Nothing adds umph! to a salad like some marinated veggies. Of course pickles of just about any kind can accomplish the same thing. Whether you are properly pickling, fermenting, or just marinating your vegetables in the fridge, the salty, sour, vinegary kick can add a flavor layer to your dish that completely changes the vibe of your whole meal. We love strong flavors at our house. Strong spices, strong cheeses, cured meats, and a variety of olives and peppers grace our table often.
One thing I love to do at the beginning of the week to make meals easier, is to begin a spice and vinegar jar or container for upcoming salads. The marinated vegetable salad I mentioned in the past is a popular meal prep in our house. Lately, I have taken to also trying this with carrots and cucumbers. It is a great way to use up the less than perfect looking produce.
What you need
- Four thick, long carrots, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/4 red onion sliced or diced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2/3-3/4 cup red wine vinegar
What to do
This is fairly straight forward. Place as many of your carrot slices as you can stuff into a jar or tight lidded glass container, along with your red onion and dry ingredients. Pour your olive oil over the top. Add just enough red wine vinegar to barely cover all of the carrots. Screw your lid on tight and give the jar a good shake. Place your container in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, preferably 48 or more for carrots. If you are using a softer vegetable like cucumbers or zucchini, 24 hours is plenty of time.
If you like something with a sweet and sour zing, replace half of your vinegar with lemon juice and add two tablespoons of sugar. In all honesty, this can sit in the fridge for a couple months and be fine, but some people may want to use it up within two weeks.
What is awesome with your marinated carrots? Oh, lots of things! It is great as an ingredient in a simple salad. Or just as a snack by themselves. You can place a slice on a cracker, or have it with a slice of pungent cheese. I find the carrots are nice with something sweet like apple slices. They are delicious in tuna salad. Overall, I just like making things like this over a weekend to jazz up our boring salad night later in the week. Salad night can get expensive with fancy olives and cheeses, so this is a way to keep them great tasting and lively while sticking to a budget.