Tomato Kimchi is not the most traditional kimchi, but it’s incredibly easy to make, and the ingredients are super accessible. Give it a try—it’s light, refreshing, and bursting with flavor. You’ll be surprised by how delicious it is!
TOMATO KIMCHI
Ingredients:
- 8 ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 yellow onion
- Big handful of Yeongyang chives (or regular chives, garlic chives, green onions), about 4 oz (120g) in total
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp (4g) grated ginger
- 1/3 carrot (or bell pepper), about 2 oz (60g) in total
Kimchi Paste:
- 5 tbsp Korean chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions:
PREP VEGETABLES
1. Rinse the tomatoes. Remove the stems. Score each tomato into eight sections to create pockets for the filling. (If you prefer, you can cut them into wedges and toss them with the kimchi filling. However, scoring them will help reduce the liquid they release and prevent them from becoming mushy.)
2. Thinly slice the onion. To reduce the strong onion flavor, soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes and thoroughly pat them dry.
3. Cut the chives into 2-inch (5cm) pieces. Finely chop the garlic cloves. Grate a small knob of ginger (about 1 tsp). Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks.
MAKE KIMCHI FILLING
1. Make the kimchi paste: In a small container, add the finely chopped garlic and grated ginger. Add the Korean chili pepper flakes, fish sauce, sugar, honey, and sesame seeds. Mix well. (You can reduce the chili pepper flakes to make it less spicy.)
2. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the vegetables (except for the tomatoes) with the kimchi paste. Gently toss together so that they don’t get mushy. Once everything is thoroughly mixed, taste and add more salt if needed. (Since we didn’t salt the tomatoes, it should be slightly on the saltier side.)
MAKE TOMATO KIMCHI
1. Stuff the scored tomatoes with the kimchi filling, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Place the stuffed tomatoes in an airtight container, and if you have any remaining kimchi filling, place it between the tomatoes.
2. Serve the tomato kimchi with Korean BBQ, other dishes, or simply on its own. (Before eating, use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut the tomato into bite-sized pieces.) Enjoy!
NOTES:
- Tomato kimchi can be served right away, or you can leave it out at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, put it in the fridge, and serve it cold. It will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.
- As the days pass, they will release some juice, but that’s totally normal. Just be sure to drizzle a few scoops of that juice over the tomatoes when serving.
- To make this vegan, instead of fish sauce, you can use vegan fish sauce or Korean soup soy sauce (gukganjang, 국간장).
WATCH FULL VIDEO
More Tomato Recipes You’ll Love:
Tomato Kimchi
Ingredients
- 8 ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 4 oz Yeongyang chives (or regular chives, garlic chives, green onions)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 oz carrot (or bell pepper)
Kimchi Paste:
- 5 tbsp Korean chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Prep Vegetables
- Rinse the tomatoes. Remove the stems. Score each tomato into eight sections to create pockets for the filling. (If you prefer, you can cut them into wedges and toss them with the kimchi filling. However, scoring them will help reduce the liquid they release and prevent them from becoming mushy.)
- Thinly slice the onion. To reduce the strong onion flavor, soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes and thoroughly pat them dry.
- Cut the chives into 2-inch (5cm) pieces. Finely chop the garlic cloves. Grate a small knob of ginger (about 1 tsp). Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks.
Make Kimchi Filling
- Make the kimchi paste: In a small container, add the finely chopped garlic and grated ginger. Add the Korean chili pepper flakes, fish sauce, sugar, honey, and sesame seeds. Mix well. (You can reduce the chili pepper flakes to make it less spicy.)
- In a larger mixing bowl, combine the vegetables (except for the tomatoes) with the kimchi paste. Gently toss together so that they don’t get mushy. Once everything is thoroughly mixed, taste and add more salt if needed. (Since we didn’t salt the tomatoes, it should be slightly on the saltier side.)
Make Tomato Kimchi
- Stuff the scored tomatoes with the kimchi filling, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Place the stuffed tomatoes in an airtight container, and if you have any remaining kimchi filling, place it between the tomatoes.
- Serve the tomato kimchi with Korean BBQ, other dishes, or simply on its own. (Before eating, use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut the tomato into bite-sized pieces.) Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
2 Comments
I seen this video a few days ago. Never thought of this! Excellent idea. I will definitely make this. I hv freshly harvested tomatoes, sweet onions, garlic, chives and carrots of every color.
Sounds like a perfect plan! I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Cheers! 🙂