One of my all-time favorite condiments has always been the slightly sweet, slightly vinegary and always crunchy pickled daikon + carrot ‘salad’. This is typical in Vietnamese dishes like Banh Mi and rice noodle salads. I’m also known to just eat this straight out of the jar.

plated food with rice, broccoli, tofu and pickled daikon + carrot relish
A typical quick dinner, with pickled veggies playing an important supporting role!

I feel so lucky to have grown up around the Twin Cities where I’ve been able to savor all the flavors of the metro area. Growing up more on the east side of the metro, on the outskirts of St. Paul, I always had ample Vietnamese options. My dad used to work at the state capitol, and I would beg him to bring me to lunch at The Lagoon, an old school Vietnamese restaurant that used to be tucked in right there on University Avenue.

Hence, my days of slurping pho, nibbling spring rolls with fish sauce and eating all variety of bun (rice noodles) started early – and never really stopped.

Pickled Daikon + Carrots Unite!

I love making this as a way to pack a few more fresh and crunchy veggies into meals, especially late in the fall when I have so many daikon and carrots coming out of my garden!

A basket of just harvested root veggies

I used to make this with rice wine vinegar and enjoy it as a quick pickle. But then I read about fermenting foods even if the brine includes some vinegar. The main idea is that vinegar usually slows (or potentially stops) the fermentation process. Salt also slows the process.

So, this recipe uses salt to wilt the veggies, and then is rinsed off. Then we add a mild vinegar and sugar brine and let it ferment for a few days at room temperature. You can absolutely make this without fermenting, as a quick pickle- and the cooler the ambient temperature the less/slower foods ferment in general anyways.

After looking up traditional Vietnamese recipes and playing with fermenting the veggies even though they had vinegar, plus adding in some ginger… I’ve come to a happy place. A very happy + crunchy place indeed.

I love playing with my food, and making items and recipes my own… I hope this recipe makes you feel comfortable playing in your kitchen too. Know that this recipe is a place to jump off from or follow exactly. I’m happy as long as you’re trying new veggies!

Ingredients

½ lb Daikon

½ lb Carrot

1” ginger knob (optional)

1 TBSP Salt

Vinegar Brine
½ C water

4 TBSP Sugar

Cutting board with shredded radish on one side and a carrot sitting on top of a mandolin ready to be grated as well.

4 TBSP Vinegar (white distilled) or Rice Wine

Instructions

Peel (or just scrub really well) daikon and carrots. Either Julienne  them if you have mad knife skills, or use a mandolin on a medium size shred. Peel ginger and leave whole or slice in two- the flavor will infuse and be easier to remove the larger it is.

Sprinkle with salt, massage in and let sit for around 10-15 minutes.

Combine brine ingredients, bring to a simmer for a minute to make sure all the sugar is dissolved.

Rinse the now wilted veggies gently and squeeze off excess liquid. I do a two-hand squish here. But don’t go overboard, it needs to retain a little salt.

Then pack a jar quart jar with the shredded veggies, and pour brine over, making sure to fully submerge veggies. Use a pickle pebble or weight if needed.

Jars of pickled carrot and daikon radish salad.

Ferment for 5-7 days depending on temperature and your taste preferences. You’ll be able to taste a different kind of tang to the veggies once they start to ferment. You may also find some white bubbles forming. This is called kahm yeast and is to be expected, scrape off the top and carry on.

Boom. You have your pickled Daikon + Carrot.

Store in refrigerator up to 1 month. Veggies will continue to soften so you can make in small batches as both carrots and daikon can hold their freshness better in the refrigerator than in this relish.

Dig In,

Michelle