Vietnamese quick pickled vegetables perfect for summer sandwiches

At this time of year it’s great to see produce for sale in supermarkets and farmers’ markets with their greens still on. Bunches of rosy-cheeked radishes, carrots and beetroot all look amazingly fresh, and have that “just pulled from the ground” look. It symbolises abundance and freshness, farm-to-plate seems doable, and there’s a real feel-good factor to seeing that bunch of fresh veg sitting in the trolley.

But those leafy green tops sap energy, and will continue to draw sustenance from the root, aka the vegetable. This results in soft carrots and chewy radishes. To avoid this happening, remove the tops as soon as you get home. You can wash them and reserve them. I add beetroot tops to stir fries, or I juice them. Carrot tops can be used to make pesto: just add herbs too for more flavour. They taste similar to parsley and are a little bitter; they can be sautéed along with spinach and a squeeze of lemon to make a tasty side dish. Radish tops can be added to salads or used in stir fries and pestos.

As always, I would only go to this effort of keeping the greens when I know they are grown organically or chemical-free. Otherwise, you can soak them in a mixture of vinegar and water to try to remove any pesticides before using them.

When I do buy bunches of carrots, it’s good to make sure they are all used. Pickling has always been a fantastic way to preserve any leftover vegetables. It’s also the ultimate meal prep. Having a jar of pickled tasty vegetables to be able to grab to transform a sandwich or salad, top a curry or stew, is invaluable. So I always have a few jars of vegetables sitting in a salty sweet brine.

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This Vietnamese-style quick pickle is my particular favourite. It’s a key component for Bahn Mi sandwiches, the perfect lunchtime bread roll for summer. All you need is a crusty bread roll, spicy mayonnaise, a bunch of coriander and some chicken or tofu, along with these pickles. In just an hour, the vegetables will soak up the vinegar. I like to add peppercorns or slices of chilli pepper for extra spice. Herbs like thyme or coriander can add subtle flavour. Rice wine vinegar has just the right flavour for this, and I use half apple cider vinegar too, but regular white vinegar would also work. You can reuse this pickling brine again, or add to dressings. It’ll be quite fiery thanks to the chilli, and perfect for making marinades for chicken.

As mentioned these are ideal for making Banh Mi, but they’re also the perfect side for a barbecue, fish tacos or to top a curry.

Recipe: Vietnamese quick pickled vegetables