KimChi Soup

2 Chinese cabbages 
5-10 spring onions 
Sea salt or other non-iodized salt, at least 100 g 
4 heaped tablespoons (about 20 g) Korean chili powder 
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed 
2 tablespoonfuls sugar 
Small piece of ginger (5 g), crushed 

Rinse the cabbages, then quarter them lengthwise, discard the stems, and then chop the cabbages laterally, which should leave you with the largest pieces measuring perhaps 5 cm on a side. 

Place the cabbage in a clean plastic bag or equivalent and sprinkle salt over each layer.This will create a brine solution with the cabbage juice. 

To ensure the cabbage is properly salted, sprinkle salt onto your wet hands, then rub it into the cabbage pieces. Press the leaves in your hand to squeeze as much water out of them as possible. Once finished, tie up the bag and set it aside for 5-6 hours. Check it after three hours to ensure that everything is all right, stirring the mixture if necessary. 

Take the cabbage out of the salt solution and rinse it if necessary. It should be a lot softer than it was. Again, remove surplus water. Place cabbage in a sealable plastic box. Add the spring onions, chopped into small pieces. Crush the garlic and ginger in a press and mix in. 

Add the chili powder. Unsurprisingly, the best chili powder for kim chi can be found at a Korean grocery store, which has a bright red color. It is possible to use other kinds of chili powder, or puréed or thinly sliced chili peppers if this is unavailable. If you use hot chili powder, you might want to reduce the amount. Add two tablespoonfuls of sugar. 


Mash the chili powder into the leaves as you did in much the same way with the salt. If the color doesn’t seem dark enough, add more chili powder. 

Put the containers aside for three or four days in a cool location. After that, store it in the refrigerator.


by Jelibean