Kimchi Recipe (Paleo, Vegan)

Kimchi Recipe (Paleo, Vegan)

This kimchi recipe will show you exactly how to make kimchi. Kimchi is a spicy, fermented food, very similar to sauerkraut. Fermented foods are a great addition to a healthy lifestyle. I believe that there are 15 major components of healthy living, and consuming fermented foods is one of them. This kimchi recipe is inspired by the Kimchi that I had in a health food store when I went on vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii recently.

Here are all of the benefits of this Kimchi recipe:

• Rebuilds the healthy bacteria in your gut.
• Helps with digestion due to the high amount of beneficial bacteria.
• Boosts metabolism due to the chili powder.
• Helps to prevent constipation due to its beneficial bacteria.
• Boosts the immune system according to an article published in “The Journal of Applied Microbiology” in June 2006. This is because a large portion of the immune system is based on healthy levels of gut flora.
• Reduces inflammation due to the chili powder and ginger.
• It can help to heal peptic ulcers due to its high level of vitamin U.
• It can help to prevent cancer as cabbage is part of the cruciferous vegetable family. According to a study in Finland in 2002, the fermentation process also produces a substance called isothiocyanates that were found to prohibit the growth of cancer. So cabbage on its own helps to prevent cancer and the fermentation process enhances it and turns it into a superfood, doubling its effect.

In the recipe, I call for acidophilus. Cabbage leaves naturally contain beneficial bacteria so you really do not have to add acidophilus if you don’t want to or don’t have any in the house. However, I feel it is better to use it because it is quite a bit of work to make this kimchi recipe, so you should make it as nutrient dense as possible. I have made it both ways, with acidophilus and without, and both ways this kimchi recipe came out fine. I usually use this brand, about I am about to switch to this. Dr. Mercola, who makes this probiotic, has his staff make huge batches of sauerkraut which is similar to kimchi, every week using this probiotic. When they had it tested, one serving had more beneficial bacteria than a whole bottle of probiotics bought in the store. The homemade version using his probiotics also had way more beneficial bacteria than store bought sauerkraut.

Please keep in mind that if you don’t want to make this kimchi recipe yourself, and choose to buy it in the store, do not buy the canned variety. It is made with vinegar and does not contain any beneficial bacteria. What you want to buy is raw, fermented Kimchi. This is a good brand that I have used in the past.

Kimchi Recipe

This kimchi recipe will show you how to make raw, fermented kimchi, step by step.

1. Take off the outer 4 leaves and set aside.
2. Finely chop the cabbage, and put in a large bowl.
3. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for a few minutes. The salt helps to draw the water out of the cabbage and helps it ferment.
4. Finely chop the red pepper, carrots and green onion.
5. Grate the ginger.
6. Mince the garlic.
7. Set the ginger and garlic aside.
8. Add the carrots, green onion to the bowl.
9. Open the 3 capsules of acidophilus and pour over the vegetables.
10. Next massage the cabbage with your hands for about ten minutes. The cabbage should shrink and there should be some liquid at the bottom.
11. Add the Chili powder to the bowl.
12. Add the ginger and garlic to bowl.
13. Mix everything up.
14. Next you want to stuff the cabbage into mason jars and pour in the liquid.
15. Use something to push the cabbage down so it is really packed in tight and liquid rises to the surface.
16. You want the mason jar to be really packed and to be filled with about 3 inches of space in the top.
17. Next you want to take the cabbage leaves you set aside and fold them up and put them in the top of the jar so all of the cabbage stays submerged.
18. Then you want to put the top back on. Only screw the top on halfway; otherwise it could explode as it starts to ferment.
19. It will take about 5-7 days until it is done. Taste it, and when it tastes a bit sour it is done.
20. Take the large pieces of cabbage leaves out and throw them away.
21. Keep it refrigerated.
22. This kimchi recipe will last for a few months in the refrigerator.

Kimchi Recipe – Ingredients

Kimchi Recipe – Pack the Kimchi tighlty into the jar.

Kimchi Recipe – Fold up the cabbage leaves and place them into the top of the tightly packed jar.

Kimchi Recipe

Original article and pictures take www.mindbodyoasis.com site