9 Best Types of Kimchi Without Cabbage (+ Recipes)

When you refer to kimchi in general, you’re referring to baechu kimchi. Although the dish can vary greatly, the majority of variations are made with whole salted Napa cabbages rinsed in water several times.

It’s then coated with a thick paste-y mixture of gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), garlic, onions, jeotgal (fermented seafood), fish sauce, and ginger. Other common additions include sliced radishes, carrots, or green onions, and some people cut the process short by using gochujang.

Baechu, like most kimchi varieties, is traditionally made in onggi—an ancient Korean earthenware suitable for fermentation. Traditionally, kimchi is fermented in onggi for a couple of days or longer to achieve its characteristic spicy-sour flavor.

This kimchi tastes tangy, sweet, salty, spicy, and crunchy. It’s commonly served as a side dish, but it can also be found in dishes such as kimchi fried rice and kimchi stew.

​​Green onions (scallions) are the main ingredient in this fermented vegetable dish, and both the white and green parts are included. After cleaning, the onions are coated in a spicy paste mixture of chili flakes, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, and anchovy sauce. 

The paste can be made with a rice flour base if desired, and sesame seeds are typically sprinkled on top as a garnish. Pa kimchi tastes best in the spring when green onions are in season. It is most flavorful when fully ripened, just like a traditional kimchi.

This easy-to-make Korean side dish has many nutritious benefits from antimicrobial, antioxidative, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, and anti-obesity, to anti-diabetic properties.

Green onions are a common medicinal herb used to treat viral infections, the flu, and the common cold. Each part of the onion has numerous health benefits. Kimchi of any kind is extremely beneficial to one's health, particularly one's gut health, as long as you don’t have histamine issues.

This side dish is the right balance of spicy, salty, and umami. It’s worth giving it a try to see if it will change your mind about kimchi. When you’re feeling adventurous, here’s a recipe for you to try making pa kimchi at home.

This kimchi variety uses radishes instead of napa cabbage. As common local produce, radish was the first vegetable fermented by Koreans thousands of years ago. Kimchi was not made with cabbage until the Joseon dynasty, when it was introduced to Korea during trade with other Kingdoms.

This root vegetable is rich in antioxidants and minerals. They’re known detox agents for the body, promoting overall wellness and boosting immunity. 

Radishes aid in improving liver and stomach functions, prevent gut cancer, purify the blood and increase oxygen into the bloodstream, and maintain bone, skin, and hair health. Additionally, fermented radishes’ health benefits include lowering cholesterol levels, improving vision, aiding in weight loss, and anti-aging. 

To prepare kkakdugi, radishes are diced and then soaked in a brine solution. After a few hours, they’re rinsed and then coated in a spicy paste mixture. This flavoring is typically a combination of gochugaru, garlic, green onions, and ginger before being left to ferment for a couple of days.

Fermented radishes are a popular banchan, which pairs well with soup dishes like noodle soup or vegetable soup. Discover its refreshing sweet, sour, spicy crunch when you have a piping hot bowl of soup in front of you. 

Chonggak kimchi or altari kimchi is made from a rare white radish with long leafy stems. It's made with chonggak mu, a small variety of white radish with long leafy stems that makes for a popular type of kimchi in Korea. 

This small variety of white radishes is firmer and crunchier than the larger varieties. It’s distinguished by its long "ponytail" (like a hairstyle) of greens that is left on and eaten alongside the root. 

This radish is also known as "bachelor radish" (chonggak means "bachelor") because its tail resembles the traditional hairstyle worn by young unmarried men in Korea. The radish is tender and crisp, with little pungency. 

It typically grows to be 2-3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Small to medium radishes with smooth skin and fresh, tender green leaves are ideal. Chonggak kimchi is made with the entire radish, stem, green leaves, and all. 

This way, you can serve the pieces of kimchi whole or cut them into smaller pieces. The salting time varies according to the size/thickness of the radishes as well as the salt used. This type of radish kimchi doesn’t even need to be salted all the way through. 

