Brined in salt, kombu and chili flakes, this palate-cleansing Japanese Pickled Cabbage makes a perfect accompaniment to a traditional Japanese meal. It’s quick and easy to make!
When we eat Washoku (和食), a traditional Japanese meal with rice and miso soup, we almost always serve a small dish of Japanese pickles called Tsukemono (漬物). Today I’m sharing a quick and easy Japanese Pickled Cabbage (キャベツの浅漬け).
Watch How To Make Japanese Pickled Cabbage
Delicious and crispy homemade pickled cabbage enjoyed with a traditional Japanese meal, brined in salt, kombu strips, and chili flakes.
What’s Tsukemono?
Tsukemono (漬物, literally translates to “pickled things”) are Japanese preserved vegetables that are usually pickled in salt, brine or a bed of rice bran called nuka.
During a meal, Tsukemono cleanses the palate and provides refreshments to counter the other flavorful dishes. It also offers color, texture, and fragrance to a meal. In fact, it is sometimes also called Kounomono (Kho no mono, 香の物) or “fragrant things”.
“Asazuke” – A Quick Tsukemono
In Japan, all types of tsukemono are available at grocery stores and specialty stores; however many people make Asazuke (浅漬け) at home, which is “quick pickling”. I serve this type of tsukemono with steamed rice and miso soup for my traditional Japanese meals.
Among the different types of Asazuke, shio-zuke (塩漬け) or salt pickles is one of the easiest pickles to make. With shio-zuke, vegetables are salted first, then the heavy object is placed upon vegetables. The pressure causes the vegetables to release liquids, and the vegetables are pickled in the brine. Making shio-zuke usually requires just a few hours; therefore it’s a popular pickle for home cooks.
Keep in mind that Asazuke typically needs to be consumed within 2-3 days as it’s pickled in a very small amount of salt that’s not enough to keep it for a longer time without spoiling.
What can I make into Tsukemono?
There are quite a bit of ingredient options for making tsukemono. I personally like using vegetables like cabbage, napa cabbage, cucumbers, eggplants, daikon radish, turnips, gobo (burdock root), carrots, ginger and more. What I recommend is pickle 1 to 2 ingredients at a time. When I make my own vegetable tsukemono, I know it’s fresh and absolutely love the crispy texture!
How much salt to add?
My general rule of thumb for Asazuke is to add 2% of salt to the weight of vegetables. To make the calculation easy, remember 1 tsp. of salt is about 5 grams. That means you will need about 250 grams (1/2 lb) of vegetables. In case you don’t own a kitchen scale (I recommend getting a scale at home – a decent one is like $10-15.), it’s roughly the weight of ½ small cabbage. Of course, each cabbage size is different, so I encourage you to find the weight of vegetables that you buy for this recipe.
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Japanese Pickled Cabbage
Video
Ingredients
- ½ head cabbage (10 oz, 280 g)
- ½ Persian/Japanese cucumber (2 oz, 50 g)
- 1 dried red chili pepper
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (1" x 3", 2.5 x 7.6 cm)
- 1 ¼ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
Toppings (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Discard the cabbage core and cut cabbage into 1-2” (2.5 x 5 cm) pieces.
- Cut cucumber in in half and peel. Then cut in half lengthwise and into thin slices diagonally.
- Remove seeds from the red chili (if you prefer less spicy) and cut into rounds. When handling the seeds, avoid touching with your bare hands/fingers.
- Toast kombu over open flame so that the kombu will become tender and easier to cut into thin strips.
- Put all the ingredients in the airtight plastic bag and add 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt.
- Rub with hands until the cabbage softens. Remove the air and close the plastic bag tightly.
- Place the bag under the heavy object and let it pickled in a cool place or in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
- Once the cabbage is pickled, take it out and squeeze the excess liquid out.
To Serve
- Sprinkle white sesame seeds and drizzle a little bit of soy sauce.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Thanks so much for this great, simple recipe! I recently got a Japanese pickle press (the kind that is plastic with a spring loaded press) — do you think that could be used for this recipe (for the 2-3 hours under a heavy object part)? Thanks again, Nami!
