Who doesn’t love a good pickled veggie topper?

There was an incredible burger joint just down the street from where I grew up in LA called Fusion Burger. This place had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. Aside from the amazing burgers, the real winner and the dark horse, in my opinion, was their pickled veggie platter.

The first time I ate this, my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I had that Oh My God moment. You know the moment when you eat something incredible and your life changes?

It doesn’t happen often but when it does, you bet I savor every second of that moment.

Since that first bite, I’ve never looked at pickled veggies the same way ever again.

What made these pickled veggies special was the fact that they were made in-house. Every time I ordered them, they were a little bit different which made the experience that much more pleasurable. I never quite knew what flavor I was going to bite into.

I’m paying homage to that delicious pickle plate with my rendition of pickled veggies.

Japanese Fusion Pickled Veggies

Inspired by the flavors of Japan, these Japanese fusion pickled veggies are sweet, gingery, have a little bit of a kick (if you so choose). They also have that oh-so-good crunch and that acidic tang thanks to the rice wine vinegar and tamari.

Add your pickled vegetables to salads, tacos, fish, Buddha bowls, use your imagination. They are more versatile than you may think.

And the best part, this dish is easy to make and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your refrigerator.

Ingredients:

– 1/2 large cucumber or 1-2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
– 4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
– 1 carrot, thinly sliced
– 1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
– 1 nub ginger, thinly sliced or finely grated
– 2 tsp peppercorns
– 1 tbsp tamari
– 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
– 1 tbsp coconut aminos
– 1 tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup
– 1-2 garlic cloves, smashed or thinly sliced
– 1 cup water
– 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
– Optional: birds eye chili or jalapeño

Pickling the Veggies:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the water, tamari, coconut aminos, peppercorns, coconut sugar or maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, and salt to a soft boil–i.e. just as it starts to boil.
2. Let the mixture cool slightly.
3. While the pickling liquid is cooling, thinly slice the cucumber, radishes, red onion, and ginger using a peeler (with teeth), a mandolin, or a knife.
4. Smash your garlic cloves or thinly slice them.
5. In a glass jar, add all of your veggies, garlic, and ginger. Pour the pickling liquid over the veggies until the jar is completely filled with liquid.
6. Let sit for at least 20 minutes in the fridge. The longer they sit, the more flavorful it becomes.

About the author: Pip Harragin is a food lover and one of her biggest passions in life is feeding and teaching people about food. Her two main goals when it comes to food are first, nourishing the body with food. This form of self-care is something that she instills in her clients. Second, she wants to help change the misconceptions that surround vegan and plant-based food. Her goal is to show people that these foods can be just as delicious and fun to eat as any other diet out there. She can be found on Facebook and Instagram.