Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Vegetables)
Our homemade Giardiniera recipe gives you the freedom to choose your level of heat. These Italian pickled vegetables are the perfect condiment for an Italian beef sandwich, and much more!
What is Giardiniera?
Giardiniera (pronounced JAR-di-NAIR-ah) means "from the garden" in Italian. The concept has quite a long history in Italy, where fresh garden produce was pickled and marinated as a way of preserving it for the winter.
It was the early 1920s that giardiniera started to make a name for itself in the communities of Italian immigrants in Chicago.
Although it grew in popularity throughout the city, if you've never been to Chicago or tasted a Chicago style Italian beef sandwich, you may not have ever heard of this tangy, crunchy condiment.
Giardiniera: Authentic Italian Pickled Vegetables
Traditional Italian giardiniera is served as an antipasto (appetizer), and you will find a number of different, fresh garden vegetables used to make it.
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Carrots
- Bell peppers
- Hot peppers
- And more!
Since giardiniera is considered an appetizer in Italy, the vegetables are cut into one- or two-bite chunks, making the dish perfect for a bulky appetizer, served alongside some cheese and cured meats. It is a common way to preserve the summer harvest to be enjoyed throughout the winter.
The traditional Italian brine and marinade is quite simple, letting the flavor of the vegetables shine with just a bit of vinegar tang and a few herbs to complement the crisp texture.
Chicago Giardiniera
Chicago style giardiniera takes a smaller and more intensely-flavored (and often spicy) form.
The vegetables are chopped smaller, sometimes even diced as finely as you would for a relish. But often, the pieces are just small enough that they can be used as a topping or garnish.
The marinade for Chicago-style giardiniera can include a much longer list of ingredients, including garlic, herbs, celery seed, red pepper flakes, and the list goes on. Each version has its own twist, and the marinade is where a lot of flavor variation can happen.
You will find Chicago-style giardiniera labeled as traditional or hot. The hot version typically includes seranno peppers to kick things up a notch.
What Do You Put Giardiniera On?
In the Windy City (Chicago), giardiniera is the classic topping for Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches and Italian sausage sandwiches. You might also find it topping bratwursts, hot dogs, sub sandwiches, and even pizza!
We like to throw it on top of salads to add a fun boost of flavor.
Our Homemade Giardiniera Recipe
The process to make authentic Italian giardiniera does take nearly a week, but before you run away to your grocery store's aisles for a jar of pre-made giardiniera, know that nearly all of that time is hands-off on your part.
There are two main steps to making giardiniera: the brine and the marinade.
- First, the vegetables are brined in a simple mixture of salt and water. This brine solution draws moisture out of the vegetables, helping them to stay crisp in the marinade.
- Next, the vegetables are marinated in a mixture of oil, vinegar, and seasonings. We give this mixture lots of space to marinate in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for three days, before transferring it to its final resting place in a mason jar.
As you can see, the process is quite simple. And, after a few days, you will have your own giardiniera, spiced just the way you like it, all ready for topping everything from Italian beef sandwiches to pizza!
This might just become your new favorite summer condiment!
Homemade Giardiniera
Ingredients
- ¼ c salt
- 1 c carrots, sliced
- 1 c cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 2-4 serrano chilies, sliced (depending on desired heat level)
- ¾ c canola oil or pure olive oil*
- ¾ c white vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoon oregano
Instructions
Day One
- Mix 2 c water with the salt and stir until dissolved. Add the carrot slices, cauliflower, celery, bell peppers, and serranos. Mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Day Two
- Drain and rinse the vegetables.
- In a clean bowl, mix oil and vinegar with the garlic and oregano. Add the vegetables to the seasoned oil and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 3 days to marinate.
Day Five
- After 3 days in the bowl, transfer the vegetables to a quart jar, pour as much of the seasoned oil/vinegar mixture in as you need to cover the vegetables.
- The mixture will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
Notes
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
I usually purchase Mezzetta Giardiniera at the market. Lately the vegetables have had a mealy texture and a bland taste. I am thrilled that I found this recipe! It reminds me of an antipasto that my Italian uncle used to make for holiday meals., back in the 50s and 60s. Thanks for bringing back a fond memories.
Thank you for sharing your memories Cheryl! We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Mine turned out just a bit to intense for most people around here...Is there anyway to tame down the heat alitte... I think my garden has perfect soil for peppers... I normally used store bought..no prob.. same amount garden grown flaming hot.. even rinsing the dish out burns your eyes & nose
Hmm, that is a tricky problem. Future batches you'd want to be sure to remove the seeds and inner membranes from your peppers, and possibly use less than the recipe calls for. As for your current spicy batch, I would try draining and rinsing the giardiniera, removing the peppers from the mix, then adding a fresh seasoned oil/vinegar mixture. If it's still to hot for your liking, try leaving it to mellow in the fridge for a couple of weeks. We do find that the heat of some peppers will mellow as they rest. If that doesn't do it, you can always drain/rinse and re-do the oil/vinegar again after a few weeks, by then I'd think that really should pull most of the spice out of the mix.
This looks delicious! Is there any reason I couldn't use frozen veggies?
