by Louis Singh | dishalicious.com

Vietnamese pickles, do chua (pronounced dough-chooua), are a different beast than American-style pickles.  Instead of a hot-water-brine and hot-water-bath/process, they’re simply submerged in a mixture of vinegar, water & sugar at room temperature.  And the flavors are usually much subtler.  Gently sweet & sour, with the flavor of the vegetables still prevailing.

They’re a staple to many Vietnamese dishes, like banh mi sandwiches, but are great to have in the fridge for dressing up any dish with a fresh kick.  Put them in tacos, garnish a steak or toss it with any grain or green salad.  Often they’re on the Vietnamese dinner table as a palate cleanser between dishes.



The flavor of the pickles is completely personal.  Make them as sweet or as tart as you’d like.  Here’s my family’s recipe as a guideline.  Traditionally these pickles are made with carrots and daikon radishes, but we’re letting the beautiful veggies in our JBG CSA guide us.  Try them with your JBG carrots and turnips!

For about 1 quart of pickles you’ll need:

3-5 carrots, 1-2 turnips, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ cup sugar, 1 cup warm water, & ½ cup vinegar (white or rice wine)



Wash & peel your carrots and turnips.  Julienne them with a knife or mandolin.  Or use one of these nifty julienne peelers which you can find at most kitchen supply stores or Asian markets.



Once julienned, sprinkle the salt over the carrots & turnips.



Toss lightly until the carrots & turnips just being to soften and release a little water.  This will help wilt them slightly and get them ready to drink up the brine.



Wash them in cold, clean water, then strain them very well.

Pack them tightly into a jar or container.



Mix the sugar, water & vinegar together until the sugar dissolves.  Taste your pickling liquid and adjust to your liking.

Pour the pickling liquid over the pickles to cover and pop them in the fridge.  Let them pickle for at least 2 hours before using.  We usually use them up with in a few days, but honestly I’ve enjoyed them up to two weeks out of the fridge and they’re still delicious.



And that’s it. Â  A super-fast, super-easy recipe to utilize those CSA veggies in another way.  Keep them in the fridge and add them to your repertoire.  Try them with different veggies and on different dishes.  Get creative with your CSA and get cooking!

Got questions about cooking out of your CSA?  Get answers.  Leave a comment or email us at info@dishalicious.com