Grape Tomato ‘Quick Kimchi’ Recipe (2024)

Absolutely delicious! This is so good I've already made it twice.Instead of fish sauce I subbed a veg-based umami sauce called Yondu (it has a more delicate/round taste while also providing savory depth). The second time I tried Perilla oil instead of sesame oil and both were equally scrumptious.

Aleppo pepper and guntur sannam are close approximates, but I highly recommend just investing in a bag of gochugaru. After the vegetable itself, it is the main ingredient of this recipe. (And if you're worried about it going bad, just leave it in the freezer as most Korean home cooks do.)

these are so delicious! I only had apple cider vinegar so used that instead of the distilled vinegar. Was planned as a side dish, but it was so good that my husband and I called this dinner.

This is phenomenal. Served with steak and potatoes. Perfectly balanced and delicious.

Fabulous recipe. Could eat all of it in one sitting with a spoon. Next time I will add cucumbers and scallions. Did not have Gochugang, so used Aleppo pepper.

I was getting too many ripe cherry tomatoes in my garden, and was looking for a recipe to use them up. Found this one, and paired it with a small grilled steak. Absolutely delicious! Made as written except that I used Aleppo, because I am less and less willing to go out and brave store traffic when I am missing an ingredient, and it would have taken too long to order gochugaru. But next time, I will have it on hand and try to make the recipe as originally written.

Its much better using rice vinegar!

Yondu (a veg-based umami sauce) can be substituted for fish sauce

Gochugaru is a fairly mild pepper; if you substitute cayenne or red pepper flakes, go easy if you don't want super-spicy.

Fish sauce...best used in EVERYTHING

save the salted tomato juice! brilliant in salad dressings, or to add to a quick one-pan pasta dish.

I used this for a pile of grape tomatoes that were hanging around. I chose soy sauce instead of fish sauce as suggested to keep it vegan. I didn’t have gochugaru, so I used a bit of chili oil and a pinch of smoked paprika as a substitute. I felt it needed a bit more kick, so I added some chopped shallots, a grind of black pepper, and then the chopped cilantro. It was fabulous!

Also, up the garlic A LOT -- one large clove, minced. No need to pat tomatoes dry, either -- just shake the colander/strainer before dumping into the brine.

I used gochujang, omitted the sugar, added cucumbers. Delicious!

The sesame oil gave it a warm, balanced flavor profile, which made me think to heat up the leftovers, served over white rice the next day. The rice helped savor every last drop of the yummy sauce. Highly recommend, hot or cold!

I love this as an easy way to use the small tomatoes coming out of the garden. And if we don't eat it all within a day and the tomatoes soften up, a quick spin in the food processor makes the most divine salsa! I just used it this way on a frozen pizza to add some pizzzaz and it was stellar

Wow! Doubled the sauce. Used ~1.5 lbs tomatoes and one thinly sliced cucumber. Served with 1/2 lb thick rice noodles (saved the salting liquid to blend it all together) and added 2 tins canned tuna. Finished with furikake and sliced green onions and chives. Delicious!

Delicious, different and quick!

Saved the drained tomato juice and used it in the dressing. Mixed the whole thing with some chilled udon noodles for a quick light dinner.

This is SO good. My wife and I were blown away and are already planning to make it again! We recently moved, and I apparently misplaced both our gochugaru and our fish sauce in the move, so I subbed guntur sannam and Worcestershire, along with using rice vinegar instead of white. I'm excited to make it the proper way next time (though I'll stick with rice vinegar), but this version was absolutely fabulous and still quite true to the expected flavor profile.

very tasty. i had plenty of pickling cucumbers and grape tomatoes, so I made the dish w/ both. the sugar may not be necessary; it was not needed with my ultrasweet sunsugar and sungold tomatoes. i didn't have gochugaru, substituted gochujang.

Cherry tomatoes freeze well and don't stick together. A handful can go into a stew, a sauce or anything else in which texture is secondary. They're always in my freezer.

I skip the fussy steps, just throw the cut tomatoes into the “dressing” and double the amount of the dressing so I can use it on sandwiches, pasta, fish or rice the next day. Paired with a hearty loaf of bread and it can be a meal unto itself on hot summer nights.

I had some leftover shrimp from a shrimp, boil, ramen noodles, and this recipe. I peeled and then chopped the shrimp, and added, grated lime peel and lime juice. Then I boiled and cooled the noodles, and added them to the shrimp and lime. I tossed it all with some Yuzu miso, before adding the “quick kimchi“. I served the salad with cilantro, chives, and avocado. It was delicious.

Toasted sesame or non toasted?

Really enjoyed this recipe. will definitely make again.

There's an identical recipe on this site for "Smacked Cucumber Quick Kimchi" also by Eric Kim. The only difference is that recipe calls for cucumber slices rather than grape tomato halves. That recipe is overall rated 5 stars and this one is 4 stars. I agree that the cucumber works a bit better with this than the tomatoes. I suppose the real point, however, is that this technique can be used with any veggie -- sliced cabbage, zucchini, radishes, etc.

Delicious. Made it the impatient way in less then 30 mins. Salt halved tomatoes with more salt then you think you need and let sit in colander to drain while you measure out everything else. Tomatoes will be done when you are ready, promise. Toss drained tomatoes and everything else together and let sit on the table while you gather the rest of your meal. Garlic mellowed out the same way. Added touch of gochujang to marinade as another reader mentioned.

Love this dish! Such a great way to use cherry tomatoes as a side to grilled Asian meats!

Super easy and very tasty! If you have a small serving of tomato kimchi left, toss in some diced cucumber and avocado and mix it up for a refreshing side.