Closet Cooking Inspired: Kimchi (Kim Chee) Sweet Potato Salad

Have you ever tried Kim Chi? Or Kim Chee as it is spelled on this jar I picked up at the store. If not, and you are a fan of all things pickled and spicy, I suggest you give it a try. What is it? I snapped a shot of the ingredient list for those who are unfamiliar.

Chinese cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, scallion, red pepper, salt, sugar, anchovy sauce. What’s the big deal? Well the vegetables in Kim Chi are fermented and very flavorful by the time you pop open the jar. Kevin has a great photo of Kim Chi. And while you are visiting his site, you can check out the inspiration and recipe for the Kim Chi Sweet Potato Salad I made this weekend.

I made very few changes – his recipe was already incredible. I used double the amount of Kim Chi, added Sriracha to my mayo, subbed regular sesame seeds for toasted and because I couldn’t find “gochujang”, I used regular red chili flakes. Due to the addition of Sriracha and the red chili flakes, this dish was pretty spicy… which I liked. But if you aren’t a huge fan of spicy food, I’d recommend omitting the Sriracha and red chili flakes altogether.

I brought this to a cookout and we enjoyed the leftovers (cold) the next day – still delicious. I will definitely make at least a double batch next time. It’s seriously addictive.

Have you ever had Kim Chi before? If yes, how was it served?

One time I had it on top of a pork-belly slider… I know, right? It was as good as it sounds.

Next order of business: My posts in the next week or so may be even more sporadic than usual. I’m going on vacation! (well I’m going away… it’s ~30% business and ~70% pleasure.) I plan on posting when I can so you can see what shenanigans I’m getting into.

Have a great week!