Published: April 6, 2021
Homemade Giardiniera is a flavorful dressing that’s easy to make and much better than store-bought. These pickled vegetables are full of flavor and liven up sandwiches, salads, pasta, a snack board for appetizers, and so much more. Colorful, aromatic and delicious. An indispensable condiment for your refrigerator!
It is entirely possible that you have spent most of your life firing Giardiniera. I did it. It’s that jar of red, white and green vegetables floating in vinegar and spices, always kept next to olives, pickles, capers and roasted red peppers in the most common grocery stores. Until one day I had a Muffuletta Sandwich and couldn’t buy enough. But last year I started making it myself – it’s that easy.
Chances are you already have everything you need in your pantry to make the brine; you’ll just have to buy the vegetables. The end result is much fresher and better than anything bought in the store.
What is the Giardiniera?
Giardiniera (pronounced gaar-deen-ee-uh), is an Italian condiment made from pickled vegetables that are dipped in seasoned vinegar or oil. This dressing is typically eaten with cured meats or as part of a salad, and particularly on a Muffuletta sandwich. It’s hot, spicy, and crunchy and brings life to any antipasti charcuterie platter.
There are two different versions of Giardiniera: traditional and American (also known as “Chicago style). Classic Italian includes cauliflower, carrots, celery, peppers, sometimes gherkins, and marinades in olive oil, vinegar (red or white), herbs and spices. The vegetables are cut larger and meant to be served as an appetizer. The Chicago style is very similar, but hot peppers are included and the marinade has very little vinegar, if any. The ingredients are cut smaller with more attention to the peppers and usually served as a condiment / condiment. This particular recipe we share today is like the best of both worlds. Larger, spicy pieces of a vinegar brine, but also a little spicy of Serrano peppers.
What do you use Giardiniera for?
Giardiniera is a super versatile dressing that can be used on many different foods, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, in an omelette, mixed with pasta salad and as an integral part of a Muffuletta. It is also a perfect addition to an Italian charcuterie platter for antipasti. You can leave the vegetables in large pieces or cut them into pieces according to your needs.
Notes on the Giardiniera recipe
- Vegetables: As mentioned above, typical vegetables include cauliflower, carrots, celery, and peppers. But you can include hot peppers, olives, gherkins, and even radishes.
- Vinegar versus oil: Chicago-style Giardiniera typically doesn’t include vinegar, but instead uses oil with some water. You can do one or the other. We prefer sour brine for the taste and it also lasts longer in the refrigerator, as vinegar is a preservative.
- Giardiniera peppers: We use Serrano peppers, but feel free to use jalapeños for a milder version or sporty peppers for a spicy version. And if you really like super spicy, try habanero peppers. Alternatively, if you don’t want heat at all, use peppers.
- Too salty? If you find that the pickled vegetables are too salty after 36 hours, you can pour a third of the brine from the top and fill with water, then place the jar in the refrigerator.
- My olive oil went solid in the fridge! Help! After some time in the refrigerator, the olive oil in the marinade tends to solidify. It’s normal. Simply rest the jar on the counter for at least 20 minutes before serving again, which will allow the oil to liquefy again. You can also run the jar until the water is hot to speed up the process.
How to make a giardiniera
(Scroll below for the detailed printable recipe card.) Here’s a quick rundown:
- Prepare and cut all the products into small pieces.
- Make 4 one-pint jars.
- Divide between the 4 jars olive oil, garlic, serrano pepper, bay leaf, dried oregano, celery seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns.
- Prepare the brine.
- Pour the boiling brine into each jar.
- Cool the jars to room temperature.
- Cover with lids, shake them gently and refrigerate for 36-48 hours.
Adequate conservation
How long does the Giardiniera last? This particular Giardiniera recipe can be kept in the refrigerator, in a sealed jar, for 3 weeks due to the acetic brine. If you only use oil, it will last up to 2 weeks. To keep it longer, the Giardiniera can. You will need to blanch all fresh produce in salted water before adding them to the jars. Then use the traditional canning method by boiling the jars for 10 minutes to seal properly.
Other recipes in brine
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Giardiniera {pickled vegetables)
Homemade Giardiniera is a tasty and easy to prepare condiment. These pickled vegetables are full of flavor and liven up so many dishes!
Portions: 24
ingrediants
- 3 cups small cauliflower florets
- 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (round)
- 1 1/2 cups sliced celery
- 1 1/2 cups sliced red pepper (1 1/2 inch long pieces)
- 1 cup pitted green olives dried up
- 4 spoons olive oil divided
- 4 Cloves garlic peeled and cut in half, divided
- 2 Serrano chillies cut in half, divided
- 4 Bay leaves divided
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano divided
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds divided
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds divided
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds divided
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns divided
For the brine
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups White wine vinegar
- 2 spoons salt
- 2 spoons granular sugar
Instructions
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Prepare and chop all products. Make 4 pint jars.
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To each jar add: 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 clove of garlic, 1/2 serrano pepper, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of celery seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/8 teaspoons coriander seeds and a pinch of black peppercorns.
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Divide the cauliflower, sliced carrots, celery, red pepper and olives into the four jars. Fill them to the top.
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Prepare the brine: Put a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the water, vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring to the boil. Mix well, then carefully pour the boiling brine into each jar.
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Allow the pickled vegetables to cool to room temperature. Then cover with a lid, shake gently and refrigerate for 36-48 hours before serving.
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(If you find that the pickled vegetables are too salty after 36 hours, you can pour a third of the brine from the top and fill them with water, then place the jar in the refrigerator.)
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Use as desired (see tips in the full article.)
Nutrition
Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated fats: 1g | Sodium: 688mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1688IU | C vitamin: 19mg | Soccer: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
The nutrition information provided is an automatic calculation and may vary based on the exact products you use and any changes made to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I recommend that you calculate them yourself.
Other notes
