East Meets West In These Spicy Brussels Sprout Kimchi Tacos

Every week, we spotlight a different food blogger who’s shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Here, Lindsey Love of Dolly and Oatmeal fuses Korean and Mexican cuisines in this spicy taco drizzled with rich cashew miso crema.

Photo: Lindsey Love

Kimchi was always something i wanted to make, but feared its fermentation process and foreign (to my eyes) ingredients. But then I got acquainted with kimchi through a restaurant here in Brooklyn, called Kimchi Grill. They have a fusion-y thing going on with Mexican flavors and ingredients, evident in their kimchi-chorizo, miso crema, kimchi burritos… you get the point. This post is totally inspired by their kimchi tacos, but with a vegan/gluten free spin on it. I threw some Brussels sprouts into the kimchi, because I thought they would lend a nice texture in the taco. It’s quite an extensive recipe, but the good thing about this is that you make it in stages and you will left with plenty of leftover kimchi for other meals. Win, win!

Brussels Sprouts Kimchi Tacos
Makes 4 small tacos

For the kimchi:
(Makes 8-10 cups kimchi)
1 medium savoy cabbage (or Napa) cut into 1 ½ - 2"-squares
1 pound Brussels sprouts (roughly 4 cups) cut into quarters
¼ cup fine grain sea salt

For the seasoning paste:
1 medium onion, sliced thin
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons peeled, finely grated ginger
½ of one apple peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 teaspoons natural cane sugar
½ cup Korean chili pepper flakes
4 greens onions, green parts only, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup water

For the cashew miso crema:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
½ cup water
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ tablespoons non-GMO, gluten free white miso paste

For the tacos:
4 small corn tortillas (i like the sprouted ones)
1 ½ cups brown rice (or grain of choice), cooked
1 green onion, sliced thin for garnish (cilantro would be good here too!)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Make the kimchi: In a large bowl, combine the cabbage and Brussels with the salt and set aside for about 1 hour. Drain the liquid and rinse the cabbage and Brussels to remove the salt — let them drain in a colander for about 20 minutes

Make the seasoning paste: In a mini food processor, pulse onion, garlic, ginger, apple, salt and sugar until a paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the chili pepper flakes — set aside for 15 minutes.

Rinse the large bowl and combine the green onions, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and seasoning paste; mix until thoroughly combined. Pack the mixture tightly into a 2-quart airtight container. Add ¼ water to the mixing bowl, swirl water to collect remaining seasoning paste. Add the water to container, cover tightly and set aside for 3 days at room temperature. (Make sure to either use a large container for the kimchi or place a bowl underneath container to catch overflow, as the cabbage and Brussels sprouts expand as they ferment.) Refrigerate and consume within 6 months.

Make the cashew miso crema: In a blender, combine the soaked cashews, water, garlic clove, rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, and miso paste. Blend until smooth, stopping every few seconds to scrape down the sides of the blender until fully incorporated. Transfer to an airtight container — refrigerate until used.

Assemble the tacos: This totally depends on your preference, but I topped my tacos with about ½ cup brown rice, followed by 2-3 tablespoons kimchi. If your tortillas are larger increase the amount of rice and kimchi. I enjoy the tacos warm (especially in the winter months) so I placed it in the oven for 6-8 minutes and then topped with miso crema, green onions, and sesame seeds. Alternatively, you can warm just the tortillas and then top with taco ingredients. Enjoy!

More delectable tacos:

Popcorn Tacos from ‘A Modern Way To Eat’

Baja Fish Tacos from ‘Tex-Mex From Scratch’

Crisp Carrot Tacos from ‘Eat Mexico’