed calls, and let's just say that when Mom called me from the 405 freeway, I was still at home "on-call" waiting to hear from my gomo, almost two-and-half hours after she was supposed to have touched down in LA. Mom said screw her, let's go eat dinner.
See why I can't ever be annoyed at Mom for long? She says "screw her" after calling it "the LAX." LOL!
Still feeling the responsibility of family, we decided to eat near the airport, in case my gomo ever did get around to calling one of us to pick her up. Unfortuantely, I hadn't actually done my homework and knew nothing about dining options within reasonable pick-up distance of the LAX. We took a risk and went blindly to the Howard Hughes Center. If nothing else, I've seen a sign for Islands from the freeway, and they have a full bar. Like mother, like daughter. :)
Paper Gem says
Great post! I'm Korean, and my mother manipulates me in a very similar way, although her English isn't nearly as good as your mother's. Great blog!
Anonymous says
I hope your mother doesnt read this. That wasnt that nice.
sarah says
hey paper gem! thanks for stopping by and reading. i wouldn't say it's necessarily manipulation by my mom, but i swear, i just don't know how on earth she does it. LOL~
anonymous: my mom will read it and probably...oh i don't know, laugh and ask me why i toned it down so much. LOL!
djjewelz says
Funny that you linked your zip fusion review. The LA times just did a piece on them and as I was reading, I asked myself: I wonder if Sarah's been there and if she liked the joint.
and I say..screw the flamers :) Last time I checked these were your reviews, not anyone elses.
Dr. Duckfat says
I agree about the flamers...this is your space, your voice, your opinion. If they don't like what's written, they can get a refund and not return...oh yeah, they didn't have to pay anything, so screw 'em!;}
Dining rule No. 46: A full bar can make even a terrible restaurant enjoyable (as long as you don't leave room for the food;)
I'm jealous of your funemployment (see also "emplayment n., emplayed adj. e.g. I am self-emplayed right now.)
sarah says
well, i always hesitate to call anything i write a "review," which sort of implies a well-researched, well thought-out, professional piece of writing, whereas I am simply writing from my gut. literally. LOL!
and in all honesty, i kind of like the flames - it makes life a little more interesting - wouldn't necessairly be fun if everyone liked everything. i love arguing over opinions and stuff, but, when it starts to get low, like people calling me mentally ill, well...okay, that is kind of funny, actually, because i have to ask - HOW DID THEY FIND THAT OUT ABOUT ME AND THE VOICES ALREADY?!?! lol!
djjewelz says
YOUR INNER MONOLOGUE!
btw - just found out that Carl Cox was @ Avalon for a little while for their 2 yr. anniversary last night. Did something with Pete Tong.
Daily Gluttony says
Sarah, you had me rolling with the "THE LAX" lines. Your mom sounds so cool!
Rachael says
PEACH! I hope your mother has a sense of humor! My mother, well, I have to find a way to stop that (dear, sweet, lovely, giving and kind) woman from reading mine...she's starting to think she raised a drunk. LOL.
You are adorable and hilarious. Bless your heart.
Rachael
sarah says
djjewelz...i missed cox again?!?! *sigh*
pam: yeah, i got lucky with my mom. she's definitely the perfect combo of first generation immigrant and progressive almost-hippie artist mom. :)
rachael: what do you mean "she's starting to think she raised a drunk." she did, didn't she?!?! ;)
plau says
Kabuki isn't good.. but yes, falls in the category of what my friends call
Korean-Japanese/Sushi or Korean-Chinese food..
It's specifically my Korean friends that started this trend of hyphenating the restaurants so that the distinction was made
Kabuki isn't good, but it's close to me, so in a pinch, when we just want a lot of food, we might go there, but as a last resort.... but we've been having discussions of what Japanese cuisine has as special offerings...
The biggest draws for Kabuki, is, as you noted, the Half-Price sushi. The cheap ones (like me) might get drawn into it, and once, right before a tournament, we carbo-loaded there..
Actually, haven't eaten there in a while.. For LAX stuff, you might go to Little Italy's Kitchen.. or.. some folks (not me) like Alejo on Lincoln, but then they might reek of garlic
Anonymous says
it always fresh. most restaurant just buy one time a week. thank you!