Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish (2024)

[heart_this] · Jul 28, 2010 · 37 Comments

The other day when I made the spicy peanut shrimp sandwiches with Thai style slaw , they reminded me of banh mi sandwiches and I since then that idea has been running through my head. I often find that the easiest thing to do when you have something stuck in your mind is to just give in to the craving and so I set about to making some of these Vietnamese sandwiches. Of course the first, and possibly the most important, step in making a truly good banh mi sandwich is the pickled carrots and daikon radish. Although pickles can sometimes be intimidating these pickles are super quick and easy to make and well worth the effort. Pretty much all you need to do is peel and cut the carrots and daikon radish and then let them sit in the pickling solution of water, vinegar, salt and sugar for a while. You should let the vegetables pickle for at least a half an hour but they will keep in your fridge for a couple of days so you can even make them ahead of time greatly reducing the amount of effort required to make those tasty banh mi sandwiches.
The first time that I made these pickles I was quite surprised that such a simple pickle could be so good! The combination of sweet, salty and tangy in the pickling solution certainly works its magic, especially on the diakon radishes which just soak up all of those flavours and mellow out nicely. Leftovers do not last long and I frequently find myself snacking on them, though I will have to hold off at least until I make the sandwiches!
Tip: Use a mandolin to get the first cut in and then stack a few layers on top of each other and cut in the other direction with a knife to get them fairly evenly thin.

Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Servings: 2cups

ingredients

1 cup warm water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 pound carrots (peeled and cut to match stick size)
1/2 pound daikon radish (peeled and cut to match stick size)

directions

Mix the water, vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt dissolves.
Place the carrots and radish in a container and cover with the pickling liquid.
Let pickle for at least and hour and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Use in:
Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp Banh Mi
Vietnamese BBQ Pulled Pork Banh Mi
Spicy Pork Bulgogi Banh Mi
Banh Mi Burgers with Vietnamese Caramel BBQ Sauce
Vietnamese Caramel Salmon Banh Mi
Banh Mi Chicken Salad
Banh Mi Grilled Cheese
Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi Paratha Tacos
Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi
Lemongrass Grilled Chicken Rice Noodle Bowls

Similar Recipes:
Pickled Red Onions
Mexican Pickled Red Onions
Pickled Green Tomatoes
Candied Jalapenos
Curtido
Sumac Onions

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Velva says
July 28, 2010 at 2:37 am

Looks fabulous. A great way to enjoy a crisp pickled vegetable all year.
Reply
Anonymous says
July 28, 2010 at 4:14 am

I'm guessing the Banh Mi recipe is coming next?
Reply
Fuat Gencal says
July 28, 2010 at 5:10 am

Havuç vitamin,şifa dolu paylaşım için teşekkürler.
Saygılar.
Reply
TS of eatingclub vancouver says
July 28, 2010 at 5:35 am

They look so pretty in those just-the-right-size jars!
Reply
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
July 28, 2010 at 6:04 am

Nice pickles!
See Also
Vasilopita (Greek New Year's Bread)Sourdough Discard Flatbread {No Yeast}Cool Ranch Chicken Tostadadillas with Honey Lime Crema.Galaktoboureko: Greek Custard Pie
Cheers,
Rosa
Reply
jose manuel says
July 28, 2010 at 6:30 am

Que interesante receta, un aperitivo muy sano y rico. Saludos
Reply
Maggie says
July 28, 2010 at 7:44 am

Wonderful idea! 🙂
Reply
Joanne says
July 28, 2010 at 10:22 am

I've been a big fan of quick pickling lately! Definitely need to try this!
Reply
Recipe for Delicious says
July 28, 2010 at 11:45 am

I wouldn't have thought it would be nearly that easy! Looking forward to the sandwich!
Reply
Ana Powell says
July 28, 2010 at 1:54 pm

I have made these pickles the other day.
Guess why?
I am going to tell you a secret, my Bánh Mì sandwich is coming out soon.
Have a great week ♥
Reply
Alisa says
July 28, 2010 at 3:43 pm

