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.
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cook time
- No separate cook time
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 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
- 1
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.
- 4
Add the drained vegetables. If needed, top up with more water so everything is fully submerged.
- 5
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.
- 6
To make the pickle extra tasty, add a dash of chili oil, or sesame oil, when serving (see note 2).