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Napa Cabbage Water Kimchi: A Refreshing Broth Dish with a Crispy Texture

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Napa Cabbage Water Kimchi: A Refreshing Broth Dish with a Crispy Texture

Crispy Young Napa Cabbage Water Kimchi Recipe to Boost Your Appetite, Even During Holidays

Introducing our special Young Napa Cabbage Water Kimchi, a refreshing and palate-cleansing dish that aids digestion, a must-have during holidays. Its crisp texture and clean broth are exceptional and will add abundance to your dining table. I’ll guide you through it step-by-step so anyone can easily follow!

Recipe Info

  • Category : Kimchi / Fermented foods / Sauces
  • Ingredient Category : Vegetables
  • Occasion : Holiday food
  • Cooking : Others
  • Servings : More than 6 servings
  • Cooking Time : More than 2 hours
  • Difficulty : Beginner

Main Vegetable Ingredients
  • 2 heads Young Napa Cabbage (approx. 1kg): Sweet and crispy, it’s perfect for water kimchi.
  • 3 pieces Radish (approx. 2cm thick, 300g): Adds a refreshing taste.
  • 2 Cucumbers (approx. 500g): Adds crispiness and freshness.
  • 1 Apple (small): Adds natural sweetness and flavor.
  • 1 Red Chili Pepper: Adds color.
  • 2 handfuls Green Onions (approx. 150g): Adds a fragrant aroma.

Refreshing Kimchi Broth Ingredients
  • 1 Pear: Adds sweetness and a refreshing taste to the broth.
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper: Creates a beautiful color.
  • 1 Onion: Adds umami to the broth.
  • 6 Red Chili Peppers: Adds vibrant color and moderate spiciness.
  • 3 Korean Hot Peppers (Cheongyang peppers): Add more or adjust the quantity if you prefer it spicier.
  • 1 knob Ginger (thumb-sized): Removes any gamey smell and adds flavor.
  • 9-10 cloves Garlic (or 2 Tbsp minced garlic): Creates a refreshing and clean taste.
  • 600ml Cooked Glutinous Rice Flour Paste (3 cups): Makes the broth thick and smooth.
  • 1 Tbsp Fermented Shrimp: A secret ingredient for umami.
  • 6 liters Water: Prepare generously to make a refreshing broth.
  • 4 Tbsp Salt: Used for seasoning. (Adjust to taste)
  • 1/3 Tbsp Sugar: Compensates for lack of sweetness. (Optional)

Chili Powder Water Ingredients
  • 5 Tbsp Chili Powder: Provides color and flavor to the kimchi broth.
  • 200ml Water (1 cup): Used to soak the chili powder.

Glutinous Rice Flour Paste Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp Glutinous Rice Flour: Adjusts the thickness of the broth.
  • 200ml Water: Used to mix the glutinous rice flour.

Cooking Glutinous Rice Flour Paste Ingredients
  • 200ml Prepared Glutinous Rice Flour Water: The premixed glutinous rice flour water.
  • 400ml Water: Used to cook the glutinous rice flour paste.

Young Napa Cabbage Salting Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp Salt: Salts the cabbage to maintain its crispiness.
  • 200ml Water: Used for salting the cabbage.

Radish Salting Ingredients
  • 1/3 Tbsp Salt: Lightly salts the radish.
  • 1/3 Tbsp Sugar: Adds a slight sweetness to the radish. (Optional)

Cucumber Salting Ingredients
  • 1/2 Tbsp Salt: Lightly salts the cucumber.
  • 1/3 Tbsp Sugar: Enhances the crispiness of the cucumber. (Optional)

Cooking Instructions

Step 1

First, wash the 2 heads of young napa cabbage thoroughly and cut them in half lengthwise.

Step 2

Cut the halved cabbages in half again to make a total of 4 pieces. At this point, it’s good to carefully cut away and remove the hard core (base) of the cabbage.

Step 3

Use the small, tender inner leaves as they are. For the larger leaves, cut them into bite-sized pieces (about 4-5cm). Cutting them too small can make them mushy, so aim for a moderate size.

Step 4

Since the cabbage will be used without rinsing after salting, wash it 2-3 times under running water to remove any dirt or debris. Using clean cabbage is important.

Step 5

After washing, place the cabbage on a colander to drain the water thoroughly. Excess water can make the cabbage soggy.

Step 6

Sprinkle 1 Tbsp salt and pour 200ml water over the drained cabbage to salt it. Since it will be used without rinsing, it’s best to use clean sea salt or kosher salt. Salt for about 40 minutes to 1 hour, flipping the cabbage occasionally to ensure even salting. The cabbage is well-salted when it bends softly without breaking.

Step 7

Prepare 3 pieces of radish, about 2cm thick. If the skin is clean, you can use it as is, but if it’s dirty, peel it lightly with a peeler.

Step 8

Cut the prepared radish into bite-sized pieces, maintaining a thickness of about 2cm, similar in size to the cabbage pieces (about 4-5cm). Cutting them too thin can cause them to break easily.

Step 9

Sprinkle 1/3 Tbsp salt and 1/3 Tbsp sugar over the cut radish to salt it. Like the cabbage, since it will be used without rinsing, use clean salt. Salt for about 40 minutes to 1 hour, similar to the cabbage, and stir occasionally to ensure even salting.

