This gets filed under the “little work for big return” recipes. A quick soak in a simple pickling solution gives regular carrots and cucumbers and extra flavor burst that is both salty and sweet with a hint of tart thanks to the rice vinegar. Want to add a little something special to sandwiches? Try these. This recipe is a key ingredient in our Seitan Bahn Mi sandwich (recipe coming soon).  They also work great in sushi.  This is also a great recipe for practicing your knife skills.  You want the carrot and cucumber strips to be about 3 inches long. They can be longer and thicker, but then they will require a little more soaking time to allow the brine to work its magic.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Marinading time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cucumber
2 carrots
1 cup water
2 TBL white vinegar
2 TBL sugar
1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Peel cucumber, slice in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Cut in half widthwise and slice into long matchlike strips.

Cucumbers all peeled and seeds removed.

2. Peel carrots and slice in half widthwise. Slice into long matchlike strips.

Cucumbers and carrots all sliced and ready for marinading.

3. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  Make sure the sugar and salt dissolve into the water and vinegar.

4. Add cucumber and carrot strips to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using. Make sure all the vegetables are completely submerged.  If you are short on time, you don’t need to refrigerate it. Just let is sit out for 10 minutes.

Cucumber and carrot strips taking a bath in the pickling solution.

5. When ready to use, remove the cucumbers and carrots from the marinade and blot dry.