Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Refrigeration Time: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 4 to 6
Give your bún bò xào and bánh mì sandwiches an authentic Vietnamese touch by adding a heap of pickled carrot and radish. It’s very simple to make. If you can measure liquids and cut vegetables, you can make it without any problem.
For this recipe, you’ll need a carrot and a daikon radish. You can scale the recipe up if you’d like and use more carrots and radishes, depending on the volume of pickles you want. The usual ratio is one part carrot and one part radish; it will be easier to keep the ratio if the vegetables are of the same size.
The one-to-one ratio, however, is not a rule set in stone. Although milder than non-Asian varieties, the white Asian radish is spicy and has a stronger smell and flavor. Some people prefer to use more carrot than radish. If you particularly like the spiciness and boldness of radish, you can use more radish than carrot in your mix.
“I had a hard time finding the daikon radish. It’s super-simple to make but packs a punch. The daikon radish has a strong flavor so if you want it a little less potent add more carrots to your batch. It would be nice to add dried spices or herbs to the pickling solution.” —Carrie Parente
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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1 medium carrot, peeled
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1 medium daikon radish, peeled
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3/4 cup rice vinegar
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1/4 cup water
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1/4 cup granulated sugar
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1 tablespoon kosher salt
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Cut the carrot and radish into matchstick-size pieces.
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Pack the julienned carrot and daikon radish into a screw-top, pint-size mason jar.
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Add the rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Screw on the lid and shake until the sugar and salt dissolve.
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Refrigerate the pickled vegetables for 2 hours or up to overnight before using to allow the vegetables time to soak up the flavors from the seasonings.
Tips
- The size of the mason jar and quantity of pickling solution will vary depending on the final quantity of cut vegetables.
- The vegetables need to be completely submerged in the pickling solution, so prepare a cup of pickling solution for every cup of cut vegetables to be sure you have enough.
- Keep the slices of carrots and radishes uniform in size.
- If you want a more intense flavor, allow the carrot and radish pickling mixture to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
- Feel free to add more or less of the carrots and radishes depending on your taste and preference.
A Note About Vinegar
The acidity of vinegar differs from one variety to another. Rice vinegar, for instance, is milder in comparison to coconut vinegar and is a little sweet. Consider this when determining the ratio between water and vinegar to make the pickling solution. The ratio given in this recipe is recommended when using rice vinegar.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 to 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 53 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 647mg | 28% |
| Total Carbohydrate 12g | 4% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 5% |
| Total Sugars 10g | |
| Protein 1g | |
| Vitamin C 10mg | 48% |
| Calcium 17mg | 1% |
| Iron 0mg | 1% |
| Potassium 208mg | 4% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