Hi Anne! I’m so jealous! I should probably get one of those, saving money on ziploc bag. Yes, please it! 🙂
I made my own tsukemono for the first time! This recipe is wonderful. You make it so easy to follow and tastes great! My family enjoyed it. Thank you!
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for trying this recipe already! I’m so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi there Nami! Do you need kombu to make this? I don’t have any on hand, would I be able to do without? I have a whole bunch of carrots I thought I could pickle today.
Hi Kari! You can make it without it, but missing “umami” flavor from kombu. It’s definitely nice to add, especially if you are trying to make Japanese tsukemono. 🙂 I hope you try one with kombu next time to see the difference. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
Do I squeeze the juices out and refrigerate for two days or let the veggies sit in the juices and squeeze out before using the next day?
Hi Lex! I apologize for my late response. This is asazuke recipe which requires to pickle for short time (max 2-3 hours), therefore I don’t recommend to have veggie sit in the marinade for such a long time. If you want to keep it for later, I recommend to squeeze and save. I might recommend to reduce the amount of salt if you plan to keep it for a longer… 🙂
I like this. Very easy to follow. Personally I don’t need the soy sauce on my tsukemono though.
Also, I know Nami is in America and that is the greatest country on earth, but I would prefer if she used the metric system because that is what we use in Japan and pretty much everywhere else in the world.
Hi Joe! Yeah I don’t usually pour soy sauce, but I know many people who do it… I wonder if it’s regional thing in Japan?
By the way, I include metric system in my recipes (for the past 2 years or so), and I already put gram measurement in this recipe too. 🙂
I’m out of kombu and won’t be able to get some more until two more week. What can I substitute in its place? I have nori sheets, wakame seaweed, and used kombu in the fridge. I would use the used kombu but since it’s used I’m afraid it might have lost its umami. I don’t know if umami on the kombu affects the flavor in tsukemono.
Hi Catherine! You can make it without it, but it’s not going to taste the same. Kombu is something that’s not easy to be replace with… it’s very unique and I can’t think of anything that could work… Yes, umami from kombu is the key for this recipe, so I’d say just wait for 2 more weeks? 🙂
Just made it! I have always loved tsukemono at restaurants and was pleased to learn how easy it is to make! I used a 10 oz. bag of shredded cabbage to make it even easier. It was pretty sticky/slimy/goopy when I squeezed out the liquid after letting it sit for 2 hours. Is this normal?
Hi Kim! There are so many types of tsukemono, and the ones that I make at home is all quick pickle ones (“Asazuke”).
It could be from kombu (it gets a little slimy when it’s wet), or lack of salt. During pickling, make sure to keep the pickles in a cool place or refrigerator so it doesn’t go bad. Hope this helps! 🙂
How long will this last in the fridge?
Hi Stephanie! 1-2 days for the best quality. 🙂
I have it in the fridge right now pickling away, so we’ll see how it turns out (excited!). Question though…for the measurements by weight (I also have a small kitchen scale–how did I ever make do without it?), did you weigh the cabbage after you removed the core or before? I imagine it would make a difference re: the amount of salt…?
With the core as shown in the picture. Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Thanks, Nami! It turned out GREAT.
Thanks so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
hi, really love this recipe : thank you. ) after i washed the cabbage, there is water, is that ok?
Hi Star! Glad to hear you liked this recipe! Try your best to remove water (because that will dilute) – but it doesn’t have to be 100% dry. 🙂
How to soften the kombu if you dont have a gas burner?
Hi Lori! If you don’t don’t worry! It’s just an extra nice touch, but it will be okay without that step. 🙂
I have Kombu and want to put it in, could I soften it in the microwave for a few seconds?
Hi Lori! I apologize for my late response. Sure you can do that. 🙂
Kombu is not sold where I live; can I omit it?
Hi Nancy! Sure! 🙂
Way back when my grandma made Tsukemono she would add rice. But there was a sourness to the Tsukemono that I just can’t achieve.
Hi Claire! Your grandma’s recipe is not a quick pickling (asazuke) like this recipe, and I assume she add nuka (rice bran)?
