A Yuni-style Korean summer kimchi recipe made with young radish greens, real kitchen instinct, and the quiet confidence that one kimchi container can save several summer meals.
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A Korean summer table needs something refreshing.
Koreans are the kind of people who can drink boiling-hot soup from a stone pot and still say, “Ah, that’s refreshing.” But even for us, when summer arrives, truly cold and refreshing dishes begin to appear on the table. Warm soups turn into chilled soups, and people start looking for naengmyeon, kongguksu, bibim guksu, and other foods that help them survive Korea’s humid summer.
Yeolmu kimchi is not like napa cabbage kimchi, which stands at the center of the Korean table all year round. Yeolmu is seasonal, and when summer comes, its presence suddenly becomes much stronger.
That is why dishes using yeolmu kimchi often appear on restaurant menus when summer begins. It is a small joy that only people who know Korean summer really understand.
Most people know that many Korean homes have a kimchi refrigerator. But yeolmu kimchi is a little different. It is not usually the kind of kimchi that families store for a very long time in the kimchi fridge. It is not the same kind of character as napa cabbage kimchi.
A few days ago, Yuni ordered fresh yeolmu through a Korean mart delivery service. Korea’s delivery system is honestly convenient. On a rainy day, it lets your lazy body rest without guilt. That is a kind of comfort, too.
The groceries arrived at the door. Most of the other ingredients went straight into the refrigerator. But the yeolmu could not join them. Why? Because Yuni had already decided to send it into the kimchi container. Hahaha.
In a Korean kitchen, sometimes the most important measurement is not a spoon. It is the feeling of, “Hmm… this looks about right.”
Why Yeolmu Kimchi Matters
in a Korean Home
In Korea, the culture of making kimchi at home has continued for a very long time.
Of course, things are different now. Many busy young Korean wives and home cooks do not make kimchi themselves. Some receive kimchi from their mothers, and many families simply buy packaged kimchi from the mart.
Honestly, kimchi may look simple when it is sitting in a small side-dish bowl, but when you make it yourself, you realize how much work it takes. You have to wash, salt, season, mix, and wait.
But after going through all that trouble, when you finally have kimchi sitting in the fridge, you feel strangely rich. Not money-rich. Korean-kitchen-rich. I am sure many Korean home cooks know exactly what I mean.
The naengmyeon I ate over the weekend? If you put yeolmu kimchi on top instead of cucumber, wow. It is so good.
The word yeolmu is said to come from “young summer radish.” Instead of using the large radish root, yeolmu kimchi uses the tender leaves and stems. Other countries have radishes too, of course, but using young radish greens as the main ingredient and fermenting them like this may be something very uniquely Korean.
Yeolmu kimchi is lighter than napa cabbage kimchi, cooler than kkakdugi, and it works better with rice and noodles than oi-sobagi in many summer meals. That is why, when summer comes, it is one of those kimchi varieties Koreans suddenly start thinking about.
Because I ordered it without choosing it myself at the mart, I was a little nervous. Luckily, the yeolmu arrived fresh. If you buy the wrong yeolmu, it can be too tough. For good yeolmu kimchi, the leaves and stems should be tender, not rough, so the final kimchi stays crunchy and delicious.
Yuni’s Yeolmu Kimchi Recipe
This batch of yeolmu kimchi is just Yuni’s home brand. Haha.
When I cook, I usually do not use measuring cups or measuring spoons. I just cook. But since I am writing this as a post, I realized I should at least write down roughly how much I used. So yes, I used spoons and cups this time, more or less.
The only things Yuni bought for this kimchi were two bunches of yeolmu and fresh red chili peppers. Everything else was already in the kitchen, so the total cost was around 10,000 won.
Trim the Yeolmu
Gently scrape the outside of the small radish roots with a knife, remove any yellow or damaged leaves, and cut the yeolmu into pieces that are easy to eat.
Wash the Yeolmu
The most important skill in making yeolmu kimchi is washing the yeolmu. Because this kimchi uses tender leaves and stems, if you wash it too roughly, the kimchi can develop a grassy smell.
To remove soil and any remaining residue, fill a large bowl or basin with water first. Add the yeolmu, gently press it down, and let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then rinse it under running water, shaking it very, very gently, almost like you are calming a baby. Move it to a colander. Repeat this process about twice.
Salt the Yeolmu
Yuni salts yeolmu by dissolving salt in water first. The problem is, I do not know exactly how much water I used. Hahaha. I just filled the container and thought, “This looks about right!” That is the instinct of a Korean home cook. ㅋㅋ
Add about two paper cups of coarse sea salt and dissolve it well. Add the yeolmu and gently turn it so it takes a little salt bath. You do not need to flip it many times. Warning: do not flip it too much. Two or three gentle turns are enough. Then sprinkle one extra handful of salt evenly over the top.
Yuni salted it for about one and a half hours. When the yeolmu starts to soften, gently move the top pieces down and the bottom pieces up. Remember, yeolmu is scared of rough hands.
Make the Sweet Rice Paste
Add 600 ml of water and 3 spoons of sweet rice flour to a pot. Mix well first, then place it over heat and stir so it does not clump. When it starts to boil, lower the heat and stir occasionally for about 2 more minutes. Let the paste cool.
Make the Kimchi Seasoning
Blend garlic, fresh red chili peppers, half an onion, fish sauce, ginger, Korean red pepper flakes, and the cooled sweet rice paste.
The fish sauce matters. Every Korean home uses different fish sauce, and the flavor of kimchi changes depending on what you use. Yuni does not like a strong fishy taste, so I use clean-tasting tuna fish sauce, but I also add hairtail fish sauce because it gives kimchi a deeper flavor.