Step 10

Wash the 2 cucumbers thoroughly using baking soda or coarse salt, trim off both ends, and cut them into 4 pieces lengthwise.

Step 11

With a spoon, gently scrape out the seeds from the center of the quartered cucumbers. Then, cut them into bite-sized pieces, similar to the size of the cabbage and radish.

Step 12

Sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp salt and 1/3 Tbsp sugar over the prepared cucumbers to lightly salt them. Since the cucumbers will also be used without rinsing, use clean salt. Salt for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, similar to the cabbage and radish salting time, stirring occasionally.

Step 13

First, let’s make the glutinous rice flour water. In a bowl, combine 1 Tbsp glutinous rice flour with 200ml water and whisk until smooth, ensuring there are no lumps. Whisking thoroughly to avoid lumps is crucial.

Step 14

Pour 400ml of water into a pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat.

Step 15

Once the water starts boiling, gradually pour in the prepared glutinous rice flour water while stirring continuously. Be careful to prevent lumps and stir well with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Step 16

When the glutinous rice flour mixture comes to a boil, continue to boil for about 1-2 more minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool completely. Using it while hot can make the kimchi broth cloudy.

Step 17

Now, it’s time to make the chili powder water for the kimchi broth color. In a bowl, mix 5 Tbsp chili powder with 200ml water. Soaking the chili powder in water beforehand prevents clumping and helps the color disperse evenly.

Step 18

Prepare the ingredients for the kimchi broth to be blended. Fresh ingredients contribute significantly to a delicious broth.

Step 19

Peel the pear, remove the core, and cut it into pieces suitable for blending (about 3-4cm). The pear’s sweetness and refreshing quality enhance the broth’s flavor.

Step 20

Remove the stem from the red bell pepper, scrape out the seeds, and cut it into pieces for blending. It adds a beautiful color.

Step 21

Peel the onion and cut it into large pieces for blending. Onions add sweetness and depth of flavor to the broth.

Step 22

Remove the stems from the red and Korean hot peppers and cut them into pieces for blending. If you prefer it spicier, increase the amount of Korean hot peppers, or omit them or reduce the quantity if you have a low spice tolerance.

Step 23

Place the cut pear, bell pepper, onion, red chili peppers, and Korean hot peppers into the blender. Add the ginger knob, 9-10 cloves of garlic, 1 Tbsp fermented shrimp, and the completely cooled glutinous rice flour paste. Blend everything together until smooth.

Step 24

Transfer the finely blended kimchi broth ingredients from the blender into a large bowl.

Step 25

Add the pre-soaked chili powder water to the blended broth ingredients and mix well. This will help the broth achieve a more beautiful color.

Step 26

Pour the prepared broth ingredients into a fine-mesh cloth or a sieve-like pouch. This method helps to create a clear broth.

Step 27

Pour 6 liters of water into a large bowl. Add the pouch containing the broth ingredients and gently squeeze with your hands to extract the liquid. It’s important to squeeze out the delicious flavors from the ingredients into the broth.

Step 28

After squeezing the broth through the pouch, add 4 Tbsp salt and 1/3 Tbsp sugar to the prepared broth and season it. Don’t add all the salt at once; add 2-3 Tbsp first, then add the cabbage, radish, and cucumbers, taste, and add more salt if needed. Since the salted water from the vegetables will also be added, the flavor can become stronger, so adjust the seasoning by tasting.

Step 29

Now, prepare the ingredients that will go into the kimchi broth as solid components. These are ingredients that will be added fresh, without further salting.

Step 30

Add the well-salted young napa cabbage to the bowl with the broth. Including the water used for salting the cabbage will add a deeper flavor.

Step 31

Similarly, add the salted radish and cucumbers along with their brining liquid to the bowl. After adding all the solid ingredients and gently mixing, taste the overall seasoning of the broth and adjust with salt or other seasonings if necessary.

Step 32

Wash the apple and prepare it. Using it with the skin on is beneficial for aroma and nutrients. You can also core it and use it whole.

Step 33

Cut the prepared apple into bite-sized pieces (about 2-3cm). Cutting them too small might cause them to break down, so aim for a moderate size.

Step 34

Add the sliced apple to the water kimchi broth. The apple’s sweetness adds a natural flavor to the water kimchi.

Step 35

Cut the cleaned green onions into lengths of about 2cm. If they are too long, they might be difficult to eat.

Step 36

Add the cut green onions to the water kimchi broth. The fresh aroma of green onions makes the water kimchi more delicious.

Step 37

Remove the seeds from the red chili pepper and cut it into thin strips. This adds a beautiful color to the water kimchi.

Step 38

Finally, add the julienned red chili pepper to the water kimchi and stir gently to combine all ingredients evenly. Before transferring to storage, taste the final seasoning and adjust with salt or sugar as needed.

Step 39

Transfer the finished young napa cabbage water kimchi to a clean storage container. Instead of refrigerating it immediately, let it ferment at room temperature for half a day to a day before refrigerating. The right time to move it to the refrigerator is when small bubbles start to appear on the surface of the broth. This process allows the kimchi flavor to deepen.

Step 40

This recipe yields approximately two 6-liter containers of water kimchi. We tend to eat water kimchi quickly, so we made a generous amount. If you wish to make only about one container, halve all the ingredient quantities. Adjust to your preference and enjoy!



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