Ingredients
Units
Scale
Salted Cabbage:
- 2 1/2 lb. Napa cabbage
- 2 cups cold water
- 1/3 cup Korean coarse kimchi sea salt
Kimchi Paste:
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 green onions
- 4 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp apricot preserve, apple jam, or maesilaek
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the Cabbage:
Cut Napa cabbage into quarters and remove the stem. In a large bowl, add the yellow small part of the cabbage leaves whole, and cut the rest of the bigger leaves into about 3-inch long and 1-inch wide pieces. Don’t worry about the exact sizes; uneven cuts are great for texture. - Salt the Cabbage:
Mix cold water and sea salt until the salt has dissolved. Pour over the cabbage. Toss the cabbage pieces to mix well with the salted water and press down as much as possible. Let it soak for 40 minutes. Halfway through, toss the cabbage upside down so it soaks evenly. - Make the Kimchi Paste:
While the cabbage is soaking, finely chop the garlic and cut the green onions lengthwise, then into 1-inch long pieces. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the kimchi paste except the sesame seeds and set aside. - Rinse and Drain the Cabbage:
Drain the salted cabbage and rinse under running cold water for about 1 minute to remove excess salt and any dirt. Drain completely for about 5 minutes. - Mix Cabbage and Paste:
Combine the cabbage and paste in a large mixing bowl. Mix with your hand (I recommend wearing a plastic glove) using gentle pressure and a squeezing action so the cabbage absorbs the color and flavor of the paste very well.
Add toasted sesame seeds and give a light final toss. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of sesame seeds on top. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 50 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
