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Make your Banh Mi sandwiches pop with these Vietnamese Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon! Ready to eat in just 15 minutes, the tangy flavors and delicious crunch of these pickled vegetables give sandwiches, grain bowls, and salads a much needed boost.
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Quick pickled carrots and daikon
You can expect a wide range of vibrant flavors once a Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich is in your hands. One element that makes the experience complete are these Vietnamese Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon!
Otherwise known as Đồ Chua, Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon are a crisp, tangy, and crunchy condiment that will cut through fatty meats and spicy flavors. Just like my quick pickled radishes and pickled red onions, you can use them on practically anything! They’re a must-have on Air Fryer Chicken Banh Mi or my Chicken Meatball Banh Mi, as well as grain bowls, salads, spring rolls, and Asian-inspired tacos.
The quick pickling method is my favorite because you only need simple ingredients to make the brine and the pickled veggies are ready to use in about 15 minutes. They also last for weeks in the fridge, meaning you can add bright and bold flavors to your meals whenever you want.
Vietnamese pickled vegetable ingredients
- Daikon – Daikon is a long, white vegetable that’s a part of the radish family. Just like red radishes, daikon radish is sweet and mild in flavor with a crispy crunchy texture.
- Carrots – Julienne the carrots into small matchsticks so they’re easy to eat once pickled. This is easy if you have a mandolin, julienne tool, or vegetable peeler.
- Vinegar – You need both unseasoned rice vinegar and white vinegar for the pickling brine. Try not to swap the vinegars for other varieties or else the authentic flavor will be lost.
- Sugar – This is dissolved in the pickling brine and helps balance the punchy flavors from the vinegars.
- Water – Water is a must when putting pickling brine together. Without it and the vegetables will have an overpowering vinegary taste!
How to make Vietnamese quick pickled carrots and daikon
You can always rely on the quick pickling method when you want to add tangy, crunchy vegetables to your meals in a matter of minutes. It’s done in just 3 easy steps:
- Make the brine.
Add the water, vinegars, sugar, and salt to a small pot. Heat over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Pickle the veggies.
Add the julienned carrots and daikon to a large mason jar and pour the pickling brine over top. Let the brine cool at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Serve or store.
You can serve the quick pickled veggies after they’re done cooling or store them in the fridge to use whenever you want later on.
What do you eat pickled daikon and carrots with?
Vietnamese pickled vegetables are especially delicious (and a necessary ingredient) on my Air Fryer Chicken Banh Mi or my Chicken Meatball Banh Mi. The bright flavors cut through the marinated chicken and help cool down the heat from the jalapenos.
If you have extra pickled veggies in your fridge, use them as a topping on salmon rice bowls, sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or salads for weeks on end.
Variations
You can make this recipe your own by adding a few things for extra flavor, like:
- A pinch of red chili flakes
- Garlic cloves
- More vegetables, like sliced cabbage, red onions, or cucumber
- Black peppercorns
- Jalapeno slices
- Serrano peppers
Frequently asked questions
How long can you keep pickled carrots and daikon?
When kept in a sealed jar in the fridge, the pickled carrots and daikon will last for up to 3 weeks.
What does pickled daikon taste like?
Raw daikon is sweet and mild. It still tastes sweet after it’s been pickled while taking on the salty, punchy flavors of the pickling brine.
What’s the best vinegar for pickling?
While I don’t recommend substituting the rice vinegar and white vinegar combination in this recipe, you can use other combinations when pickling other varieties of vegetables. Use this guide for more information:
Rice Vinegar is my favorite vinegar to use because of its mild flavor.
Champagne Vinegar will add a touch of natural sweetness.
White Wine Vinegar will also add a touch of sweetness.
Apple Cider Vinegar will give pickled vegetables a slightly funky flavor (in the best way).
White Vinegar is the strongest of the bunch. Use less in your vinegar to water ratio.
What other vegetables can you pickle?
Almost anything! This brine can be used to pickle sliced cucumbers, jalapenos, cabbage, radishes, onions, turnips, and so much more.
Use the pickled carrots and radishes on these recipes and more:
- Air Fryer Chicken Banh Mi
- Chicken Meatball Banh Mi
- Smoked Salmon Street Tacos
- Asian Pork Meatballs
- Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken
- Sushi Poke Bowls
- Breakfast Bowls
Did you try these Vietnamese Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below and giving this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to take a picture tag me on Instagram or use #lenaskitchenblog to be featured in my stories! I love seeing what you come up with!
Vietnamese Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon
4.4 from 17 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 minute min
Total Time: 11 minutes mins
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Lena Gladstone
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Make your Banh Mi sandwiches pop with these Vietnamese Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon! Ready to eat in just 15 minutes, the tangy flavors and delicious crunch of these pickled vegetables give sandwiches, grain bowls, and salads a much needed boost.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1 daikon, peeled and julienned (about 8” inches long)
Instructions
Peel the carrots and daikon. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, cut the carrots and daikon into julienned pieces. Or you can use a peeler and peel them to create thin strips.
In a small pot, add water, rice and white vinegar, sugar, and salt and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring just to a boil, remove from heat.
Add the daikon and carrots to a large mason jar or split into smaller ones.
Pour the pickling liquid over veggies. Cool to room temperature (about 15-30 minutes). Top with lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Enjoy these pickled veggies on sandwiches, in bowls or snack on them.
Notes
Make it spicy: Add jalapenos or serrano peppers for a little kick.
Vinegars: Don’t swap the vinegars for others, they will change the authentic taste of these.
Course: Condiment, Garnish
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: 30 minute meal, asian, carrots, condiment, pickled, pickled veggies, vinegar
Nutrition
Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1767mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3057IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
Reader Interactions
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Comments
Kristyn
I loved these!! So flavorful and delicious.
Reply
Erin
These totally upped our plate, thank you!Reply
Elena
Made this today for Hahn-mi sandwiches also on your blog. Yum!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited to us it on other things too!Reply
Caty
I love these pickled veggies. I could eat them on all my sandwiches for that super satisfying crunch. One bath made for a 32oz mason jar so I’ll be set for at least a week or two.Reply
Alina
This was so quick and easy to make! Honestly Lena always knocks it out of the park with these recipes!Reply
lena
Yes!! So happy you are loving this recipe! Thank you!
