Secret ingredient

I wanted to like Kimchi, but we got off to a rocky start. A Korean grocer was unhelpful to the point of surliness as I tried to figure out which of the many was a good entry-level kimchi. My first attempts to include it in our meals were met with less than enthusiasm from my husband.
I just wasn't getting it, the strong flavour and the mushy texture. Then, today, a chilly day which called for soup. Bean, cabbage and Kimchi soup, as it turned out. Success! The sprouted legume blend cooked down to a satisfying toothiness, the green beans and New Zealand spinach stems added a bright note and the Kimchi held it all together like a funk bass line laid down by Bootsy Collins.