Hi Kat, My only reservation about using frozen veggies is that freezing breaks down the cell structure of produce. That's why when you thaw frozen veggies they're softer than before you froze them. Typically, you want your giardiniera do have some crispness to the veggies. However, if you don't mind your veggies a bit softer, then there is no reason not to give it a try with frozen veggies to see how they hold up and how you like it. If you do give it a try, stop back by and let us know how it turns out for you!
Thanks for sharing! I LOVE gardinera is there a way to preserve it?
Hi Janae! We actually just published an article on Giardiniera for canning. You can find it here: https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/italian-giardiniera-for-canning/. Enjoy!
Hey all. Great recipe. Two things I usually try to do is not use iodized salt or unfiltered tap water. It’s not as important here as when fermenting but a good habit to get into.
Great idea! We typically use salt that is not iodized (especially when fermenting). And using it here, as well as good water are definitely a good idea!
I love this recipe. It’s delicious!! The only problem for me is that the olive oil solidifies in the fridge. What do you recommend for that so it marinates properly and you’re not eating solidified olive oil?
Hi Kristen. If you use olive oil, we recommend using pure olive oil (not extra virgin). Pure will solidify a little more slowly, but you will probably still need to take your jar of giardina out of the fridge to let it come to room temerature before serving it. Unfortunately, olive oil solidifies at a higher temperature than other vegetable oils. If you really want to keep the oil from solidifying, you'll need to use a vegetable oil. Enjoy!
I store my bottle of canola oil in the frig allowing me to keep it's quality longer, and I have never had it come close to soldifying . The oil stays in liquid form. I have put store bought giardiniera in the frig and had it turn solid and it was "yucky" , to say the least!
BTW, I really do not like the oiliness of giardiniera, can the proportion of oil and vinegar be adjusted to have less oil content, yet still preserving the vegetables?
If your store bought giardiniera solidified in the fridge, it was probably made using olive oil. Olive oil is the traditional way of making it, bu tit will solidify at fridge temperatures.
You can definitely change the ratios of oil to vinegar to your liking. The more vinegar you add, the closer they will get to pickles vegetables. So, depending on what you're looking for, you may need to play with the ratios a bit. Enjoy!
I love the way this giardiniera looks! It is such a great condiment for so many different things. It really reminds me closely of the pickled vegetables that is often included on the popular Banh Mi sandwiches. It sort of looks similar too when added to the chicago style sandwiches you mentioned. Pickled vegetables are such a great appetizer as well as addition to any dish. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, can't wait to try making them at home!
Thanks Billy! We hope you enjoy them!
Have you ever tried addind italian spices or herbs with this resipe?
Thanks
Rich
We haven't, but I bet the spices would add nice flavor! Give it a try!
NO ACTIVITY UPON ATTEMPTING TO PRINT THE HOMEMADE GIARDINIERA RECIPE. CAN YOU PLEASE E-MAIL TO ME? THANKS.
Hi Cyndi, It is possible that you have a pop-up blocker enabled on your browser, which is stopping the print window from opening. I just emailed you the printable format. ~Sarah
I made the giardenara, the olive oil solidified in the refrigerator and was a bit too much vinegar. Curious why it didn’t mix correctly.
Hi Rodney. Unfortunately, olive oil solidifies at a higher temperature than other vegetable oils. If you want to use olive oil for the giardiniera, you will need to take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before serving. Otherwise, we would suggest using another vegetable oil.
LOVE this! I canned my Giardiniera. I used some really hot peppers and they tamed a bit after the brining process. I then followed the recommendations for canning. I added the vinegar and water to fill the jars. Can't wait to try it! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you're enjoying the Giardiniera! Thanks for stopping back to share how it turned out!
I would like to see a pic of the finished product....I use a really good olive oil, so mine is a tad cloudy, but it is awesome tasting. I added red pepper flakes because I wanted it even more spicy...yummy
Thanks Suzie! Adding some extra spice sounds tasty too! We used the giardiniera on our slow cooker Italian beef. You can see the recipe here: https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/slow-cooker-italian-beef/
I loved the giardiniera recipe but it would ruin in the fridge before we could eat even a small jar. Can you can this? I would love to have the canning recipe if it can be canned .
Hi Lillie, The giardiniera will keep in the fridge for up to a month (maybe longer). I personally wouldn't recommend canning this recipe as is because of the oil and lower vinegar content. If you wanted to can it, I would replace the 3/4 c olive oil with 1/4 c vinegar and 1/2 cup water. This I would mix with the 3/4 c vinegar, garlic, and oregano and bring to a simmer before pouring over the prepared vegetables in a clean canning jar. Then I would follow our instructions for Hot Water Bath Canning (https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/water-bath-canning-basics/), processing pint jars for 10 minutes or quart jars for 15. Enjoy!
My Mom used to eat this as a side dish. Chow Chow was another version of pickled veggies she adored.
I could totally eat it as a side! We'll have to take a look into Chow Chow too. If it's similar, I bet we'll love it!
The spicier the better for me! This looks perfect
Thanks Sarah! Bring on the spice! 🙂
I love the combination of veggies in there!
Thanks Constance! It is so colorful!