Quick Pickled Summer Squash and Bok Choy

Pickled food is something that I have always loved. However, I get tired of cucumber pickles and like to pickle other vegetables. Today I made a quick squash and bok choy pickle.

These pickled vegetables are tart and a little spicy. Bok choy is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, which also fights cancer. Yellow and green squash were added for texture and color. Dill, turmeric and mustard seed are traditional in pickles so I also included them here.

This salad is fresh and light and makes a good side dish to accompany any meal. It is surprising how much flavor this salad has given its lack of fat. The fresh dill adds to the lightness of the taste.

Quick Pickled Summer Squash and Bok Choy
Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 cups bok choy, finely shredded
2 zucchini, cut into long thin strips
2 yellow summer squash, cut into long thin strips
2 tablespoons kosher salt
4-6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or more to taste
¼ cup fresh dill, finely minced (or other fresh herb or your choice)
1 teaspoon black mustard seed
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon ginger, powdered
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 - 2 tablespoons agave, to taste – optional
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced - optional

Directions:

Combine the bok choy, zucchini and summer squash with the kosher salt and toss to combine. If you choose to add the onion include them in the vegetable mixture that is salted. Allow this mixture to stand for at least 45 minutes, longer is fine. The salt will pull much of the water from the vegetables and cause them to wilt by about 1/3. Move the vegetables to a fine sieve and thoroughly rinse them of the excess salt. When you think the salt is gone taste the vegetables to be certain. You want on a hint of salt to remain but no more.

Move the rinsed and thoroughly drained vegetables to a Ziploc bag and add the apple cider vinegar, fresh herb and black pepper. Refrigerate the mixture and periodically turn it over the make certain all the vegetables can absorb the vinegar and flavors. I like to allow at least two hours in the refrigerator for the vegetables to absorb the vinegar and herb flavor. If you choose to add the agave drizzle it in at the end and the toss the vegetables. I didn’t use any agave but a tablespoon or two may be required if you had a heavy hand with the vinegar.

Serve cold.

Nutritional Information (does not include optional ingredients):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 69.57
Calories From Fat (12%) - 8.54

Total Fat - 1.03g
Saturated Fat - 0.17g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 341.22mg
Potassium - 1079.23mg
Total Carbohydrates - 12.76g
Fiber - 4.57g
Sugar - 7.12g
Protein - 5.6g

Comments:

If you are a fan of dill pickles this is a recipe I think you may enjoy. My husband, who is not a dill pickle lover, thought these were good. I think it was because the vinegar is much more subtle in this recipe than in a traditional dill pickle. If everyone in your family likes brined food this recipe will work well with more vinegar.