Crunchy, tangy, and slightly sweet – these authentic Vietnamese pickled vegetables are the key to adding brightness and acidity to any Vietnamese dish! In this quick and easy recipe, I’ll be pickling carrots, daikon, jalapenos, and okra. I also give you some tips on how to make different kinds of pickled vegetables as well as how to make pickled vegetables low carb!
What to Eat With Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables
The most widely recognized use for Vietnamese pickled vegetables is in Bánh Mì. Their crunch adds another layer of texture to the sandwich while their bright flavor plays well with the freshness of the herbs and the richness of the savory meat. You can learn how to make your own fresh Vietnamese baguette for Bánh Mì here.
Vietnamese pickled veggies also pair wonderfully with many Vietnamese dishes such as Bún Thịt Nướng, or Vietnamese grilled pork rice noodle bowl, and Vietnamese egg rolls with fresh herbs.
I personally enjoy having these Vietnamese pickled veggies with any rice or noodle dish (like Sườn Ram Mặn with rice or Bún Bò Xào). They bring a really wonderful acidity with a hint of sweetness as well as a pleasant crunch. Having Vietnamese pickled vegetables as a side dish always brings excitement and a better balance of flavor to any meal!
I highly recommend keeping a jar of this in your fridge to instantly brighten up any dish. You can even add the pickles and a little bit of the brine to some salad greens to make a super quick, light, and healthy salad!
How to Make the Best Pickled Vegetables
This recipe uses quite a bit of sugar so feel free to substitute it with any sweetener you like, especially if you want it to be lower in carbs. My preferred choice for this is Stevia because it’s low carb, perfectly sweet, and derived from plants instead of artificial ingredients. Monkfruit is another great option that’s very similar to Stevia.
How to Pickle Any Vegetable
By the way, you can use this brine to pickle practically any vegetable. In this recipe, I’m actually pickling okra and jalapenos alongside the traditional carrots and daikon. Pickled jalapenos are one of my favorite side dishes. You can typically find a jar of them on the table at authentic Chinese restaurants. I also like to make pickled Thai red chilies. Sour and spicy flavors really bring a dish to life!
To pickle any vegetable, just follow the same instructions here with your chosen vegetable and leave it at room temperature until it’s pickled to your liking. Then, move the jar to the refrigerator to stop the pickling process. Thicker vegetables will take longer to pickle so you will need to adjust the time depending on what vegetables you’re using.
Make sure to disinfect your jar thoroughly before pickling – I use boiling water to do this. Done right, your pickled vegetables should last around 3-4 weeks in the fridge in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables | CáchLàmĐồ Chua
Ingredients
- 1 cup Vinegar
- 1 cup Sugar I used Stevia
- 3 cups Water
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well until all the sweetener and salt has dissolved. If you are using warm or hot water to make this part easier, make sure to put the brine into the refrigerator BEFORE adding the vegetables. Using cold water is the key to keeping the vegetables nice and crunchy.
- Cut vegetables to your liking.
- Put vegetables into desired containers; I prefer mason jars. Please note that I disinfect all of my jars with boiling water and I let them air dry before using.
- Cover all vegetables with the brine. Some vegetables may float to the top. You can use a little bit of saran wrap to push them down. You want all part of the vegetable to be immersed in the brine.
- Leave the jars in room temperature for 3-4 days for the vegetables shown in this video. If you are using thicker vegetables like garlic, you will need to let them pickle at room temperature for a longer period of time.
- Once vegetables have desired pickled taste, store in the refrigerator. These will last you for weeks in the refrigerator. Tip: Add some of the pickled vegetables and the brine to a salad and you have a light and healthy salad ready in about one minute.