Korean · side, sauce
Baek-kimchi (Non-Spicy White Kimchi)
Video by Maangchi on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Low carb (2.9 g net carbs) but not keto: 27% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
- Vegan
- Gluten-free ingredients
Contains: Tree nuts. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
A mild, chilli-free kimchi with no fish sauce or added sugar (the sweetness is from pear and jujube), at about 20 kcal a quarter-cup serve. Like all kimchi it is salty, about 450 mg sodium a serve, so keep portions small.
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Ingredients 14
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Score the base of the 3 lb napa cabbage and pull it apart into halves. Rinse under cold water so every leaf is wet, then sprinkle ⅓ cup kosher salt evenly between the leaves. Leave 1½–2 hours, turning every 20 minutes. 0:43
- Rinse the cabbage in cold water a couple of times, cut each half into quarters, trim off the core and leave it to drain. 1:40
- Mix the carrot, buchu, red pepper, chestnut and jujube strips with about 1 tsp salt. 2:10
- Blend the pear, onion, garlic and ginger until creamy. Stir 2 tbsp + 2 tsp kosher salt into 4 cups water, put the purée in a cotton pouch or cheesecloth and squeeze its juice into the brine; discard the pulp. 3:51
- Tuck the filling, a few pine nuts and some silgochu between the leaves of each cabbage quarter, fold it over and pack the quarters tightly into a glass jar or crock. Pour in the brine so the cabbage is completely covered. 5:35
- Cover and leave on the counter for 1½–3 days (faster in a warm room) until the brine tastes sour like a pickle, then refrigerate. It keeps about a month. 6:20
- To serve, cut a quarter crosswise into 2-inch pieces and serve cold in small dishes with some of the juice. 7:03
Tip. Makes about 1.3 kg kimchi in about 1.3 litres of brine: roughly 26 quarter-cup serves (our estimate). No Korean pear? Use a Bosc pear. Skip the chestnuts if you can't find fresh ones. The juice is as salty as the kimchi.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One portion, ¼ cup (50 g), gives you 1 of 26
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 57%
- Protein 17%
- Fat 26%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin K High21%
26 µg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (87%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin C High20%
18 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (77%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Folate Source11%
45 µg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (92%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Show the other 12
Vitamin B68%
0.1 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (87%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Potassium3%
150 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (81%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Calcium3%
44 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (91%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Magnesium3%
11 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (65%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Vitamin A3%
24 µg a serve, mostly from carrot matchsticks (44%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Iron2%
0.3 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (53%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Zinc2%
0.2 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (55%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin E1%
0.2 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (38%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Selenium1%
0.4 µg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (85%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Omega-31%
0 g a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (95%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Vitamin D0%
0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Vitamin B120%
0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Maangchi; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.