Fresh Kimchi Salad with Spring Napa Cabbage is kimchi that you can make in minutes with no pickling and no need to wait for days for fermentation. Koreans call this type of fresh kimchi salad as Geotjeori (겉절이) which basically means pickling just the outside (geot 겉). In English, people call this Instant Kimchi, Fresh Kimchi, Kimchi Salad…I can’t decide what is the best name for it but what’s important is the fact that this is a Kimchi that can be made right before serving, just tossed with seasoning.
OK, so what is Bomdong(봄동) ? This spring cabbage is only available in the Spring = bom 봄 in Korea. There are different opinions as to whether this is a different variety of cabbage altogether or it is actually the same Korean napa cabbage that is used for Kimjang Kimchi and regular kimchi but is just grown differently.
Based on what I have read, the former seems to be true. Among Chinese or napa cabbage, there is a ‘heading cabbage’ (결구배추) type which produces the tightly packed and upright cabbage that we call napa cabbage. The ‘semi-heading cabbage’ (반결구배추) type spreads out flatl and bomdong is this type. Bomdong cabbage is smaller, flatter, juicier, more tender, maybe a little thicker but slightly sweeter than regular napa cabbage. It basically looks like a baby napa cabbage that has been totally flattened out and looks like a flower almost.. I also think the leaves are curlier than a regular napa.
This kind of cabbage was not available in Seoul when I was growing up but now they are available everywhere and I was very pleasantly surprised to find it in our local market in California!! If you can’t find it near where you live, you can just use the inner leaves of regular napa cabbage that is all white and it should work just fine.
Fresh Cabbage Kimchi Salad with Bomdong (Spring Cabbage)
Servings: 3-4 Cooking Time: 15 Difficulty: EASY
Ingredients
- 1 Korean spring cabbage (bomdong) or small napa cabbage (9-10 oz/250-280g)
- Kimchi Salad or Geotjeori Seasoning:
- 1 Tbs + 1 tsp Korean chili powder (gochukaru)
- 2 tsp myeolchi aekjeot (anchovy sauce) or fish sauce
- 1 tsp garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp guk ganjang (soy sauce for soup)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- large pinch of sesame seeds
- Gather bomdong cabbage leaves into your hand so bottom or root end is exposed.
Bomdong Cabbage – cutting root end Cut off bottom end so leaves will become loose.
Korean Spring Cabbage leaves for kimchi salad and Spock guarding my cabbage! HAHA - If the cabbage looks wilted or limp, soak leaves in a bowl of water for few minutes to bring it back to life. If not, rinse leaves under running water to wash off soil and dust.
- Drain cabbage leaves in a colander.
- Make seasoning by mixing chili powder, anchovy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, guk ganjang and salt.
- In a large bowl, tear large cabbage leaves into halves with your hands. You can cut it with a knife but I find this is easier to do and I love the rustic look this has.
Tearing cabbage for Fresh Kimchi Salad - Add seasoning to cabbage pieces and toss lightly. Be careful not to handle too much because you don’t want the grassy taste of the cabbage to come out.
Ready to toss Fresh Spring Cabbage Kimchi Salad - Serve immediately or optionally, leave the kimchi for about 15-20 minutes for the cabbage to absorb the seasoning a little bit. Turn leaves over 1-2 times during this time.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top before serving!
Fresh Cabbage Kimchi Salad (Geotjeori) Fresh Kimchi Salad - Bomdong Geotjeori
Fresh Kimchi Salad using Spring Napa cabbage or Bomdong Geotjeori in Korean. This dish does not require fermentation and can be eaten right away.Prep: 15 minutesTotal Time: 15 minutesserves: 6Ingredients
- 1 Korean spring cabbage (bomdong) or small napa cabbage (9-10 oz/250-280g)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Kimchi Seasoning
- 4 tsp Korean chili powder (gochukaru)
- 2 tsp myeolchi aekjeot (anchovy sauce) or fish sauce
- 1 tsp garlic , chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp guk ganjang (soy sauce for soup)
- 1 tsp Sea Salt (Trader Joe's)
Instructions
- Gather bomdong cabbage leaves into your hand so the bottom or root end is exposed.
- Cut off bottom and leaves will become loose.
- If the cabbage looks wilted or limp, soak leaves in a bowl of water for few minutes to bring it back to life. If not, rinse leaves under running water to wash off soil and dust.
- Drain cabbage leaves in a colander.
- Make seasoning by mixing chili powder, anchovy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, guk ganjang and salt.
- In a large bowl, tear any large cabbage leaves into halves with your hands. Use the smaller leaves as they are. You can also use a knife but I find tearing is easier to do. I also love the rustic look this has.
- Add seasoning to cabbage pieces and toss lightly. Be careful not to handle too much to avoid any grassy taste in your kimchi. Serve immediately or optionally, leave the kimchi for about 15-20 minutes for the cabbage to absorb the seasoning a little bit. Turn leaves over 1-2 times during this time.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top before serving!
Tips & Notes:
Leftover kimchi salad can be stored in fridge for several days.
Add a splash of maesil chung (green plum syrup) or some more sugar if you like a sweeter taste.
Add green onions or chives for added flavor.Nutrition Information:
Calories: 41kcal (2%)| Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)| Protein: 2g (4%)| Fat: 1g (2%)| Sodium: 450mg (20%)| Potassium: 390mg (11%)| Fiber: 2g (8%)| Sugar: 2g (2%)| Vitamin A: 870IU (17%)| Vitamin C: 40.7mg (49%)| Calcium: 135mg (14%)| Iron: 0.9mg (5%)
Notes
- Store leftover Fresh Kimchi Salad or Geotjeori in the fridge – it will slowly ferment but still should taste fresh for few days after.
- Some people add rice paste to make sure there’s no ‘grassy’ taste. It is up to you. Add about 1 Tbs of rice paste.
- Add swirl of Green Plum syrup (maesil chung) or a little more sugar to make it sweeter.
Happy early Spring!! 🌿
XOXO, ❤️
JinJoo
This was delicious, family loved it, will definitely make again. We made a few changes due to a soy allergy in the family, used Coconut secrets gochujang (1t), coconut aminos instead of ganjang, and a splash of sriracha to make up for the increased sweetness of the soy free products, and half the fish sauce. Only could get regular napa. Soaked the garlic in the rice vinegar for a few minutes to acid cook it. Sadly, there were no leftovers.
Great recipe! After first try I put in more sugar (1 tablespoon total) and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to suit my taste, but the first round was great too.
Glad you were able to adjust to your liking! Everyone’s taste is different so.. And thank you so much for still giving me the 5 stars! 😉