Skip to main content
Epicurious
Gourmet

Dill-Pickled Vegetables

By The Gourmet Test Kitchen

4.8

(6)

A serving bowl of dill pickled mixed vegetables.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

This recipe was originally published in Gourmet as part of the 1996 Thanksgiving menu. The pickled vegetables appeared alongside spiced cheese straws as the crunchy prelude to a feast of lobster stew, turkey, and chestnut and bacon stuffing.

These dill seed–scented pickles would be a great snack at any point in the year, but the recipe stands the test of time as a Thanksgiving appetizer for a few reasons. First, it’s a flexible way to turn an assortment of small carrots, celery ribs, and pearl onions (or other crunchy veggies) into a refreshing party snack that won’t fill anyone up too much before the potatoes and gravy hit the table. But these pickled vegetables are also an excuse to cross one of the courses of the meal off your list a few days ahead, since they can be made up to three weeks ahead of time. Just save those celery sticks to add in the final 24 hours before the meal so that they’ll keep their cooling crunch.

Ingredients

¾ pound red, white, and/or yellow pearl onions (about 2 cups)
1 pound slim baby carrots with tops (about 40), peeled and trimmed
1½ cups white-wine vinegar
2½ cups water
⅔ cup sugar
2 teaspoons dill seeds
2 teaspoons salt
4 large celery ribs, cut into 4- by ½-inch sticks

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large saucepan of boiling water blanch onions 3 minutes and drain in a colander. Cool onions just until they can be handled and peel. Arrange onions and carrots in two 1-quart Mason-type jars.

    Step 2

    In pan bring vinegar, water, sugar, dill seeds, and salt to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Pour hot mixture over onions and carrots and cool completely. Add celery. Chill vegetables, covered, at least 12 hours to develop flavors. Pickled vegetables may be made up to 3 weeks ahead but do not add celery until 1 day before serving.

TagsPickleCondimentCeleryVegetableCarrotRoot VegetablePearl OnionOnionDairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeVegetarianVeganEasyPickle & PreserveGourmetMake AheadSnackStarter

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Gigante Beans With Seaweed Salmoriglio
Salmoriglio is a Mediterranean sauce with herbs, garlic, and olive oil. In this version, kelp is used as the base of the sauce.
Not-So-Secret Burger Sauce
Every sauce needs a few secrets. Ours is smoky, sweet, and savory—use it for burgers, fries, tenders, and more.
Crispy Tofu With Scallion-Ginger Sauce
The tofu is crunchy on the outside, in part thanks to a panko-studded exterior, and squishy-in-a-good-way on the inside. It also comes together in 20 minutes.
Kimchi Gim Bugak (Fried Seaweed Chips)
Bugak is the ideal light beer snack: It’s crunchy, salty, and the fresher it’s made, the better. Thin sheets of kimchi add an extra spicy savory layer.
Slow-Smoked Chicken
An espresso-and-cumin-spiked rub (or brine) gives this smoked chicken impressive flavor.
Fufu
Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.
Crispy Baked Wings With Berbere Honey Glaze and Fried Garlic
Berbere is a spicy chile blend that has floral and sweet notes from coriander and cardamom, and when it’s paired with a honey glaze, it sets these wings apart from anything else you’ve ever had.