I love this, and it’s so healthy and easy to make. I think I’ve found another staple food for my diet! I’ll probably be making this every week now. I’m trying to make some healthy changes and this seems perfect to accompany meals and make them more healthy and filling. 😀
Hi Lion! I’m so glad you liked this recipe – it’s so simple to make, and with your pickle press, it’ll be much easier to store in fridge etc. 🙂
How long can you store pickled cabbage? In your recipe you say it can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. However, I have read in other recipes that it can be store up to 1-2 months. In the other recipe they didn’t do anything differently so I was just wondering about the time gap.
Hi Julia! No… Asazuke (quick pickling) can only last 2-3 days because you don’t ferment it, and it gets really salty if you keep it for a longer time. Maybe the recipes you found is meant to pickle for a fermented pickle version?
For the cabbage shiozuke, are you using the Dashi Kombu?
Thank you!
Yes, I’m using kombu that’s for making dashi. Mine looks like these.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/kombu/
Thank you for this recipe. My ex-mother-in-law was from Japan and made salted cabbage weighted down by a plate. This is it! She recently passed away and left us without any idea of how to make the dishes we had loved. I will save this one and pass it down to her great grandchildren.
Hi Diane! I’m sorry to hear about your mother in law passing. 🙁 Hope this recipe will keep her memory alive in your kitchen! 🙂
Could you post a recipe how to make shibazuke? I went to Kyoto and love this type of pickle!
Hi Jos! Here it is: https://www.justonecookbook.com/shibazuke-pickles/. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hello!
I adore your blog! So glad to get my hands on some Japanese pickles!! They were some of my favourite things when I visited Japan.
I was wondering, if I don’t have a gas stove to dry the kombu, would you recommend another method? Or should it be ok to cut the kombu without this step?
Thank you! Keep up the amazing work!
Hi Alexandra! Thank you so much for your kind words, and I’m sorry for my late response here. You can skip the step – it’s just a “nice to have”. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
I am trying to use fewer plastic bags. What would be a good substitute for the plastic bags in your pickle recipes?
Hi Jennifer! I used a glass container, plate, and weight in this recipe and you can do the same: https://www.justonecookbook.com/tsukemono-shiozuke-salt-pickling/. 🙂
Hi Nami! thank you for sharing so many recipes!
Today, I’ve made these tsukemono. It was easy to make but mine ended very salty. Is it supposed to be this way or did I mess it up? Also, how am I supposed to eat those? Can I put them in onigirazu? thanks!
Hi Igor! You’re welcome and thank YOU for following along!
Thanks for trying this recipe. Hmm… one thing I am not sure is that if you measure the ingredients by the size or the weight. What I meant is that your 1/2 cabbage can be smaller than my cabbage I listed. Other than that, only way to control the saltiness is to remove the cabbage from the solution earlier. It’s supposed to be salty (it’s salt pickles), but it shouldn’t be excessively salty. You can put in onigirazu but it may release water inside, so make sure it’s well drained/squeezed out. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Sorry for the ultra late response, I’ve definitely messed it up! I’ve read tbsp instead of tsp which in fact made it way too salty. I’ve done it again and it turned out well this time. Thanks for the great work as always.
Hi Igor! Ohhhh! It makes sense! Thanks so much for your kind feedback. I’m so glad that you figured it out and enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Just made this and sort of over-toasted the kombu. It made crunchy crumbles instead of strips but still tasted very nice.
Hi JtP! Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe Nami. I made it and it was soooo good! Quick, easy and delicious. I had never sliced white cabbage this way and it makes for a totally different eating-experience. Crunchy and lucious. I have been on a few trips to Japan (lucky me) and found out that the flat cabbages there are so much better than the round ones we can get in Holland, so the last two times my most important souvenirs were two heads of cabbage 😀 and I made a friend bring me two Japanese cabbages from his trip! So it’s fair to say this recipe was right up my alley, made even the dutch cabbage taste wonderfull.
Hi Ina! I’m so glad you liked this recipe! Awww I’m so happy to hear that! Haha you brought the Japanese cabbages to Holland! Every summer after spending 2 months in Japan, we feel the produce tastes so much better in Japan (hence the food tastes better). Each vegetable has good taste. Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Ina!
Aloha,
Thoroughly enjoy your recipes. Easy Peasy.
