Healthy Pickle Recipes

This green tomato pickle recipe combines the best of Jewish deli pickles and Southern-style pickles. Fermented for 4 to 10 days rather than brined in a vinegar solution, these delightfully sour pickles are worth the wait; they make a great snack, side or topping for burgers and sandwiches. Be sure to use firm green tomatoes without any blush of pink, as ripening tomatoes will turn mushy during fermentation.

Learn how to pickle jalapeños with this easy recipe. Use pickled jalapeños in tacos, on sandwiches and more for a bite of acidity, brightness and heat.

Chopped pickled tomatillos make a delicious garnish for tacos and quesadillas.

The rosy blush of these pickled radishes deepens as they sit, but if tossed with the dressing too far in advance, they will lose their crispness. Enjoy these pickled radishes in a salad, as part of a charcuterie board and more.

Supermarket dill pickles can't beat the fresh flavor and snap of homemade.

These spicy pickled vegetables are like a Mexican version of Italian giardiniera and are delicious with tacos and as a condiment for any sandwich or burger. The recipe makes a large batch but it keeps well in the refrigerator. Packed into glass jars, it makes a nice gift.

Crunchy and tart, these pickled carrots and daikon are a great counterpoint to big savory flavors, especially in Chinese and Vietnamese meals. Reprinted from Real Food Heals by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Seamus Mullen

This wonderful quick fridge pickle recipe is a delicious addition to salads (try it with beets and spicy arugula) or served on a cheese or charcuterie plate. It's also especially delicious with smoked fish and pâtés.

This easy banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) recipe features crunchy sweet-and-sour pickles, rich and tender chicken finished with a tangy lime mayo and fresh cilantro for a healthy, mouthwatering meal.

While you might not think of pickling Brussels sprouts, they make a delightful garnish for a Bloody Mary.

These homemade pickled bell peppers are a tasty addition to a cheese board or sandwich.

Meet your new favorite topper for summertime barbecue foods and winter braises alike. Generously spoon this sunshine-hued relish over anything that needs a hit of brightness, including but not limited to: burgers, hot dogs, pizza, pulled pork sandwiches, grilled vegetables, salads or even a cheese plate. No green tomatoes? Firm red tomatoes are a fine substitute.

This pickled beets recipe is super simple, yet full of big flavor. This is partly because we roast beets first (which concentrates their sweetness) and also add a healthy dose of fennel seeds for dynamite flavor. Once the beets sufficiently pickled, add them to salads or alongside your favorite grilled meats for a pleasant hit of acidity.

Tangy horseradish and dill dress pickled beets in this simple, colorful side dish. Make it a meal: Serve alongside Smorgastarta.

The classic Bloody Mary is an easy, go-to brunch cocktail meant to jolt you back into reality with spice and booze after a late night out. "Hair of the dog" is a tried-and-true treatment for those droopy-eyed mornings, but spike your Bloody Mary with a lively jumble of these cider vinegar pickles for a real cure-all that will open those eyes. Green cherry tomatoes are especially fun in this mix because they end up looking like green olives.

You may not think to combine olives and okra, let alone throw olives in your pickle jar. But trust: get your hands on the nicest okra possible and tuck it in a jar with briny olives, summer basil and a mean pickling liquid—you'll see what the fuss is about with this quick preserve. Speaking of pickling liquid, this recipe calls for rice vinegar, which has less than 5% acidity—the minimum for safe canning—so this pickled okra is for the refrigerator only. Chop and scatter pickled okra over roast chicken, toss into salads, spoon onto cheese plates or eat 'em straight from the jar.

These awesome habanero-spiced pickled okra are the perfect crunchy treat to turn anyone on to the beauty of this underappreciated vegetable.

Skip Grandma's mushroom-soup-drenched casserole this year and cook this fresher green bean side dish with a tangy shallot and walnut relish instead. If you can't find white balsamic vinegar, use apple-cider vinegar (instead of regular balsamic vinegar) instead.

In this spicy-sweet marinated vegetable recipe, harissa and jalapeño lend quite a bit of heat, so adjust to your taste. Serve the giardiniera with grilled chicken or steak, or on top of your favorite salad for a vinegary bite.

Satsuma mandarins are grown throughout Louisiana. These easy-to-peel fruit add a bright juicy burst to this salad that's featured on the holiday menu at Brigtsen's restaurant in New Orleans.

The combination of green zucchini and yellow summer squash make attractive pickles.

To add a pop of tart heat to any dish, throw on these DIY pickled peppers. Reprinted from Real Food Heals by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Seamus Mullen

This pickled okra is crunchy, with just a hint of heat from Fresno chiles. The tender-crisp okra pods have a nice balance of sweet and sour thanks to cider vinegar and just a touch of sugar. Keep a jar on hand for snacks, enjoy as a side or slice them up to top a salad

This recipe is super-versatile—just about any green that's hanging out in your crisper can be whirred into the garlicky sauce, and you can swap plums for the peaches and quinoa for the couscous.