Kimchi tastes better if you don't draw out all of the water content of the radish by oversalting it. Fresh radish kimchi tends to be both spicy and bitter before fermentation, so this type of kimchi tastes best when it is well-fermented.

The combination of a crunchy radish and soft yet pleasantly chewy stems distinguishes and enhances the flavor of this cabbage kimchi alternative. Chonggak kimchi can be served with any meal, but it is especially delicious with soups.

Yeolmu kimchi is the most popular summertime kimchi in Korean cuisine, both at home and in restaurants. Yeolmu is a type of young summer radish greens, a white radish variety with tender, long greens and a thin, small root.

Although yeolmu have small and thin taproots that are rarely used, its thick and abundant green leaves are constantly used to make yeolmu kimchi throughout the summer and spring in Korea. When young summer radish greens are salted, their volume decreases significantly over the course of a few days.

Choose radish greens with slightly plump stems and dark green leaves. If the roots are too thin and tiny, you can cut them off or use them regardless. Handle the greens with caution because once bruised, they will impart an unwelcome grassy flavor to your kimchi.

This fermented food promotes gut health by increasing the number of beneficial bacteria, as well as lowering cholesterol and boosting the immune system. Koreans enjoy this crunchy and refreshing yeolmu kimchi in their bibimbap or naengmyeon and so do we!

Because radish greens have a strong peppery flavor, young cabbage leaves are frequently added to this unusual kimchi variety for a touch of sweetness. When added, young napa cabbage gives yeolmu kimchi a different texture and flavor. 

If you’re specifically looking for kimchi without cabbage, look for yeolmu kimchi with only radish greens.

Buchu kimchi or garlic chive kimchi is another cabbage kimchi swap to try. It's typically made with Korean garlic chives, which are more thin and tender than their more common Chinese counterparts. 

Also known as Chinese or Asian chives, these greens have a distinct flavor that differs from most other types of chives. At this stage, the leaves are tender and fragrant, making them ideal for making kimchi.

Garlic chives that are thin and slim produce the best results. Buchu kimchi can be eaten immediately or left to sit for a couple of weeks, developing umami flavors which will develop much more if fermented for a longer period.

With a more zesty, onion flavor, these garlic chives need very little to become kimchi — rice flour, gochugaru, and a splash of fish sauce. Garlic chives don't need to be pre-salted either. 

The spicy paste is gently massaged onto the garlic chives, then allowed to ferment at room temperature for a couple of hours, and the kimchi is ready!

This dish is popular in the spring and summer when garlic chives are most plentiful. Garlic chives are known to relieve heat in our bodies, making this kimchi the ideal warm weather side dish. This notably tangy and spicy kimchi variety pairs well with meat dishes.

Oi kimchi (oh-ee-kim-chee) or cucumber kimchi is a popular side dish, especially during the hot summer in Korea. Cucumbers are frequently misclassified as vegetables when they are, in fact, a fruit. These fruits are members of the Cucurbitaceae plant family, which includes squash, pumpkin, and watermelon.

Cucumbers originated in South Asia but are now grown all over the world, much like other popular types of squash. They’re high in phytonutrients (plant chemicals with anti-inflammatory or disease-fighting properties) and naturally low in calories, carbohydrates, sodium, fat, and cholesterol.

Because it is composed of 95% water, cucumber keeps you hydrated and satisfied. Cucumbers contain a plethora of beneficial microbes and these probiotics aid in the proper balance of your gastrointestinal tract.

Antioxidants such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, and manganese boost immunity and promote gut health. Cucumber kimchi is a variation of the traditional baechu kimchi. Some recipes even don't rely on a long fermentation process, making it as easy as tossing together a simple salad.

It's ideal for hot summer days when you need a quick side dish, or to top a bowl of rice with some fish or chicken. Even though the dish is spicy, the juicy cucumbers keep it cool and refreshing. 

There's a crunchy texture, bold tangy flavors, and a fiery edge to this kimchi that kimchi fans looking to branch out from the traditional cabbage version will enjoy. Oi kimchi adds a delicious and refreshing flavor boost to sandwiches, salads, and grilled meats, and can be served either at cold or room temperature.

