Homemade Giardiniera is a zesty condiment that is easy to make and so much better than store-bought. These pickled vegetables are full of flavor and liven up sandwiches, salads, pasta, an antipasto snack board, and so much more. Colorful, aromatic and delicious. A must-have condiment for your fridge!

It’s entirely possible you’ve gone most of your life dismissing Giardiniera. I did. It’s that jar of red, white, and green vegetables floating in vinegar and spices, always housed next to the olives, pickles, capers, and roasted red peppers in most common grocery stores. Until one day I had a Muffuletta Sandwich and I couldn’t buy enough of it. This past year, though, I started making it myself – it’s so easy.

Chances are you already have everything you need in your pantry to make the brine; you’ll just need to buy the veggies. The end result is so much fresher and better than anything store-bought.

What is Giardiniera?

Giardiniera (pronounced gaar-deen-ee-uh), is an Italian relish made up of pickled vegetables that soak in seasoned vinegar or oil. This condiment is typically eaten with cured meats or as part of a salad, and most notably on a Muffuletta sandwich. It’s tangy, spicy, and crunchy and brings life to any antipasto charcuterie board.

There are two different versions of Giardiniera – traditional and American (also known as “Chicago-style.) Classic Italian includes cauliflower, carrots, celery, bell peppers, sometimes gherkins, and marinates in olive oil, (red or white) vinegar, herbs, and spices. The vegetables are cut larger and meant to be served as an appetizer. Chicago-style is very similar, but hot peppers are included and the marinade has very little vinegar, if any. The ingredients are cut smaller with more focus on the peppers, and usually served as a condiment/relish. This particular recipe we’re sharing today is like the best of both worlds. Larger pieces, zesty from a vinegar brine, but also a little spicy from Serrano peppers.

What do you use Giardiniera for?

Giardiniera is a super versatile condiment that can be used on so many different foods, like hot dogs, burgers, pizza, in an omelette, mixed into pasta salad, and as an integral part of a Muffuletta. It’s also a perfect addition to an Italian antipasto charcuterie board. You can leave the vegetables in big pieces or chop them up into more of a relish to suit your needs.

Giardiniera Recipe Notes

• Vegetables: As mentioned above, typical vegetables include cauliflower, carrots, celery, and bell peppers. But you can include hot peppers, olives, gherkins, and even radishes.
• Vinegar vs. Oil: Chicago-style Giardiniera doesn’t typically include vinegar, but instead uses oil with a bit of water. You can do either. We prefer a vinegary brine for taste and it also lasts longer in the fridge, since vinegar is a preservative.
• Giardiniera Peppers: We use Serrano peppers, but feel free to use jalapeños for a milder version or sport peppers for a hot version. And if you really like it super spicy, try habanero peppers. Alternatively, if you don’t want any heat at all, just use bell peppers.
• Too Salty? If you find the pickled vegetables are too salty after 36 hours, you can pour one-third of the brine off the top and fill with water, then place the jar back in the fridge.
• My olive oil became solid in the fridge! Help! After being in the refrigerator for a while, the olive oil in the marinade tends to solidify. That’s normal. Just set the jar out on the counter for at least 20 minutes before serving again, which will allow the oil to liquify again. You can even run the jar until hot water to speed the process up.

How to Make Giardiniera

(Scroll below for the detailed printable recipe card.) Here’s a brief summary:

1. Prep and chop all the produce into bite-sized pieces.
2. Set out 4 pint sized jars.
3. Divide olive oil, garlic, serrano pepper, bay leaves, dried oregano, celery seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns between the 4 jars.
4. Make the brine.
5. Pour the boiling brine into each jar.
6. Cool jars at room temperature.
7. Cover with lids, give them a gentle shake, and refrigerate for 36-48 hours.

Proper Storage

How Long Does Giardiniera Last? This particular Giardiniera recipe will keep in the refrigerator, in a sealed jar, for 3 weeks due to the vinegary brine. If you use only oil, it will keep up to 2 weeks. To preserve it longer, can the Giardiniera. You’ll need to blanch all the fresh produce in salty water before adding them to the jars. Then use the traditional canning method of boiling the jars for 10 minutes to properly seal.

Other Pickled Recipes

• Pickled Beets
• Bread and Butter Pickles
• Pickled Red Onions
• Pickled Eggs

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!