Quick Kale Kimchi

Use any variety of kale or similar type leaves for this recipe. The method for other vegetables is the same – simply massage the vegetable in sea salt to draw out the moisture and then rinse quickly. I used a fine sea salt I picked up from the Asian supermarket, but ordinary sea salt or kosher salt would be fine.

Traditional kimchi relies heavily on a rich umami flavor, usually achieved with fish sauce. I substitute with a mushroom broth, made by soaking shiitake mushrooms in boiling water and then adding a bit of stock powder or salt. Kala’s recipe very ingeniously uses an apple for sweetness, in place sugar. You can eat this kimchi straight away, or store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Makes 1 cup of kale kimchi.

Gluten free and vegan

3-4 cups of kale leaves, torn
1 tbsp fine salt

Kimchi paste (makes 1 ½ cups)

3 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in 1 cup boiling water
1 tsp sea salt or vegetable stock powder
1/2 cup coarse Korean red pepper powder (Gochugaru)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
½ inch (5-7g) knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
½ brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 apple, peeled and roughly chopped

After soaking for 30 minutes, squeeze out the mushrooms into the soaking water. Discard the mushrooms. Add 1 tbsp salt or vegetable stock powder to the mushroom water and stir to combine.

In a food processor or blender, add the red pepper powder, garlic, ginger, onion, apple and mushroom broth and whizz into a paste.

In a large bowl, add the kale leaves and sprinkle over the salt. Massage the salt into the kale leaves until they have started to wilt. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes. When ready, rinse the kale briefly under running water (to remove some but not all of the salt) and then squeeze out brine.

Add about 2 tablespoons of the kimchi paste to the wilted kale and stir through. Eat immediately or spoon into a jar and store in the fridge.