Homemade Giardiniera
Enjoy this homemade Giardiniera as a condiment on sandwiches, antipasto platters, pasta salads or even pizza topping. Brined overnight and then marinated for 48 hours, this recipe makes approximately 2 quarts, so there is plenty to share and will keep several weeks in the refrigerator. You can make it mild or hot according to your taste and heat tolerance. In Chicago, it’s usually hot and enjoyed as a topping on Italian beef sandwiches. In the South, a milder version of giardiniera is used for the olive salad in the Muffuletta sandwich in New Orleans.
Servings: 2 quarts
Ingredients
- 2 green bell peppers diced (I used 1)
- 2 red bell peppers diced (I used 1 red and 1 yellow)
- 4 - 8 fresh serrano peppers sliced, depending on desired heat level
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 1 small onion chopped
- ½ cup cauliflower florets I used 1 cup
- ½ cup pickling or kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano I used Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 5 oz. jar pimiento stuffed green olives, drained and chopped
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup *olive or canola oil I used extra light olive oil
Instructions
- Place peppers, celery, carrots, onion, and cauliflower in a large bowl. Mix the salt with 2 cups cold water, stirring until dissolved. Pour salt water in bowl, adding additional cold water until vegetables are covered; stir. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, drain water and rinse vegetables thoroughly to remove excess salt.
- Whisk together garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper, oil and vinegar. Combine rinsed vegetables with chopped olives in non-reactive bowl and pour vinegar/oil mixture over and cover.
- Allow to marinate in refrigerator for 48 hours, stirring occasionally. Divide mixture into clean jars with seasoned oil/vinegar. Jars will keep in refrigerator for several weeks.
Notes
- Enjoy this homemade Giardiniera as a condiment on sandwiches, antipasto platters, pasta salads or even pizza topping. Brined overnight and then marinated for 48 hours, this recipe makes approximately 2 quarts (4 pint jars) so there is plenty to share and will keep several weeks in the refrigerator. You can make it mild or hot according to your taste and heat tolerance. In Chicago, it’s usually hot and enjoyed as a topping on Italian beef sandwiches. In the South, a milder version of giardiniera is used for the olive salad in the Muffuletta sandwich in New Orleans.
- *Olive oil will solidify and turn cloudy when refrigerated but will liquefy again at room temperature. Use canola oil to avoid the oil solidifying.
- Adjust this vegetable/pepper medley to your taste, with more carrot and olives, adding zucchini, fennel, or sweet banana peppers. Enjoy it on a hot dog or bratwurst, in pasta salad, as a pizza topping, on a sub or muffuletta sandwich or eat it straight from the jar.
- Sealed jars will keep in refrigerator for several weeks and get more flavorful the longer it sits.