Spicy Kimchi Soup

I like to make myself promises when I move. Promises like: Hey Sonnet, if you take this box of beads with you, you'd better make some earrings soon. Or, if you pack this book, you better promise to read it. Truth be told, that book is still unread and that box of beads is still taped shut from my last move, but I'm taking it with me anyways. 

But, I made myself a big promise when I moved a few months ago. I had a giant jar of homemade kimchi in my fridge and I told myself that I would eat it all before my next move - or else! Since my next move came up a little sooner than expected and I hadn't quite worked through that jar of kimchi yet I found myself in a panic this week. What could I possibly do with three pounds of kimchi? 

The solution... make soup of course! Making this soup was an experiment and I knew it could go one of two ways: it would either be a great success or a total failure. Lucky for both of us it turned out to be a success and is now one of my favorite soups of all time.

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How to Make Kimchi

I think it's time that we talked about fermentation, and specifically, kimchi.  Kimchi is a spicy and tangy fermented Korean food.  In Korea it is typically eaten with each meal and making it is a day-long family affair.  I really enjoy it as a digestive aid before dinner and it's great in fried rice.  If you have never tried fermented foods before, this is the perfect time to start.

Fermented foods are a really important part of our diet and have been used in many cultures as a way to preserve foods and make them more digestible.  Why are fermented foods important?  Here's the deal.  We all have microflora (bacteria) in our intestine which is absolutely necessary to keep us healthy.  In the body, there is "good" bacteria and "bad" bacteria and it's important to keep the "good" bacteria thriving. Fermented foods contain populations of the "good" bacteria that help to keep the microflora balanced.  This is necessary because antibiotics are so prevalent in our world (especially in modern agriculture production) and they kill the bacteria in your body, regardless of whether it is "good" or "bad."

You still with me?  Good.  I think it's also important to note here that fermented foods (e.g. kimchi, sauerkraut) are slightly different from cultured foods because they ferment with the bacteria that are naturally present in the food, rather than adding bacteria.  Cultured foods (e.g. yogurt, tempeh) add certain bacteria and require a starter to make.  Both fermented and cultured foods add "good" bacteria to your digestive system; they simply are made using different processes.

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