These easy 30-minute Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables add texture and flavor to brighten up a variety of Asian meals.
Vietnamese food is commonly known for its fresh flavors. Various forms of grilled chicken or pork are served on top of noodle bowls, with rice, or on banh mi sandwiches. All of these Vietnamese recipes are often accompanied by an assortment of pickled vegetables to add texture and flavor to the dish.
Serve these Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables with Lemongrass Pork, rice or cauliflower rice, and some Spicy Sriracha Mayo for topping it all off for a meal that is healthy yet big on flavor.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables:
- granulated sugar
- salt
- white vinegar
- shredded carrots
- daikon or regular radishes
- jalapenos
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables:
1. First, prep your ingredients by slicing the radish and jalapeno.
2. Then, make the pickling liquid by adding the vinegar, salt and sugar to a dish, whisking to combine. Add the carrot, radishes and jalapenos, stirring to mix. Refrigerate at least 25 minutes and up to 8 hours prior to serving.
Hint: I leave the seeds in the jalapeno because I like some heat in my pickled vegetable. If you want the flavor of the jalapeno without the heat you can remove the seeds prior to adding the sliced jalapeno to the mix. If removing the seeds, either wear rubber gloves or be sure to wash your hands well and not touch your face the rest of the day so you don't get oils from the jalapeno in your eyes.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient in these Pickled Vegetables? Here's how:
- Sugar - replace the sugar with an equal amount of an alternative sweetener such as honey or coconut sugar.
- Radishes - substitute 1 chopped english cucumber for the sliced radishes.
- Salt - replace the salt with 1 Tablespoon of soy sauce or fish sauce.
Variations
Try one of these variations of Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables:
- Spicy - add ¼-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the vinegar mixture before marinating to add a little heat to the vegetables.
- Sesame - add 1 Tablespoon sesame oil to the vinegar mixture before marinating to add a unique nutty flavor.
- Less pickly - for pickled vegetables that are less pungent, replace half of the vinegar with water.
Or try this recipe for quick Asian Pickled Cucumbers.
Equipment
These tools come in handy when making Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables:
Storage
Store these Vietnamese Pickles in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 14 days. I do not recommend freezing these pickled vegetables.
FAQ
In the US, cucumbers are by far the most commonly enjoyed pickled vegetable. Pickling can be a great way to easily preserve and enjoy garden produce so other great candidates are radishes, beets, green beans, asparagus, okra and carrots. In Vietnamese cuisine, the traditional pickled vegetables are usually a mix of carrots and radishes, sometimes with the addition of cucumber, cauliflower or jalapenos.
Related
Looking for other vegetable recipes like these pickled carrots? Try these:
Pairing
Serve these Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables with one of these Asian-inspired meals:
Recipe
Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 8 radishes
- 2 jalapenos
- 1 (10 oz) bag shredded carrots
- 2 cups white vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- First, prep your ingredients by slicing the radish and jalapeno.
- Then, add the vinegar, salt and sugar to a dish, whisking to combine. Add the carrots, radishes and jalapenos, stirring to mix.
- Refrigerate at least 25 minutes and up to 8 hours prior to serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for long periods
Shannon
I add these to everything!