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11 Easy And Delicious Recipes With A Kimchi Kick

Almost anything in the pantry can be pulled into a complete and delicious dish when there’s a jar of kimchi in your fridge.
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Sheet pan frittata with kimchi

Kimchi tuna melts. (Produced by Aimee Nishitoba, Photo by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Eshun Mott, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.)

Salty, spicy, sour and umami: almost anything in the pantry can be pulled into a complete and delicious dish when there’s a jar of kimchi in your fridge. While this Korean fermented vegetable staple is most often made with napa cabbage and radishes, you’ll find plenty of versions of it, whether with different produce or at varying levels of fermentation. Choose a young one for a mild and crunchy experience, or extra-fermented for the funk lovers. Want to make a quick-pickle version of your own? We’ve got that too!

Kimchi Tuna Melt

Long live sandwiches for dinner! These tuna melts by recipe developer Michelle Lucas Larving feature the bright and briny flavour of kimchi. Get this kimchi tuna melt recipe.

Rice Cooker Kimchi Soondubu

11 Easy And Delicious Recipes With A Kimchi KickPhoto, Christie Vuong.

This quick, one-pot riff off soondubu—a Korean tofu stew—is made simple with a rice cooker. Get this rice soondubu recipe.

Fresh Kimchi Coleslaw

Fresh Kimchi Coleslaw in a bowl next to a serving ladle and chips; the slaw is made with rice vinegar; sugar; miso; ginger; sriracha; garlic; Napa cabbage; grated carrots and green onions for a post on an easy fresh kimchi coleslaw recipePhoto, Angus Fergusson.

While kimchi is usually fermented, this salad puts its ingredients into fresh (and delicious) coleslaw form. Get this kimchi coleslaw recipe.

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Watermelon Kimchi

Slices of watermelon kimchi with sliced green onions, cucumber and lime on a platePhoto, Christie Vuong.

A quick, high-summer recipe that should be eaten as soon as it’s made, this salad makes a great side dish for a barbecue. Ice-cold watermelon is tossed with gochugaru (Korean dried chili flakes), fish sauce, garlic, scallions, ginger and lime juice for an instant sweet, sour, savoury and umami kimchi—no fermentation required. Get this watermelon kimchi recipe.

Quick Kimchi-Style Napa Cabbage

a jar of Napa cabbage kimchi sealed with a wicker lid next to a bowl of kimchi next to wood chopsticks on a rough slate tablePhoto, Erik Putz.

Salty and tangy, this fiery quick-pickle take on the Korean condiment is surprisingly easy to make at home—all you need is a jar and a few simple ingredients. Get this napa kimchi recipe.

Sheet Pan Frittata with Kimchi

Sheet pan frittata with kimchiPhoto, Erik Putz.

The mighty egg pulls double duty, serving as a great start to your morning or a hearty and healthy evening meal. Get this kimchi frittata recipe.

Kimchi, Egg and Avocado Sandwich

A table with a variety of items: a bowl of kimchi, half an avocado, a printed napkin, and a kimchi, egg and avocado sandwich on a blue plate, all for a post on the best avocado recipesPhoto, Christie Vuong.

The creaminess of soft scrambled eggs goes so well with the spiciness and umami flavour of kimchi. With this sandwich, you get texture and vibrancy in every single bite—and a filling, protein-packed lunch to boot. Get this kimchi-egg sandwich recipe.

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Kimchi Devilled Eggs

Spicy Kimchi Devilled Eggs

This party snack is a flavour powerhouse: we’ve made it with gochujang (fermented Korean red chili paste), kimchi and green onions. Get this kimchi devilled eggs recipe.

Instant Pot Korean Soft Tofu Stew

Bowl of Korean-style stew with fried egg on topPhoto, Ken Carlson.

This perfect winter warmer comes together with just 15 minutes of prep time before a turn in the Instant Pot. Get this soft tofu stew recipe.

Vegan Kimchi Soondubu

A bowl of vegan kimchi soondubu, topped with shiitake mushrooms, kimchi, silken tofu and enoki mushrooms.Photo, Christie Vuong.

Dishes that taste better the next day were practically made for lunch prepping, and this silky, spicy stew—a vegan riff on soondubu jjigae—fits the bill and reheats beautifully. Many traditional versions of this dish include an anchovy broth or pork belly; using earthy dried shiitake mushrooms and dasima (dried-kelp sheets) for the base broth instead makes it just as delicious. Get this soondubu recipe.

Kimchi-Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chicken with red sauce in lettuce cup.Photo, Sian Richards.

These wraps are another way to make the most out of a rotisserie chicken. Mix shredded chicken with spicy kimchi, a little vinegar and honey (to make it saucy) and top with toasted sesame seeds to add some nuttiness to this Korean-style dish. Get this lettuce wraps recipe.

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