Most people use salted hairtail pieces rather than hairtail fish sauce, but last time I ordered online, I accidentally bought the liquid fish sauce version. Well, when you do not have the pheasant, use the chicken. It still works. I used about 4 spoons of hairtail fish sauce and about 2 spoons of tuna fish sauce. More or less. Hahaha.
While waiting for the yeolmu to finish salting, it is time for a little kitchen talk. Yeolmu kimchi is not only delicious. It is also full of nutrients.
Yeolmu contains vitamins A and C, which are known to support eye health, skin health, and the immune system. Vitamin C can also be helpful during summer, when heat often makes the body feel tired.
The slightly bitter taste of radish greens is part of their charm. Yeolmu is also associated with saponin, fiber, and other nutrients. Fiber needs no long explanation. It helps with digestion, supports bowel movement, and helps the body feel cleaner.
Minerals such as calcium and potassium can help the body handle sodium, reduce puffiness, and support bone health. And the bonus is fermentation. Once kimchi ferments, lactic acid bacteria join the party. The gut microbiome likes that kind of food. Digestion feels better, too.
Sometimes Yuni becomes curious about the mysterious wisdom of our ancestors. I mean, this was before modern food science, before laboratories, before nutrition charts. How did they understand food pairing and balance so well? It is honestly fascinating.
Seasonality
They believed seasonal food was the best medicine. Harvesting tender yeolmu when summer begins and turning it into kimchi was a natural way to restore appetite and support the body.
Balance
Yeolmu has a cool nature, while chili, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and paste bring warmth, depth, and fermentation. The balance is beautiful.
No Waste
Young radish greens are used before the radish root grows large. Instead of wasting them, Koreans turned them into kimchi. That is wisdom and thrift in one bowl.
For a traditional reference, the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture explains yeolmu kimchi as a Korean kimchi made with young radish greens.
I respect Korean mothers and grandmothers so much. Short kitchen talk is over!
Check the Salted Yeolmu
The easiest way to check whether the yeolmu is salted enough is to bend a stem. If it bends softly without snapping, it is ready. I like it when the yeolmu still has a little bounce. It should not be completely limp.
If you salt it too much, the cells of the yeolmu can break down, and the bitter-green taste or grassy smell may become too strong. But if it is not salted enough before meeting the seasoning, a raw grassy smell can come up during fermentation. The texture can also feel tough, and the fermentation may not develop well.
Rinse and Mix Gently
Fill a large bowl with enough water, add the salted yeolmu, and rinse it very gently under running water. Very gently. Yuni rinsed it twice. You can rinse it once depending on the saltiness.
Let the rinsed yeolmu drain for a little while. When the water has drained enough, place the yeolmu in a large bowl with the prepared seasoning. Do not think of it as rubbing. Think of it as gently lifting and tossing so the seasoning spreads evenly.
Taste it once. You can add more salt or more sugar depending on your preference. Personal taste matters!
After mixing, place the yeolmu kimchi in a container and leave it at room temperature for about one day. It was around 30°C outside, but the inside of the house was not too hot, so one day was fine. After that, move it to the refrigerator and let it continue to ripen slowly.
How long should you ferment it? Yuni started eating it the next day. Some people prefer a stronger sour flavor, but I personally like it when it still feels fresh, almost like geotjeori. So yes, it can be delicious even right away.
Yeolmu Bibim Guksu
Let’s try noodles once, and then let’s try naengmyeon too! Yuni likes somyeon, so I use thin wheat noodles.
Most people think of kimchi bibim guksu made with napa cabbage kimchi. But when you make it with yeolmu kimchi, the kimchi becomes the main actor, and the rest of the seasoning becomes the supporting cast. But without the supporting cast, the main actor cannot shine.
When boiling somyeon, add the noodles once the water boils. When it rises and boils again, add half a cup of cold water. Repeat this three times. Then cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. After that, rinse the noodles quickly in cold water to remove the starch. This keeps the noodles from sticking together and becoming mushy.
For about three servings, the supporting sauce is: 1 spoon soy sauce, 1/2 spoon gochujang, 2 spoons sugar, 2 spoons sesame oil, 2 spoons crushed sesame seeds, and 2 spoons fine Korean red pepper powder. Chop the kimchi and mix everything together. Yeolmu kimchi is great, and napa cabbage kimchi works too.
If you make vegetable bibim guksu without kimchi, use cucumber, carrot, bean sprouts, perilla leaves, cabbage, or other vegetables. Add more gochujang and soy sauce to season it, and a little vinegar makes it taste even better.
Yeolmu Naengmyeon
For naengmyeon, Korean marts sell good broth, spicy sauce, noodles, and pickled radish all together.
Cook the noodles in boiling water for only about 40 seconds to 1 minute. If you overcook them, they lose that chewy texture, so a short boil is better.
Freeze the broth first, then let it thaw slightly and crush it into icy pieces before eating. Add the noodles, place a boiled egg on top, add cucumber and yeolmu kimchi, sprinkle sesame seeds, and finish with one small round of sesame oil.
Honestly, it can taste better than a so-so restaurant, and the value is great. I do wonder if some readers will actually try making this, but even if you do not, it is still fun to know that these kinds of dishes appear on real Korean family tables.
Final Yuni Thought
The point of this post is not to create a perfect cooking-school recipe. It is to show one real scene from a Korean home table: when summer comes, there may be yeolmu kimchi somewhere in the refrigerator, and that one container can turn into bibim guksu, make naengmyeon better, and save more meals than you expect.
Want to see the quick version? Watch Yuni’s 32-second Yeolmu Kimchi Short on YouTube.
