Chicago-Style Giardiniera
by Le ParfaitCrunchy, spicy, and made for piling onto just about anything, Chicago-style giardiniera is a refrigerator staple worth keeping on hand. This version combines cauliflower, carrots, celery, peppers, and garlic in a seasoned oil-and-vinegar dressing for the signature condiment found all over Chicago.
Chicago-Style Giardiniera
Le Parfait
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Condiments
Cuisine
Italian
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
A Chicago classic made with crisp vegetables, hot peppers, herbs, and a tangy oil-and-vinegar dressing. Spoon it over sandwiches, pizza, grilled vegetables, and more.
Ingredients
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1 cup cauliflower, finely chopped
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1 medium carrot, finely diced
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2 celery stalks, finely diced
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½ red bell pepper, finely diced
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½ green bell pepper, finely diced
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2-3 serrano peppers, finely sliced or diced
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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¼ cup kosher salt
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2 cups water
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1 cup white wine vinegar
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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½ teaspoon celery seed
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½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
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½ cup extra virgin olive oil
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½ cup neutral oil, such as avocado oil
Equipment
Directions
Add the cauliflower, carrot, celery, bell peppers, serrano peppers, and garlic to a large bowl. Keep the vegetables fairly finely chopped for the classic Chicago-style texture.
Dissolve the salt in the water and pour it over the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours.
Drain the vegetables thoroughly in a colander and rinse briefly under cool water. Allow them to drain well, gently pressing out excess moisture.
Add the white wine vinegar, oregano, celery seed, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to a small saucepan. Bring just to a simmer, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Place the drained vegetables in the clean 1 L Le Parfait Super Jar. Pour the cooled seasoned vinegar over the vegetables, followed by the olive oil and neutral oil. Stir gently to distribute the seasonings.
Close the jar and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving so the flavors have time to develop.
Stir before serving and spoon onto Italian beef sandwiches, sausages, pizza, sandwiches, eggs, or grilled vegetables.
Recipe Note
For a milder giardiniera: Remove the seeds and membranes from the serrano peppers or reduce the quantity.
For more heat: Add another serrano pepper or increase the crushed red pepper flakes.
Chop it small: Chicago-style giardiniera is generally much more finely chopped than traditional Italian giardiniera, which is exactly the look we were going for in your image.
Storage: This recipe is intended for refrigerator storage only; it is not a shelf-stable canning recipe. Keep the vegetables refrigerated.
Serving idea: It's especially associated with Chicago Italian beef, but it also works beautifully on pizza, sausages, sandwiches, grilled meats, and eggs. Giardiniera served with Italian beef is a particularly Chicago tradition.