Quick Italian Giardiniera Recipe for Beginners

This quick Italian giardiniera recipe is a vinegar-based dish that includes pickled vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper, along with spices. The thing that makes it so tasty is the marinade of white wine vinegar and water, which tenderizes the vegetables while preserving them for later use.

Follow these simple steps for the best-pickled vegetables you can make at home!

Giardiniera, this pickled mix of vegetables and seasoning that is part of many Italian meals, has always been an important element in my family’s food tradition.

Whether served as part of an antipasto platter alongside olives, grilled zucchini, marinated eggplant, roasted peppers, or as a side dish to accompany grilled meats like chicken and lamb dishes; giardiniera was always there to make the meal complete.

These pickled vegetables are convenient to have on hand as they are great for adding flavor and crunch.

With this quick giardiniera recipe, you’ll learn how easy it is to make your very own marinated vegetable medley at home!

It has been my experience that pickled vegetables are either loved or hated. 

If you are on the fence about this dish, give this homemade giardiniera recipe a try, it might just change your mind.

Not only does this dish look pretty served up on a platter, but it’s also tasty.

What is Giardiniera?

Giardiniera, pronounced as “jar-din-AIR-ah,” can be loosely translated as “from the garden” due to its ingredients. It is a salad containing pickled vegetables, such as cauliflower, carrots, celery and bell peppers. Typically it also includes spices. Giardiniera is a popular dish in Italy that can vary from region to region.

How do I serve Giardiniera?

Giardiniera is considered an antipasto, meaning it’s typically served before the main course. Some people also consider giardiniera a side dish, making this pickled veggie salad even better when it can accompany another dish in both capacities.

How to make Giardiniera

Making giardiniera is easy and simple. With this quick recipe, you’ll learn how to make your very own marinated vegetable medley in no time at all!

Prepare sterilized jars

You’ll need to use sterilized jars that have been washed clean. You can place them in boiling water or the oven (225°F/107°C) for at least 10 minutes to sterilize them. Keep them hot until ready to use. While waiting, let’s prep our brine solution and vegetables.  

Prepare the pickling liquid

In a small saucepan, combine 1½ cups of cold water, 1½ cups of white wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir for 1-2 minutes to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove from heat.

Add 1½ teaspoons of dry oregano, 1 bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns. Cover and allow to steep for about 10 minutes. While waiting let’s chop up our vegetables.

Decide on which vegetables you want to use

Choose the vegetables you want to pickle based on availability and personal preference. 

Use any combination but the most common include cauliflower, carrots, celery ribs and red bell peppers. You need about 1 pound (or ½ kilogram) of fresh vegetables.

Thoroughly wash the vegetables in cold running water and pat dry with paper towels or a clean tea towel so no moisture is left on them.

Separate the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Slice the celery stalks, red pepper, and carrots.

Pack vegetables into your jar

Bring the brining solution back to a boil.

In the meanwhile, carefully pack the veggies into your hot sterilized jar. Keep going until you’ve packed the vegetables as tightly as possible.

Carefully top off vegetables with the hot pickling liquid until all veggies are covered. At this point, you may be able to add more veggies to ensure the jar is filled. With the help of a wooden spoon, push down on them to create some space to add some more. 

Ensure that all vegetables are covered with liquid. Leave a half-inch space between the top of the brine and the lid. 

Allow the jars to cool down completely to room temperature.

Then, seal the jars and refrigerate.

It’s best if you wait at least 24 hours for flavors to develop before enjoying them.

Additional flavorings

If you want to add a bit more flavor, consider adding some additional ingredients such as:

• garlic cloves (peeled and slightly crushed)
• caraway seeds (lightly crushed)
• coriander seeds
• celery seeds
• dill seeds
• fennel seeds
• red pepper flakes
• dried hot peppers
• green bell pepper
• cherry peppers (whole or sliced in half)
• Serrano peppers
• green beans
• fennel bulb (sliced into thin rounds)
• lemon zest

You can also simply replace the white wine vinegar with different kinds of white vinegar for added flavor.

Chicago-style giardiniera vs traditional Italian giardiniera

Chicago-Style Giardiniera is a more recent addition to the condiment family. It has roots in Italian cuisine but it takes on its own unique character as it uses different combinations of vegetables, spices, and herbs.

Traditionally, Italian giardiniera has a base in white wine vinegar. In Chicago-style giardiniera, the vegetables are marinated in a combination of olive oil and vinegar.

In addition to the traditional vegetables marinated in this recipe, other possible ingredients can be added in the Chicago-style condiment, such as hot peppers, garlic cloves, olives, celery seeds, or even dill seeds.

One final distinction: traditionally, giardiniera accompanies side dishes or is served as an appetizer. On the other hand, the hot giardiniera recipe is often used as a topping for Italian beef or sausage sandwiches, hot dogs or on slices of bread or baguette.

Why sterilize the jars for short-term storage?

It’s hard to get excited about sterilizing jars. But it is important because even though these pickled vegetables will be refrigerated, the jars need to be sterilized to prevent any harmful bacteria from developing in your final product. These harmful bacteria can ruin your pickling efforts and what’s worse, they can make you sick and nobody wants that! 

How long do pickled vegetables last?

Consume these pickled vegetables within 2 weeks of making them. They may be safe to eat for up to 1 month, but the quality may decrease after this length of time. For longer storage, consider processing in a hot water bath.

Hot water processing

• Place the sealed jars in a lukewarm water bath. Ensure the water is at least 1 inch above the jars.
• Bring the water to a rolling boil and start the timing process. Process for 10 minutes at sea level. If necessary, add boiling water to maintain the water level. Please note that process times can vary based on your altitude. Please refer to this chart for recommendations. GOOD TO KNOW: In order to prevent rough mineral deposits on the outside of your jars and on the inside of your water bath pot, pour about 1/2 cup of white vinegar in your water bath.
• Safely remove jars from the canner.
• Inspect jars to make sure they have a proper seal (lids should be depressed in the center).
• Store in pantry or cold room for up to 6 months.

Tips

• Thoroughly drying the vegetables helps prevent spoilage of your homemade giardiniera recipe.
• One pound of vegetables fills 2 pints or a one-quart mason jar. 
• Use any variety of vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, peppers, green beans, fennel, etc. 

Italian Appetizers we love

• Marinated Mozzarella Balls
• Seafood Salad
• Eggplant Caponata
• Focaccia

Recipe Inspiration

This is the pickled vegetable recipe from my childhood.

My mom would refer to it as “giardiniera agrodolce.” As you can probably guess, it is a sweet and sour version of giardiniera and one that I grew up with. 

There are hundreds of variations available, but this one has been passed down through our family and I wanted to share it with you!

Over the years I have made variations to include different combinations of spices and vegetables, but the truth is that I always come back to this recipe.

It’s a simple recipe that just tastes great.

I hope you get a chance to try it.

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

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Ciao for now,

Maria 

★★★★★ If you have made this homemade giardiniera, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!