This crunchy, mildly sour, sweet & salty condiment is commonly used for Bún Thịt Nướng – Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Noodles and Vietnamese sandwich (Bánh Mì) but also compliments just about any Vietnamese and Asian dishes..

Đồ Chua means sour stuff, pickled things. There’s really not one authentic recipe for this condiment. The flavor and texture are a matter of preference – crunchy, less crunchy, sweeter or more sour. We like ours mild with just the right amount of crunch and flavor to give your taste buds a little dance. Be sure to get this ready to enjoy with the Bún Thịt Nướng and Bánh Mì which is coming shortly. Enjoy!

Vietnamese Pickled Carrots & Daikon – Đồ Chua

Servings: 6 – 8 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: none 

Ingredients

• 2 carrots 
• 1 daikon*
• 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup warm/hot water
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Preparation

• Combine half of the salt, sugar, and warm/hot water, mix until dissolved and set aside to cool.

• Wash and peel carrots, chop into matchsticks or use julienne peeler.
• Place into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss to combine and let it soak in for 10 minutes. 

• After 10 minutes, gently squeeze out the rest of the juice and discard.
• Place carrots and daikon into a large mason jar or any airtight container.
• Add vinegar to the prepared liquid, mix and pour into the jar, should completely cover the carrot and daikon. Seal the lid and refrigerate overnight or at least 24 hours.

Recipe Notes

• 1:1 ratio for carrots and daikon – equals to about 2 cups 
• Daikon comes in many different sizes –  most are doubled or tripled the size of carrots. We use the rest for other dishes but you can ask the produce department to cut it up and only buy what you need
• Soaking with salt help release the color and juice – also making them a bit softer and still crunchy, but soaked too long will lose its crunch, so keep it to no more than 15 minutes
• Try half the recipe first, refrigerate overnight, taste then adjust to your taste buds
• Keep refrigerated and enjoy up to 4 weeks. We go through ours in about a week