Asazuke (浅漬け) literally means "lightly pickled, and it's my go-to when I'm craving something crisp and refreshing to go with a Japanese meal. Although it is a type of tsukemono (漬物), this quick Japanese pickled cabbage isn't lacto-fermented like kimchi or nukazuke. It's more like a salad, having been lightly salted and pressed just long enough to coax out moisture and infuse flavor. In just a few hours, you get an irresistibly crunchy batch of napa cabbage, sweet carrots, and spicy ginger, endowed with the ample umami of kombu. This type of Japanese quick pickle is a staple on home tables across Japan, often made in small batches to be enjoyed the same day.
The beauty of asazuke is that it's forgiving and fast. No specialized equipment. No week-long wait. Just salt, time, and pressure doing their quiet work.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Salt by weight for precision. Using 3% salt by weight of vegetables draws out moisture through osmosis, concentrating the flavors of the vegetables while transforming their texture. This also makes this Japanese pickle recipe flexible, allowing you to use any variety of vegetables that you like.
- Weight compresses and accelerates pickling. Pressing the cabbage under weight mimics traditional pickle presses, helping the liquid release quickly and infusing flavor in just a few hours.
- Kombu for natural umami. Dried kelp infuses these homemade pickles with glutamates, which naturally gives them savory depth.
Ingredients
- Napa cabbage — I used about ¼ head of Napa cabbage (a.k.a. Chinese cabbage) for this asazuke recipe, but regular cabbage or mustard greens will also work.
- Carrots — Visual appeal is an important part of Japanese cuisine, and their vibrant color, along with natural sweetness, adds balance to this cabbage asazuke without adding sugar.
- Scallions — Lend mild oniony brightness and another color contrast.
- Ginger — Adds warmth and complexity through aromatic compounds such as zingerone and gingerol.
- Chili peppers — Provide gentle heat and another vivid color. You can also add a dash of shichimi togarashi (7 spice chili powder) when you serve these. If you prefer your pickles to be milder, just leave this out.
- Kombu — Dried kelp adds natural umami through amino acids such as glutamate. MSG can be used as an alternative.
More Veggies to Try in Asazuke
One of the things I love about asazuke is how flexible it is—you're not limited to napa cabbage. Daikon radish adds a juicy crunch with a peppery kick; slice it thin so it pickles quickly. Japanese cucumbers or other tender-skinned varieties, such as English or Persian cucumbers, are another great addition. Celery might not be traditional, but its crisp texture and savory aroma work beautifully here. When I have them, I also like to add a few green shiso leaves, chopped into a chiffonade, for a burst of herbal brightness.
How to Make Asazuke
Start by prepping your vegetables. Cut napa cabbage into bite-sized chunks, julienne the carrots, chop the scallions, and mince the ginger. If you're scaling the recipe, weigh all the veggies together, then multiply by 0.03 to get your salt weight.
Once everything's measured, toss all the ingredients together in a large zip-top bag. You can be fairly aggressive here, as you want the salt distributed evenly and the vegetables lightly bruised to jump-start the pickling process.
Next, press out as much air as you can and seal the bag. Place it in a tray, then top with a smaller tray or plate weighted down with a few cans. This compression speeds up the pickling by forcing moisture out while pushing the brine back into the veggies. If you don't have weights, a small cutting board with a heavy pot works too.
Let the asazuke rest at room temperature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. You'll know it's ready when the cabbage looks translucent and has released a good amount of water.
When it's ready, drain off the excess brine and transfer the pickles to an airtight container. They're best enjoyed within 2–3 days while still bright and snappy, but you could also let them lacto-ferment for longer, which will make them tangy.
Serve This With
Asazuke is one of those side dishes that accents any Japanese meal. Whether you're serving this as part of a traditional Japanese breakfast along with salted salmon and tamagoyaki or using it as a refreshing counterpoint to fried dishes like tonkatsu or ebi fry, these fresh pickles are an easy and nutritious side for any meal.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients
- 560 grams napa cabbage (about ¼ head, cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 90 grams carrots (julienned)
- 30 grams scallions (chopped)
- 5 grams ginger (minced)
- 20 grams salt (~1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon)
- 2-3 dried chili peppers
- 5 grams konbu (cut into thin strips)
Instructions
- If you are using a different quantity of vegetables, weigh them, and then multiply that number by .03. This will give you the amount of salt to add. For example, in this recipe, we're using a total of 685 grams of vegetables, so 3% of 685 is about 20 grams of salt.
- Toss 560 grams napa cabbage, 90 grams carrots, 30 grams scallions, 5 grams ginger, 20 grams salt, 2-3 dried chili peppers, and 5 grams konbu cut into strips together and pack them into zip-top bags.
- Press out any excess air from the bag and seal it. Put the bag in a tray and cover with another smaller tray that's weighted down with cans.
- The asazuke is ready to eat when the cabbage has released a lot of liquid and has become translucent.
Kathy Stroup says
This is really a delicious recipe!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!