17+ Vegan Recipes Using Kimchi (+ DIY Kimchi Recipe) (2024)

Here are a dozen delicious vegan recipes using kimchi, plus a bonus recipe for making your own. Korean cuisine has made a big splash in the West in recent years, and kimchi (aka kimchee) has been embraced along with it.

Kimchi is often used straight up as a condiment on the plate, but its zesty tartness can be incorporated all manner of dishes, as you’ll see following — noodle dishes, soups, tacos, noodle and rice dishes, bowls, and savory pancakes.

What is kimchi?

In brief, kimchi is a fermented condiment based most often on cabbage and can include other vegetables. Think of kimchi as a spicier form of sauerkraut. It can be mild or spicy, depending on how it’s made. Originating in Korea, of course, rarely is a meal considered complete without it. Learn about the fascinating history of kimchi here.

Is kimchi good for you?

The fermentation process results in a plethora of beneficial nutrients, especially probiotics. Dieticians and other experts believe that eating 2 to 3 servings of fermented foods per day for gut health is optimal; the sad truth is that in American and other Western diets, that number is closer to zero.

Rich in vitamins C and K, kimchi has a moderate amount of fiber, iron, and potassium, and is quite low in calories. Here’s a complete nutritional profile of kimchi.

What’s in kimchi?

In Korean cuisine, there are hundreds of varieties combining all manner of vegetables, herbs, and spices. In western markets, there isn’t nearly that much variety.

You’ll most likely find prepared kimchi mainly based on napa cabbage, embellished with onion, garlic, ginger, and a spice made from hot chile peppers.

Kimchi’s fiery kick comes from a seasoning made from hot chile peppers called gochugaru, though for most palates, it’s not too hot to handle. You can get it from Asian markets or online sources. An easy substitute is dried hot red pepper flakes, a seasoning available in every supermarket.

Occasionally, readymade kimchi, which comes in jars, may include carrot and some form of radish. It can sometimes contain fish ingredients, so make sure to read labels to find a vegan brand.

Make your own kimchi – 2 DIY recipes

Photo: Live Eat Learn

How to Make Kimchi: From Live Eat Learn, are you a kimchi lover who’s wondered how to make kimchi at home? Here’s how to make your own easy, fermented kimchi with this authentic Korean recipe (without the fish sauce!)

Photo: Attainable Sustainable

Easy Green Cabbage Kimchi (with Bok Choy): From Attainable Sustainable, fermenting cabbage, bok choy, carrots, and daikon creates a probiotic kimchi that can be served alongside various dishes. Make it spicy or mild.

Delicious Recipes Using Kimchi

Kimchi tacos

Kimchi Tempeh Tacos: From Live Eat Learn — looking for an easy, Asian-inspired taco recipe sure to please your tastebuds and leave your stomach feeling nice and full? These Kimchi Tempeh Tacos will do just that. They’re totally delicious and require just 20 minutes!

Soy Curl and Kimchi Tacos: From Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen, made with savory Soy Curls and spicy kimchi, these easy-to-make Soy Curl and Kimchi Tacos are perfect for busy weeknights, and they’re sure to become a Taco Tuesday favorite!

Vegan Korean BBQ Tacos (with Seitan and Kimchi): Who was it that first thought to mash up Korean BBQ with tacos? I have no idea, but the idea behind vegan Korean BBQ tacos made with plant protein and kimchi is pure genius.

Kimchi salads

Kimchi-embellished bowls and rice dishes

Vegan Korean Beef-Less Rice Bowls: This classic is an easy recipe to convert to a completely meatless version. It’s a great rice bowl to make for an easy weeknight meal.

Vegan Korean Mushroom Bulgogi Bowls: Another from Rachael Hartley Nutrition, this veggie packed vegan Korean mushroom bulgogi bowl uses meaty portobello mushrooms in lieu of beef! It’s easy for meal prep, and topped with a spicy sriracha mayo sauce.

BBQ Jackfruit Bowls with Kimchi & Sriracha Mayo: From The Cook Report, these BBQ jackfruit bowls are so easy to make and are full of wholesome ingredients. Top with kimchi, avocado and a big drizzle of sriracha mayo for a delicious vegan dinner.

Kimchi Bowl with Red Curry Almond Sauce: From Spabettie,Kimchi Bowl with Red Curry Almond Sauce is the ultimate vegan rice bowl recipe! bright, vibrant and packed with flavor and probiotic goodness!

Vegan Kimchi Fried Rice: From Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen, loaded with vegetables, flavorful vegan Kimchi Fried Rice comes together quickly, making it a great dinner option for busy weeknights! This easy Korean inspired recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

Kimchi in soups

Vegan Kimchi Soup: Even with all the spices and bold flavors, kimchi soup somehow qualifies as comfort food! It’s a classic in Korean cuisine, easy to make in a plant-based version.

