I did an experiment to see if Brussels Sprouts (a close cousin to Napa and green cabbage) would make a good kimchi. Not surprising, it does!
At first I quartered the sprouts. I was concerned that there would not be enough surface area to ferment them properly. Then I spoke with Mark over at Happy Pantry, and he confirmed that when he halved Brussels sprouts, “they took forever to ferment.” So, to be safe, I pulsed the sprouts in a food processor.
The texture is more like cole-slaw, but the taste is ALL KIMCHI!
Tasting Notes
- I’ve been using my own Fermented Fish Sauce, and I’ve noticed the last few batches have a deep smokey, marine like flavor. I concluded that, as I am reaching the bottom of my first bottle of sauce (which was made with salt-water sardines), more of the sediment is showing up in the recipe… it is becoming stronger in flavor!
- The baby leeks offer a subtle sweetness that offsets the spiciness. Not sure if the same effect would happen with scallions. It already tastes really good, and it’s only been 4 days in the fridge! I bet it gets even mellower.
Brussels Sprouts Kimchi
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots
- 1.5 lbs. Brussels Sprouts quartered
- 2 small to medium leeks
- sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 2- inch piece of ginger
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) red pepper powder
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- fish sauce, to taste
Instructions
Soak Vegetables
- Dissolve 3 Tablespoons salt into 1 quart of water in a one-gallon glass or ceramic container. Stir until salt dissolves.
- Quarter Brussels sprouts.
- Shred and or slice carrots. (Or try both for a mixed texture).
- Slice one of the leeks into 1" pieces.
- Add all veggies to the brine. Add plastic lid or plate and weigh down (I use a glass wine bottle filled with water) so that the contents stay under the brine. Leave for 2 to 4 hours.
- Drain the veggies through a colander, reserving a pint (500 ml) of the brine.
- Add the mixture to a food processor and pulse until a slaw-like consistency (about 6-8 pulses). Work in multiple batches if needed.
Prepare spice paste
- Roughly chop the garlic and slice the ginger. Add to bowl of a food processor bowl. If you don’t have a food processor, dice the ginger and garlic so it's almost a paste, and add to a mixing bowl.
- Add pepper powder, soy sauce and a splash of fish sauce (to taste) to mixing bowl. Alternately to soy sauce, use reserved brine. Vegan variation: omit fish sauce.
- Slice other leek into 1/2" pieces and add to mix.
- Stir and mash contents (or pulse with food processor) together until a paste forms.
Pack Jar or Crock
- Wearing a rubber, latex or plastic glove to protect yourself from the heat of the peppers, mix the paste thoroughly with your hand into the drained vegetables. You can mix everything directly in the fermenting container, or in a separate large mixing bowl. Mix until the veggies are coated nicely with the paste.
Ferment
- Pack contents into a jar. Add a weight (glass fermentation weights, or a small jar filled with water) on top so that the contents stay under the brine. Some brine will continue to form once the veggies are pressed down.
- Brussels sprouts tend to be drier than cabbage, so add some of the reserved brine to ensure the contents are submerged.
- Cover with a cloth and secure with rubber band to keep flies out.
- Store at room temperature for 4-5 days. Note: Your house will smell like kimchi.
- Transfer contents to mason jars and continue to ferment in refrigerator for up to 6 months (if it lasts that long!)
Author and founder of Fermenters Club. I’ve been fermenting food for 14 years.
In 2024, I published my first book, Fearless Fermenting.
When not stuffing things into jars, I enjoy permaculture gardening, cooking, yoga, writing, and studying cosmology and esoteric traditions.
There is no guidance on quantities of fish/soy sauce, and red pepper powder does not figure in the ingredients list at all!
Oh yeah, that recipe needed a little TLC. Updated it– try it now! Thanks for letting us know.