Simple Cooking: Easy Giardiniera

By Caitlin Klein in Food on Aug 10, 2011 6:00PM

Giardiniera is one of Chicago's favorite condiments, so learn to make it already, will ya? Use this season’s bounty to make an easy Giardiniera to use on relish trays, in pasta, or over some Italian beef.

We will provide you with our basic recipe below, but as any Chicagoan will tell you, Giardiniera is highly personal. Try adding vegetables, peppers, or spices to make it your own. For example, if you want your Giardiniera to have a stronger Italian lean, add some fresh oregano and rosemary. If you are looking for a mix to set your mouth on fire, add some red pepper flakes or diced jalapenos. You can choose to keep your vegetables large, as we did here, or dice them smaller to make your Giardiniera easier to spoon out of the jar. Finally, some people prefer their Giardiniera in oil instead of water. This recipe is easily customizable, so make it as unique as you are.

Chicagoist’s Basic Giardiniera (Makes 5 jars)
3 cups chopped cauliflower
3 cups chopped carrots
3 cups chopped celery
1.5 cups chopped red pepper
1.5 cups green beans with the ends cut off
1/2 cup pearl onions
5 Tablespoons peppercorn
2 ½ teaspoons celery seed
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons salt
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
5 large jars with lids

Instructions
1. Parboil chopped carrots and green beans. Remove and strain after they are slightly soft, but not cooked (about 3 minutes). Do the same with the cauliflower, but use less time.
2. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of peppercorn, ½ teaspoon celery seed, and 1 minced garlic clove in the bottom of each jar.
3. Stuff each jar with vegetables, taking care to get a good mix up in there.
4. In a large pot, stir together the salt, vinegar, sugar, and water. Heat the mixture just to bubbly, then cool down. Ladle into jars and close tightly.

The jars should be refrigerated, and consumed within 3 weeks. For a longer shelf life, consider canning your Giardiniera.