Mahalo, Kai
Aloha Kai! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
Is there a place/brand of kombu you would suggest? If I read this right the kombu is kelp in this instance, but a lot of places list kombu seaweed which doesn’t have the thickness. And thoughts on why they’d call it kombu instead of nori?
Hi Alissia! I don’t have the specific brand that I can suggest as there are so many kombu brands/kinds available in Japan, and outside of Japan, the type is kind of limited and I don’t have favorite ones. Kombu is kelp, but it’s a type of seaweed. Nori, wakame, hijiki… they are all a type of seaweed but in English, but many western people just say “seaweed” as if it’s the same thing. We have so many kinds of seaweed. It’s like calling everything “leafy green” when we have so many types of green leafy vegetables. Hope this makes sense.
I never thought of using regular cabbage since I watched my mom make this using Chinese cabbage all the time.
Hi Ben! Asazuke is often made with cabbages in Japan. Probably availability and affordability. 🙂
Naomi hello.
After trying the recipe I’ve noticed slimy strings between some of the vegetables after two hours.
Is that normal or should I discard the batch?
Hi Marco! Hmm it can be kombu – kombu gets slimy as you soak for a long time (but usually overnight). But there is sliminess when you touch the kombu after 2 hours for sure. It should be okay. I can’t tell 100% sure without looking at myself, but my guess is it’s from kombu and it should be okay. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I’ve tried out this recipe and it turned out great! Thank you very much!
Just wondering if the leftover Kombu and chilli should be thrown away ? Or kept together with the cabbage?
Thanks!
Hi Shelwyn! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for trying it and for your kind feedback. Yes, you have to discard them. They are well-used already for making one batch and not much flavor left. 🙂
Hi Nami!
Is it ok to add kombu that’s been used to make dashi?
Thanks!
Hi Rina! No, you have to use a new one. It’s not for texture, but we need to extract the umami flavor from new kombu, not used (and flavorless) kombu. 🙂
This recipe sounds incredible! I’ve been wanting to explore the different options when it comes to pickling. I can’t wait to try. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Ashley,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback! We hope you like this Japanese Pickled Cabbage!
my sons grandfather used to make pickled cabbage that he called coco/koko. It used cabbage and salt but was dak in color.Do you have a recipe or know what these pickles were?
Hi Mary!
Koko is a name for Hawaiian pickled cabbage and very similar to the Japanese one.
However, we currently don’t have the recipe on the site. If you search on the internet with the keyword “Hawaiian pickled Koko,” you may found one just like your son’s grandfather used to make. We hope this helps!😉
Nami,
Thank you for your Midnight Diner posts. Will you be posting from Season 3? I hope to see the recipe for pickled napa cabbage, and others. I love the show and your posting for other Japanese Dramas.
Hi Palma,
Thank you very much for trying many recipes and for asking about Season 3.
Yes. Nami is planning to post for Season 3 as well. Please stay tuned!😊
I’m gonna try make tsukemono myself thanks for the recipe! I don’t have an open fire stove but rather an electronic stovetop. Any other ways you recommend can soften the kombu? Also how long can you keep kombu in the fridge if I store in an airtight container? Thanks.
Hi Ritsuko, Thank you for trying this recipe! To soften the Kombu, you may try placing the Kombu over the steam for 10~15 seconds.
The Dry Kombu can be stored for up to 2 years if you keep them in good condition. https://www.justonecookbook.com/kombu/ We hope this is helpful!
Thanks Naomi! I followed the recipe and it tastes so good! Now I’m hooked and want to make more tsukemono. JOC is just the best English Japanese cooking site on the internet. Not only are there many great recipes but also info on the ingredients and culture. Thank you 🙂
Hi Ritsuko! Aww… You have no idea how much your kind words meant to us! Thank you, and we are glad you enjoyed this Tsukemono. 🥰
Thanks for sharing this recipe. It is very easy and refreshing. I am lucky to be able to get the imported Japanese white cabbage that is sweet and crunchy. Adding kombu changes the whole taste of the dish and add savory/umami taste to the tsukemono.
Hi Lee, We are so glad to hear you enjoyed Homemade Japanese Pickled Cabbage! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.
I have gained some weight during this pandemic. Do have some recipes that would be filling but low in calories? Thank you!