Crisp and Refreshing Nabak Kimchi (Water Kimchi with Radish)
A crisp and refreshing water kimchi made with salted baby napa cabbage and Korean radish in a clear broth blended with red chili pepper and pear juice.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This refreshing water kimchi cuts right through the richness of holiday foods. Salted baby napa cabbage and Korean radish are bathed in a mild, clear broth strained after blending with red chili pepper and pear juice. Rather than aging it for a long time, let it ferment lightly and enjoy it crisp and fresh within a week.
- Servings
- about 8–10 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
- Keeps
- 7 days
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Baby napa cabbage1 head, 500 g
- Korean radish (mu)1/3, 500 g
- Carrot1, 80 g (small)
- Thin scallions (or scallions (jjokpa))30 stalks
- Red chili pepper1
- Salt2 tbsp
Kimchi broth
- Red chili pepper2
- Garlic10 cloves
- Ginger1/2 piece (about thumbnail-sized)
- Bottled water12 cups
- Pear juice (or or 1/2 pear)1 cup
- Salt2 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Combine the cabbage and radish, sprinkle 2 tbsp salt evenly over them, and let them pickle for about 30 minutes until pliable.
- Instead of pear juice, you can also add about 1/2 large pear and blend it together.
Steps
Prepare the baby napa cabbage using the tender yellow inner leaves, separate them leaf by leaf, wash them, and
cut them into bite-sized squares measuring 2 to 2.5 cm.
Cut the radish to the same size as the cabbage, without making it too thick.
Combine the cabbage and radish, sprinkle 2 tbsp salt evenly over them, and let them pickle for about 30 minutes until pliable.
While the cabbage is pickling, prepare the remaining ingredients and the seasoning.
First, slice the carrot as thinly as possible into pieces smaller than the radish.
For the thin scallions, use only the white bulb end through the middle section, cutting them into short lengths.
Halve the red chili pepper lengthwise, shake out the seeds, and julienne it thinly to the same length as the thin scallions.
Roughly chop the red chili pepper for the seasoning, place it in a blender along with the garlic and ginger,
and blend finely with about a cup of the pear juice or water called for in the seasoning.
Instead of pear juice, you can also add about 1/2 large pear and blend it together.
Now let's make the kimchi broth.
Pour the blended seasoning into 12 cups of bottled water, add the salt and sugar, and
stir until completely dissolved.
Strain the solids from the seasoning through a sieve so the broth stays clear.
Taste it, and add more salt if it tastes flat.
Turn the cabbage and radish over once midway through pickling.
Once they are pliable, rinse them once in water and drain thoroughly.
In a container, combine the salted cabbage, radish, sliced carrot, scallions, and red chili pepper, tossing them evenly,
then pour in the kimchi broth to finish.
Ppunwife's tips
- Strain the solids from the seasoning through a sieve so the broth stays clear.
- Unlike young summer radish water kimchi, which smells raw if not fermented, this does not need to age for long; as soon as it develops a slight tang, transfer it to the refrigerator and enjoy.
- Nabak kimchi is best made in small batches and eaten within a short period of about 1 week.
FAQ
If I do not have pear juice, can I use fresh pear?
Yes, instead of store-bought pear juice, you can blend half a large fresh pear together in the blender.
When should I put it in the refrigerator to eat?
It does not need a long fermentation; store it in the refrigerator and start eating as soon as a light tangy flavor begins to develop.
How long should I keep and eat the finished nabak kimchi?
It is best to prepare a moderate batch and consume it within a short span of about 1 week.
Is there a secret to making the kimchi broth clear?
Straining the blended red chili pepper, garlic, and ginger seasoning through a fine sieve removes the pulp, keeping the broth clear rather than cloudy.
