Pickled Vegetables Recipe (Giardiniera)

These bold and tangy Homemade Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables is an easy refrigerator pickles recipe that combines fresh veggies with zesty spices and vinegar.

Your Go-To Pickled Vegetables Recipe

As far as pickled veggies go, nothing beats a good Giardiniera, which is Italian for pickled vegetables.

It is so easy to make up a large batch of these Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables, there’s no reason not to make your own to have on hand as the perfectly salty and zesty kick to your favorite dishes!

Sommer’s Recipe Notes

I love this Gardiniera recipe because of the combo of tangy, terrifically sour and salty flavors, that pack a crunch, and lots of bold spices.

• Crowd pleaser – These pickled veggies are perfect for charcuterie boards, salads, sandwiches, and with grilled meat.
• Long-lasting – Our simple recipe for the best Giardiniera takes up two days total, and creates a blend that keeps well in the fridge for weeks.
• Use up those veggies – Made with fresh seasonal produce, this Giardiniera refrigerator pickles recipe is a great way to use up your abundance of summer garden veggies and farmers market finds.

Ingredients and Tips

We use summer produce to create this easy Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables recipe, but feel free to use whatever veggies you like. Here’s what’s in ours:

• Cauliflower florets
• Carrots
• Celery
• Red bell pepper
• Green olives
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Bay leaves
• Serrano chilis – or another spicy chili like jalapeno pepper or habanero pepper!
• Spices – dried oregano, celery seeds, fennel seeds, yellow mustard seeds
• For the Pickling Liquid Brine – water, white vinegar, kosher salt, sugar

How to Make Homemade Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables

I highly recommend that you do all of the prep work at once before starting the rest of this refrigerator pickles recipe. It’s a big time saver!

Find the full Giardiniera recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.

Recipe Variations

• Mild Pickled Vegetables: If you need to make mild pickled vegetables, omit the serrano chiles! Or, for just a hint of spicy, you can add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes instead.
• Herby Pickled Vegetables: You can add an herby flavor profile by adding fresh herbs like rosemary, fresh dill or thyme. Avoid delicate herbs like parsley or cilantro though!
• Switch up the vegetables! You can add different vegetables here like cucumbers, chopped asparagus, green beans, or radishes!

How to Serve Pickled Vegetables

This mix is classic for enjoying finely diced on sandwiches, like a New Orleans Muffuletta or your favorite Italian sub. It would also be delicious on a burger!

You can also use this blend to make our crowd-pleasing Muffuletta Cheesy Garlic Bread recipe, or zesty and filling Muffuletta Stuffed Chicken Breasts.

Homemade Giardiniera is a fantastic addition to any charcuterie board or antipasto platter! Serve with a variety of soft and hard cheeses, dried and cured meats, crusty bread, crackers, and spreads for an easy yet impressive appetizer.

Or just enjoy this tangy mix as a cool, refreshing side dish with your summer dinners!

Frequently Asked Questions

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Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Brine Time: 2 days days

Total Time: 2 days days 25 minutes minutes

These bold and tangy Homemade Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables is an easy refrigerator pickles recipe that combines fresh veggies with zesty spices and vinegar.

Servings: 24 servings

Video

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 3 cups small cauliflower florets
• 1 ½ cups sliced carrots
• 1 ½ cups sliced celery
• 1 ½ cups sliced red bell pepper
• 1 cup pitted green olives
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic smashed
• 4 bay leaves
• 2-4 serrano chiles
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

For the Brine

• 3 cups water
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

• Prep work: Chop all the fresh produce into small bite pieces. Cut the serrano chiles in half. Drain the green olives. Set out 4 pint jars.
• To each jar add: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 smashed garlic clove, 1 bay leaf, ½ – 1 serrano pepper, ½ teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon celery seeds, ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds.
• Divide the cauliflower, sliced carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and olives between the four jars. Fill them to the top.
• Set a medium saucepot over high heat. Add the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Stir well, then carefully pour the boiling brine into each jar.
• Allow the pickled vegetables to cool at room temperature. Then cover with a lid, shake, and refrigerate for 36-48 hours before serving.

Notes

You can keep the Giardiniera in the refrigerator for up to four months.

If you plan to “can” the Giardiniera, you will need to blanch the fresh produce in salty water before adding to the jars. Then the use classic canning method of boiling the jars for 10 minutes to seal.

If you find the pickled vegetables too salty after 48 hours, you can pour one-third of the brine water off the top and fill with fresh water before placing back in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.33cup, Calories: 48kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 682mg, Potassium: 70mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1686IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Appetizer, Condiment, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, Italian

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