When I got the idea for the meatballs I posted last night, I knew I wanted to serve them with some sort of pickled slaw made using my new veggie spiralizer (it’s not perfect and I’m hoping to upgrade to a fancier version, but it did work for my purposes). I based this recipe on do chua, a Vietnamese pickle made with carrots and daikon, and am pretty pleased with how it came out. The boyfriend approves, too!
Vietnamese Style Pickled Slaw
- 1 large cucumber, seedless, peeled if the skin is waxed
- 2-3 large carrots, peeled, with leaf end cut off
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar or 1/2 packet Splenda
- 34 cups distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
- 1 inch slice of ginger, peeled
- 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes (optional)
Spiralize the cucumber and carrots (if you don’t have a spiralizer, you can either cut them into very thin matchsticks or use a vegetable peeler to peel off thin sections) and place in a mesh colander. Toss with the salt, place colander over a bowl, and let sit for at least 10 and up to 30 minutes. This allows the salt to pull as much moisture as possible from the vegetables.
Place garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes (if using) in a pint jar. Separately, mix vinegar, water, and sweetener, stirring or shaking to blend.
Press on vegetables to get out as much water as possible. Place them in the jar with the garlic and ginger. pour the vinegar mixture over the top. Seal the jar and place in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 days.
Refrigerator pickles like these should last pretty indefinitely, but I haven’t had them around long enough to test out how the texture holds up.
Pastoral City Eats 