Gat kimchi, also known as mustard leaves kimchi, is not your typical kimchi. If you prefer something other than baechu kimchi, this pungent, crunchy, and tastier kimchi might be for you.

It's not only flavorful but also nutritious. Green and red mustard leaves are two of the most nutritious greens you can eat, and we're fortunate to have them as one of the kimchi varieties available.

Gat is a nutritious plant, widely used in Korea and parts of China. The sharp, earthy, peppery, and pungent leaves are combined with fish sauce, red pepper, garlic, onion, and ginger to create a strong and distinct flavor. The coarse, broad leaves resemble kale and have a crunchy texture.

It has many health benefits, is high in fiber, is a great detox agent, and is low in calories. It has antioxidant and immune-boosting properties, is high in Vitamin K, and may have anti-cancer properties. Also, mustard leaf kimchi is a great food for gut health— again, as long as you don’t have SIBO or histamine issues.

This different type of kimchi is made with mustard leaves and stems that have been coated in a spicy mixture of gochugaru, ginger, garlic, and finely sliced scallions before being fermented in the traditional salt brine. The dark greens are coarsely chopped before being coated in the paste and later fermented.

Because mustard leaves are already pungent, this kimchi is extra spicy. Gat kimchi is frequently served as traditional Korean banchan and is perfect with grilled meats or in stews.

Try nabak kimchi as an alternative to cabbage kimchi. It's a mildly spicy variety of Korean mul kimchi (water kimchi). The name "nabak" comes from the technique of slicing radish into a thin, square shape, as well as the sound made when chopping the radish: "nabak-nabak.”

It’s made with salted diced radish that’s then combined with water and other seasoning ingredients. These generally include Korean pears, onion, garlic, and gochugaru, all of which are used to make delicious water kimchi. 

It's ready to eat in a few days and only keeps for a week or two, but the tangy flavor develops as it sits and ferments. Some people add thinly sliced carrots, green onion, ginger, and Chinese cabbage (baechu) to the pink or orange-tinted fermenting liquid. 

Nabak kimchi has a mild & refreshing flavor with a hint of saltiness, ideal for hot weather. It complements any Korean dish, such as tteokboki or roasted sweet potatoes. Its light flavor complements oily and grilled foods, so it’s commonly served on Korean New Year's.

Dongchimi or winter kimchi is a popular winter side dish made with Korean radish. This other type of water kimchi is often prepared before wintertime in Korea, using radishes harvested in fall. Autumn radishes are said to be crisper, plumper, and sweeter than any other type.

Just like nabak kimchi, it’s a good alternative to cabbage kimchi if you don’t like cabbages or anything too spicy. Depending on the radishes, which are naturally spicy, you get only a tinge of heat. But there's no gochugaru needed for this kimchi, and any other types of peppers are totally optional.

Radishes are high in nutrients and fiber, and contain a lot of antioxidants. They also help with digestion, control blood pressure, and boost immunity.

When you find radishes with a larger green portion and a smaller white portion, they are usually sweeter and better for dongchimi. The small (palm-sized) oval radishes are sliced, salted, and combined with plenty of water, red or green peppers, garlic, ginger, and chunks of Korean pear.

​​Dongchimi tastes like a light and refreshing cold clear soup. There's a slightly bittersweet taste thanks to the small radishes combined with a sweet and salty brine which brings out fruity, tangy, and savory flavors.

One sip of dongchimi broth will inevitably lead to you drinking more of the delicious fizzy sweet-sour liquid. Dongchimi can also be used as the base for a dish of cold noodles known as dongchimi guksu, or enjoyed with rice in the broth.

Dongchimi is typically served as a side dish alongside a main course. It can be enjoyed as an appetizer with porridge or Korean BBQ, where it’s often served as a complimentary side dish in Korean BBQ restaurants.

You can also make this Korean cold noodle soup (dongchimi guksu) with the fermented dongchimi broth.