Quick pickled carrots and daikon are the perfect combination of flavors - sweet, salty and spicy! They make perfect toppers for sandwiches, salads and stir-frys. They're easy to make and very addictive!
Famed for their starring role in the famous Vietnamese sandwich, bahn mi, these pickles have rose to fame quickly! And deservedly so...the beauty of this recipe is that it's quick and uncomplicated and so versatile. I love to eat them in sandwiches, salads, tacos, burritos and falafel wraps or as a garnish for stir- frys. This morning I made a fantastic breakfast burrito and threw a handful in. It's great to have a jar of these in the fridge. You'll find endless uses for them.
Quick-Pickled Carrots and Daikons Ingredients:
- Carrots: Carrots are both sweet and bitter making them perfect for this pickle, which gains it's great taste profile from opposing flavors.
- Daikon: Daikon means "large radish" in Japanese. It's basically a carrot shaped radish with a milder flavor than a red radish. I order mine online from an Asian grocer, but if you can't find one, it's fine to substitute another veg like cucumbers or red onions.
- Vinegar: The best vinegar for pickling is plain old white vinegar. This recipe calls for a combination of rice wine vinegar, which is milder, less acidic and slightly sweeter in taste than white vinegar, but, If you don't have rice vinegar on hand it's fine to just use all white vinegar.
- Sugar: I've just used normal sugar here, but if you follow a paleo diet it's fine to substitute coconut sugar. I've tried it, and it works!
- Salt: Salt is key to pickling. You can use normal kosher salt or sea salt. Both work equally well.
*Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make a Quick Pickle:
The first step is to combine the water, vinegars, sugar and salt in a saucepan and boil it until the sugar is dissolved. This will only take two to three minutes. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool.
Now, julienne your carrots and daikon. I like to use a julienne tool like in the photo below...you'll find them so useful, but if you don't have one you can use a peeler, a mandolin or just a sharp knife. If you use a kitchen knife, be sure to cut the carrots and daikon into thin matchsticks; if they're too thick, they won't pickle as quickly.
Put the carrots and daikon into a sterile jar...you can do this by running it through the dishwasher or simply filling it with boiling water and dumping it out. Now pour the brine over the carrots and daikon, put the lid on and give it a little shake to ensure that all your veg is covered in brine. Leave it to sit for several hours before moving it to the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
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Vegan Bahn Mi Bowl With Crunchy Tofu
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Recipe
Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrot (125 grams) julienned
- 1 cup daikon julienned
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Boil the water, vinegars, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Boil until the sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Julienne the carrots and daikon and put them in a sterile jar.
- Pour the cooled brine over the carrots and daikon, close the jar and allow to rest for 2-3 hours.
- Put the jar in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
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