Vietnamese Pickled Shrimp and Vegetables

Are you ready to nosh on fresh and vibrant Vietnamese Pickled Shrimp and Vegetables? These quick Asian pickles are bursting with fresh carrots, radishes, ginger, lime, fresh chilis and juicy shrimp in a flavorful brine.

We just can’t stop eating this delicious snack over crispy rice paper crackers or in an avocado boat for a healthy lunch.  It’s the perfect topping for banh mi sandwiches, salads or just straight out of the jar.

Quick Pickles with a Twist

Traditional Vietnamese Đồ chua (which translates to pickles) is usually made with carrots, daikon radish, a ton of sugar usually takes a few days to ferment. Our easy Vietnamese Pickled Shrimp and Vegetables is savory and sourer with a punch of heat from the chili and fresh ginger. It requires no fermentation, no cooking, it’s low in sugar and you can pretty much be enjoying it within the 30 minutes it’s prepared. You got to love that!

It's a great idea for spring and summer gatherings, picnics, and a fun last-minute appetizer. If you are huge pickle lovers like us, be sure to try these quick Asian pickled shrimp and vegetables, lemon daikon refrigerator pickles and spicy garlic cucumber pickles at your next gathering.

Ingredients

Fresh ginger – now this is something special – bright and a bit warming. If you are not keen on ginger, this can be omitted but you have no idea what you have been missing out on.

Cooked Poached Shrimp or Prawns– To save time we used medium frozen poached and peeled shrimp, or you can poach your own. I left the tails on the shrimp because of the photoshoot. However, for personal use, I would remove the tail to make it easier to eat.

Carrots – add the natural sweetness and a crisp texture to the pickles.

Radishes – We used the regular red radishes as they are in season right now. However, you can also use daikon radishes, like we use for daikon bacon radish cake or Chinese beef noodle soup.

Coriander/Cilantro Stems – this is an optional ingredient but adds so much flavor to brines, salad dressing and sauces like prik nam pla. Most people enjoy the cilantro leaves and throw away the stems. However, the stems have so much flavor and they don’t disintegrate in the brine like the leaves do.

Lime Slices – Give that punch of floral sour and fresh signature Vietnamese flavor.

Fish Sauce – Savory and funky flavor we love. We used the Red Boat fish sauce to keep it gluten free.

Rice Wine Vinegar – but you can also use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

Honey – for just a touch of sweetness to melo out the acid from the vinegar and lime juice.

Fresh Chili Peppers – of course optional! However, if you like a little heat, then it is a must. You can use fresh chili peppers of choice or even just a jalapeno.

How to Make Vietnamese Pickles

• Thaw frozen cooked (poached) shrimp or poach raw shrimp and cool. Peel and remove the vein.

• Peel and julienne slice ginger and carrots.

• Julienne slice radish and limes.

• Chop coriander stems and slice optional chili peppers. In a medium bowl add microwaved honey, fish sauce and vinegar and mix well.
• In a clean mason jar or sealable food storage device, layer the julienne sliced ginger, prepared shrimp, carrots, radish, limes, coriander, chili peppers. Pour the brine of fish sauce, vinegar and honey over the shrimp and veggies. Shake well and refrigerate for at least an hour before enjoying.

Shrimp Tips

• Using medium or smaller shrimp is preferred so it takes less time for them to pickle.
• From a texture perspective it is nicer when everything is similar in size. You could even slice larger shrimp in half lengthwise like we did in our fresh summer rolls, for optimal flavor absorption.
• It is best to remove the tail from the shrimp to make it easier to eat. We left it on just for the photo shoot – hey it’s all about looking cute in the shot!
• To keep it simple we used frozen already cooked shrimp with the shells off. See the FAQ section below to learn how to poach raw shrimp from frozen.

Recipe Tips

• For making quick pickles, glass jars are preferred because they are non-reactive. This preserves flavor in acidic brines. While food-grade plastic containers can be used, I worry about plastics leaching out into the food. In addition, avoid materials like copper or iron that may react with the acid and make the pickles taste metallic.
• Do not worry if the brine does not fully cover the shrimp and veggies. Initially it leaves some exposed, but after a gentle shake, the brine works its magic. It causes the veggies to soften and gradually sink below the surface, fully immersing them in the flavorful liquid.
• As this recipe includes fish sauce and fresh limes, the brine will turn slightly cloudy in a few hours, and this is okay.
• Allow at least 30 minutes before enjoying and best enjoyed within 24 hours. Vinegar and lime juice can cook or breaks down the protein structure the shrimp as it sits. It can change the texture of the shrimp, so it is best used within the same day.
• If you want to keep the pickled shrimp longer, do not add the brine until about 30 minutes before you are ready to serve.
• Do not freeze fresh refrigerator pickles because the texture is just not the same after the thaw.