Chinese Overnight Pickled Vegetables (洗澡泡菜)
Crisp, tangy, and lightly spiced, these Chinese-style pickled vegetables are ready overnight with just a few pantry ingredients. The ideal side dish to prep ahead and brighten up any meal.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb vegetables, such as cucumber, carrot, red radish, celery, or chili pepper see note 1
- 3 teaspoon salt divided
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 star anise
- 2 tablespoon white rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 5 slices ginger
- Chili oil or toasted sesame oil, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the vegetables and peel if needed. For cucumbers, carrots, or celery, cut into chunky sticks. Halve the red radish. Chop chili peppers into large pieces if using.
- In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with 1 teaspoon of salt. Leave for 20 minutes to draw out moisture, then drain off any liquid.
- In an airtight container large enough to hold the vegetables, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, and star anise with ¼ cup (60 ml) of hot water. Let it sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly and fully dissolve the salt and sugar. Then add 1¼ cup (300 ml) of cold water, along with the white vinegar and ginger slices.
- Add the drained vegetables. If needed, top up with more water so everything is fully submerged.
- Seal with a lid and refrigerate overnight. The pickles are ready the next day. For best quality, consume within 5 days. Always use clean, dry utensils to take them out.
- To make the pickle extra tasty, add a dash of chili oil, or sesame oil, when serving (see note 2).
Video
Notes
1. Other vegetable options include daikon (white radish), bell pepper, celtuce, cabbage, etc. Feel free to mix and match.
2. Only add chili oil or sesame oil after removing the vegetables from the pickling container, which should remain completely oil-free.