I absolutely love carrots, but have never thought to pickle them!
Reply
Khaddy says
July 28, 2010 at 6:40 pm

my moms close friends used to make picked carrots (carrot achar) it was so good it reminded me of that
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Jess @ Bakericious says
July 28, 2010 at 6:41 pm

i love the pickles 🙂
Reply
eatme_delicious says
July 28, 2010 at 6:41 pm

Forget the sandwich! I'd love to just eat these out of the jar.
Reply
cookery school says
July 28, 2010 at 10:30 pm

looks lovely!
Reply
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Ann Kiyoko says
July 28, 2010 at 10:30 pm

I just ate Vietnamese take out last night and really loved the pickles. I was thinking that I need to find a recipe for them and there it was sitting on my Google homepage courtesy of RSS!
Reply
Karen says
July 29, 2010 at 5:35 am

I just made pickled carrots and daikon for a banh mi post I did last week! Aren't they great!? Really yummy with some grilled meats too.
Reply
to2sassy says
July 29, 2010 at 12:17 pm

I love pickled daikon but OMG the smell. Not only when you open the container but when you burp it is like it fills the room! I am a paramedic and I ate some then went to work. We had to open the windows when I burped!
Reply
Claudia says
July 29, 2010 at 2:22 pm

I love pairing daikon and carrot in a salad. The idea of pickling the carrots adds a whole new flavorful twist.
Reply
Cheryl says
July 29, 2010 at 4:19 pm

That is timely for sure. I just made some fresh rolls last week and purchased some pickled carrot and daikon from my local vietnamese market and it was horrible, sulfury and gross. I will make them next time!
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to2sassy says
July 29, 2010 at 6:02 pm

I love pickled Diakon but OMG the smell! Not just when you open the container but when you burp after eating them. I am a paramedic and ate some before work and burped in the ambulance. We had to open the windows!
Reply
Kathy says
July 29, 2010 at 10:11 pm

awesome how-to post. beautiful photos! I hope you will submit this to http://www.findingvegan.com! ~Kathy
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Anonymous says
July 31, 2010 at 12:27 am

how did you cut the veg so evenly? did you use a mandolin? I don't have much patience.
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Anonymous says
October 18, 2010 at 6:28 pm

I think you mean 2 TSP salt.
What I just made according to your proportions is WAY too salty to eat.
Reply
Kevin says
October 18, 2010 at 9:54 pm

Anonymous: Right you are! Sorry about that. I have fixed the recipe.
Reply
Mo says
December 30, 2010 at 5:42 pm

I have a great tool to make match stick carrots. It is a non-powered hand tool, without a label other than 'Make in Japan'. It has one blade that slices the vegetable, and a second set of blades that are perpendicular to the other blade, that make the shreds. I bought it at Sur La Table, a kitchen store in Seattle and Portland. It is not for high production, but works well for garnishes, salads, or now these carrots and daikon.
Reply
Anonymous says
November 12, 2011 at 11:16 am

Can you leave pickled carrots without the mixture (vinegar, water and sugar) in the fridge for 2 days?
Reply
Kevin says
November 14, 2011 at 12:55 pm

Anonymous: The pickled carrots would no be in the best of conditions after leaving them for two days without their pickling liquid. It would be best to keep them in the pickling liquid if possible.
Reply
Anonymous says
February 22, 2013 at 4:13 am

Hi Kevin, the measurements for the recipe are perfect. One thing I would add would be to sqeeze out as much liquid as you can by hand from the daikon after you cut it. This technique is used to reduce some of the natural bitterness of this wonderful ingredient. As always, great work and keep 'em coming!!!
Reply
Kirsten Dangler says
May 27, 2016 at 4:08 pm

Hi, I am low carb and know these veggies are high in carbs. Can a sugar substitute be used and will it give the same taste?
Reply
Sauerkraut Billy says
August 11, 2017 at 6:47 pm

This looks like a great recipe! I love pickled carrots and particularly they are great on Banh Mi! I hope I can recreate them just as you mentioned them! Thank you for sharing!
Reply
Sauerkraut Billy says
August 14, 2017 at 9:55 pm

I love the idea of using a mandolin! I've never tried using that before to get a thin cut on my vegetables i'm going to pickle. I would love to try using a mandolin to make super thin bread and butter chips. Thanks for the idea, and thank you for the recipe! Can't wait to try it!
Reply
ashley says
November 12, 2020 at 8:03 pm

These sound delicious! I’ve been wanting to expand and try more pickled veggies. I can’t wait thanks for sharing.
Reply

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