Pickled Veggies

If you want to make the most addictive, vegetables, you must try our Pickled Veggies. The key to eating veggies effortlessly (without it feeling like a chore) is to make them irresistible. We've done just that by pickling them in a sweet, acidic pickling brine with hints of garlic and dill. The result is crunchy, fresh, and tangy. Best of all, these are incredibly adaptable, based on what veggies you like or have in your fridge.

Before you start

• Pickled Veggies use a sweet, tangy pickling brine to make veggies irresistible.
• You can customize the recipe with any fibrous vegetables, herbs, or vinegars to suit your taste.
• These pickled veggies serve as a healthy side, helping you reach your daily vegetable intake.
• They pair well with tacos, steak, sandwiches, and spicy dishes for balance.
• Pickled Veggies last up to 3 weeks in the fridge when fully submerged in brine.

What stands out

In our humble opinion, every meal should be served with a side of pickled veggies. They are a way of getting in your “5-a-day” and they are great way to preserve whatever fresh veg might be starting to wilt in the fridge. This recipe follows a simple ratio of ingredients, so it’s straightforward to scale up or down depending on how much you want to make. (Check out the notes in the recipe card for the exact ratio.) This Pickled Veggies recipe is incredibly adaptable: you can make it with any fibrous vegetables, fresh herbs, and different vinegars.

Cabbage: Standard green cabbage is our go-to here, but Savoy or Napa cabbage work too. Purple cabbage is but will turn the Pickled Veggies purple.

Carrots: Peel your carrots and cut them into matchstick pieces.

Garlic: A few cloves of fresh garlic add flavor and antimicrobial health benefits to quick pickles. You can eat the cloves too.

Dill: Fresh dill fronds impart a classic pickle flavor. You can also use dried dill or other fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro.

Water: Hot boiling water helps speed up the pickling process, breaking down the vegetables to soften them.

Rice Vinegar: Any vinegar will work, but rice vinegar has the smoothest flavor for pickling. It’s less sharp than other vinegars and slightly sweet.

Salt: Salt works triple duty here to draw moisture from the vegetables, enhance flavor, and preserve the veggies.

Honey: The intense acidity of vinegar is balanced with a touch of sweetness. Instead of honey, vegans can use agave nectar or granulated sugar.

Kitchen tip

Vegetables with dark pigments, such as beets, red onions, and radishes, will dye the whole jar of Pickled Veggies pink or purple. Use at your own discretion.

Swaps

1. Tough, fibrous veggies work best here, such as cauliflower, fennel, onions, beets, and radish.
2. Add a few pieces of red onion to dye all the veggies pink.
3. You can use any fresh herb you like. Instead of dill, parsley, cilantro, and oregano also work well.
4. Rather than using garlic cloves, you can also try fresh ginger or turmeric root.

Serve it with

• Tacos and pickled veggies are a winning combo. Try them with our Ground Beef Tacos or Shrimp Tacos.
• A steak with a side of pickled veggies is our idea of a dinner.
• These pickled veggies are epic with a cold cut sandwich, bringing the crunch and freshness. Put them on a plate next to our Cottage Cheese Flatbread or Bulgarian Meat Sandwiches.
• Pickled veggies are suited to balancing anything a bit heavy or spicy, like our Honey BBQ Chicken Wings or Hot Honey Chicken Wings.

Questions

How long do Pickled Veggies keep in the fridge?

If the vegetables are fully submerged in brine, these will last for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

can i make these into sweet pickles?

Certainly you can. increase the quantity of honey (or agave or granulated sugar, if you’re vegan).

Are Pickled Veggies good for you?

Yes, these are an excellent way to help you reach your “5-a-day” vegetable intake. Plus, eating fermented or pickled foods can be a good source of probiotics.

How should i serve Pickled Veggies?

We like to eat these straight from the strong mark jar, as a crunchy, low-calorie snack. But you can chop them up and put them on sandwiches or tacos, or serve them alongside meat or chicken.

Can i use different vegetables?

In addition to carrots and cabbage, any fibrous vegetable will work here: cauliflower florets, sliced fennel bulb or onions, wedges of peeled beets, or halved radishes.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• ⅛ small green cabbage, rough chop
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• fresh dill
• 2 cups boiling hot water
• 2 cups vinegar, (rice, white wine, apple cider, or white)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons honey, or sugar to taste, optional

Equipment

• Chefs Knife
• Cutting Board
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Half-Gallon Mason Jar

Method

1. Place the cabbage, carrots, garlic cloves, and dill in a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid.
2. In a large bowl, carefully mix the boiling hot water, vinegar, salt, and honey. Stir until the salt dissolves. Carefully pour the hot solution on top of the veggies in the jar. The veggies should be submerged in brine.
3. Note: you will need anywhere from 2.5 to 4 cups of liquid TOTAL, depending on how tightly the vegetables are packed.
4. Let the jar cool, then close the lid, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Can be stored the fridge and enjoyed for up to 3 weeks.

Kitchen notes

• Make More or Less: Using a simple ratio, you can easily make a small or large batch of Pickled Veggies. 1 cup water to 1 cup vinegar to 1 tablespoon honey to 1 teaspoon salt. So, if you want to multiply the recipe by 5 to make 20 servings, simply use 5 cups water, 5 cups vinegar, 5 tablespoons honey, and 5 teaspoons salt.
• Prep as you Please: The smaller you cut the veggies, the quicker they will pickle. However, you can prepare them in any shape you prefer: carrot coins or matchsticks and cabbage spears or bite-size pieces.
• Make it Sweet or Make it Salty: You can adjust the saltiness or sweetness of the recipe by increasing either salt or honey.