Kimchi Ramen Noodle Soup: From Soup Addict, a soup that’s easy to make, especially for when winter chills us to the bone. Kimchi ramen noodle soup is full of mouth-watering, health-supporting ingredients like miso, kimchee, mushrooms, and dark leafy greens.

Instant Kimchi Noodle Soup: From Spabettie, this rich, fragrant ten-minute recipe is a big bowl of comfort to blanket you in warm nourishment. Lift noodles!

More recipes using kimchi

Korean-Inspired Scallion and Kimchi Pancakes: What’s even better than scallion pancakes are scallion and kimchi pancakes. Easy to make and delicious, these vegan pancakes go well with Asian-style soups and stir-fries.

Cucumber and Kimchi Avocado Toast: This easy avocado toast recipe teams up a set of tasty ingredients that will send you straight to sandwich heaven!

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Timothy Pakron’s recipe for Sunshine Kimchi

17+ Vegan Recipes Using Kimchi (+ DIY Kimchi Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between regular kimchi and vegan kimchi? ›

The most popular kimchi includes both fish sauce and shrimp paste. Some recipes also call for oysters and mussels. Vegan kimchi excludes these animal products, opting for plant-based sea flavors (like dashima).

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Is vegan kimchi as healthy? ›

The health benefits of traditional and vegan kimchi are … the same. Yes, there is almost no difference.

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How to use homemade kimchi? ›

This fermented cabbage dish can be served as a side dish, over a bed of rice, folded into scrambled eggs, whirred into tomato sauce, or even just eaten as is. Here's what to know about kimchi, how to make kimchi, and some of our favorite recipes using it as a deeply flavorful ingredient.

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What vegetables can you put in kimchi? ›

*The beauty of kimchi is you can use any vegetables you have on hand. They can be either fresh or on the softer side. Here are some of our favourites: nappa cabbage, carrots, green onions, cauliflower and bok choy.

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Can I eat kimchi without fermenting? ›

Geotjeori (겉절이) is a traditional Korean side dish known as Fresh Kimchi. Unlike Fermented Kimchi, Geotjeori is normally made to consume within 1-2 days without any necessary fermentation.

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Is kimchi still probiotic if you cook it? ›

As a general rule, when probiotic cultures are subjected to temperatures of 120 degrees F and above they start to die off [1]. It's the reason fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso, marketed as containing “live” beneficial bacteria, can't be exposed to high heat during the cooking process.

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Can I eat kimchi every day? ›

Participants who ate more than five servings of kimchi per day were more likely to be at a risk for obesity. That is because kimchi contains a high level of sodium, Jaelin said. “If you're eating three meals a day — maybe you're having kimchi on the side — that's great.

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What does kimchi do to your gut? ›

Along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, kimchi contains natural probiotic bacteria. If you eat them regularly, the probiotics in fermented foods can be beneficial to your gut microbiome. Studies suggest that eating kimchi on a daily basis could help to improve some digestive problems.

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Is it better to eat kimchi raw or cooked? ›

The answer to “do you eat kimchi hot or cold” is really about health, not flavor. Kimchi tastes great cooked into almost anything. But heating kimchi kills the healthy, helpful bacteria that are a product of the fermentation process.

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What can I add to kimchi to make it taste better? ›

Seafood flavor and vegetarian alternatives: Seafood gives kimchi an umami flavor. Different regions and families may use fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, oysters, and other seafood. Use about 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, or a combination of the two.

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What can I use instead of cabbage for kimchi? ›

It's traditionally made with Napa cabbage, as other answers have pointed out, but the little Korean grocer near where I used to live had plenty of other kinds of kimchi… turnip, daikon radish, cucumber.

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What food does kimchi taste like? ›

But generally, kimchi has a tangy, spicy, and slightly sour taste, with a hint of umami flavor from the fermentation process. Some people compare kimchi's spiciness to that of hot sauce or salsa, but with a more complex and layered flavor profile.

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What's in kimchi that makes it not vegan? ›

Is it vegan? Traditionally, kimchi is not vegan. This is because it is typically seasoned and fermented in a seafood paste to deepen the flavour. This means that lots of kimchi bought that is made by Korean brands are not vegan-friendly.

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What does vegan kimchi taste like? ›

It's spicy, tangy, slightly sweet with lots of umami taste. My vegan kimchi is just as delicious as the authentic Korean kimchi but made 100 % vegan. *Total Time doesn't include fermentation period which is 7-10 days.

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What are the two types of kimchi? ›

There are over 180 recognized varieties of kimchi. The most common kimchi variations are: Baechu-kimchi (배추김치) spicy napa cabbage kimchi, made from whole cabbage leaves. Baechu-geotjeori (배추겉절이) unfermented napa cabbage kimchi.

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Is there a difference between kimchi and fermented kimchi? ›

Fermented kimchi is made by adding condiments to salted Chinese cabbage and fermenting it at a low temperature... Unfermented kimchi (hereinafter referred to as non-fermented kimchi) is a lightly pickled vegetable in a kimchi-flavored seasoning.