Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (2024)

This Italian giardiniera recipe is the perfect appetizer for your antipasto platter, with loads of garden fresh vegetables tossed in a seasoned vinaigrette. Lots of peppers!

Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (1)

Classic Giardiniera Recipe from Italy

It's time for something seriously awesome in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. It's an appetizer with loads of fresh vegetables, including lots of chili peppers. Our favorite thing! We're talking Homemade Italian Giardiniera, and I think you're going to love it.

If your garden is exploding with peppers and vegetables, this is the perfect recipe for you.

What is Giardiniera?

Giardiniera is an Italian recipe of garden fresh vegetables tossed with a seasoned vinaigrette (vinegar and oil). The name means "gardener" or "from the garden". It is commonly served as an appetizer, though it can also be served as a condiment. It is also referred to as sottaceti, which means "under vinegar", common for pickled vegetables.

It's huge on flavor, perfect for parties and gatherings.

It will be the star of your antipasto platter with its vibrant colors and big flavor. Skip the pasta salad this year and bring giardiniera! Your friends will love you.

Let's talk about how we make Italian giardiniera, shall we?

Italian Giardiniera Ingredients

  • Giardiniera Peppers. I used several colorful sweet peppers (the equivalent of 2 bell peppers) along with 2 jalapeno peppers and 2 serrano peppers for a hot version. You can use milder peppers, like red bell peppers, to your preference. This recipe works with any peppers, either mild and sweet or hot peppers.
  • Fresh Produce. Use 1/2 a head of cauliflower (about 2 cups), 2 medium sized carrots and 2 celery stalks. You can use other fresh produce from your garden or grocer.
  • Oil and Vinegar. Use 1 cup white vinegar (half apple cider vinegar is a nice touch) and 1 cup olive oil.
  • Seasonings. I use 3 cloves garlic, minced, along with 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, and fresh ground black pepper. I also like to use red pepper flakes. You don't need to add extra salt, as you'll get plenty from the initial brine, though you can add more to your taste.

How to Make Italian Giardiniera - the Recipe Method

Brine the Vegetables. To a large bowl, add all of the peppers, carrot, celery and cauliflower. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with cold water and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, covered. I like to brine mine for 24 hours or longer for maximum flavor.

Drain and rinse away the brine. Set aside.

Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (2)

Make the Vinaigrette. In a separate bowl, add garlic, basil, celery seed and ground pepper to taste. Add vinegar and oil and whisk to combine.

Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (3)

Add to your vegetable mixture.

Store in Jars. Pack the vegetables into jars, ensuring the vegetables are covered with your vinegar/oil mixture. I like to use smaller jars.

Refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 days before using, to allow flavors to mingle. A week is better! This will last for several weeks or longer.

Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (4)

Boom! Done! Italian style giardiniera in the house! Ready to serve! I love this stuff. Pretty easy to make, isn't it?

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • The Peppers. You can realistically use any chili peppers for this recipe. I like to use a mix of mostly sweet and some hot peppers when serving it as an appetizer. You can, of course, make this with all hot peppers, which will really bring the heat!
  • Other Ingredients. As the name indicates, you can use any garden fresh vegetables for this recipe. Others you might include are radishes, gherkins, olives and more.
  • How Long Does Giardiniera Last? Giardiniera will keep several weeks in the refrigerator, covered, due to the acidity of the vinegar.
  • Preserving. You can process your giardiniera in a hot water bath of boiling water for longer keeping.

Chicago Style Giardiniera Vs. Italian Giardiniera

Chicago style giardiniera is a variation of Italian giardiniera, with more of a focus on the peppers. Also, the vegetables are much more finely chopped and usually served as a condiment for beef sandwiches, hot dogs and more.

There are hot and mild versions. It's usually made with sport peppers or serrano peppers.

Check out my Homemade Chicago-Style Giardiniera Recipe to learn more. I was born and raised in the Chicago. I love this stuff!

Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (5)

What Do You Use Giardiniera For?

Italian Giardiniera is outstanding as an appetizer, party food or as a snack. More finely chopped, use it as a condiment to serve on sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers and even pizza. It's particularly good on Italian beef sandwiches.

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy your homemade giardiniera! Let me know how you serve it up. Delicious!

Check Out Some of My Other Popular Recipes

  • Chicago Style Giardiniera
  • Pickled Carrots
  • Taqueria Style Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots
  • Blistered Shish*to Peppers
  • How to Make Homemade Mustard - the Basics
  • Homemade Garlic-Chili Sauce
  • Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
  • Homemade Buffalo Sauce
  • Fra Diavolo Sauce
Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (6)

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.

Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (7)

Print

Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (Classic Antipasto)

This Italian giardiniera recipe is the perfect appetizer for your antipasto platter, with loads of garden fresh vegetables tossed in a seasoned vinaigrette. Lots of peppers!

Save Recipe

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: carrots, cauliflower, chili peppers

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Brining: 12 hours hours

Total Time: 12 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Calories: 38kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 12

Tap or hover to scale

4.91 from 10 votes

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Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 bell peppers sliced. Use colorful peppers - you can also use sweet peppers
  • 2 jalapeno peppers sliced
  • 2 serrano peppers (Optional, for a hotter version)
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1/2 head of cauliflower)
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • Ground pepper
  • 1 cup of white vinegar or half white and half apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup olive oil + more as needed

Instructions

  • To a large bowl, add all of the peppers with carrot, celery and cauliflower. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with water and refrigerate for 12 hours, covered.

  • Drain and rinse away the brine. Set aside.

  • In a separate bowl, add garlic, basil, celery seed and ground pepper to taste. Add vinegar and oil and whisk to combine.

  • Add to your vegetable mixture.

  • Place it all into jars, ensuring the vegetables are covered with your vinegar/oil mixture.

  • Refrigerate at least 2 days before using, to allow flavors to mingle. A week is better! Should last you 2-3 weeks.

Video

Notes

Makes about 2 quarts.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 38kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 4735mgPotassium: 158mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2384IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg

Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (8)

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 7/3/20 to include new information, photos and video. It was originally published on 11/4/16.

Homemade Italian Giardiniera Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does homemade giardiniera last in the fridge? ›

Add the vegetables and mix to combine. Allow to marinate overnight. Giardiniera will only get better with time. After 2 days at the most in the bowl, you can place in air-tight mason jars and keep in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 weeks.

What is in giardiniera mix? ›

Chicago-style giardiniera is a medley of chopped vegetables—most commonly, cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, celery, and chile peppers—joined together and preserved in a two-step process: First, they're pickled vinega and then they're marinated in olive oil.

What is the difference between Italian and Chicago giardiniera? ›

Italian style is the kind that's pickled in vinegar. Chicago-style is the same combination of vegetables, but after it is pickled in vinegar, it is marinated in olive oil. When consumed in Chicago, Giardiniera is considered a condiment.

Are there olives in the giardiniera? ›

Chicago-style giardiniera is commonly made spicy with sport peppers or chili flakes, along with a combination of assorted vegetables, including bell peppers, celery, carrots, cauliflower, and sometimes gherkins or olives, all marinated in vegetable oil, olive oil, soybean oil, or any combination of the three.

How to tell if a giardiniera is bad? ›

For giardiniera, you'll want to scan for slight changes in color, texture, smell, or taste. If the vegetables have become mushy or overly soft, it may indicate spoilage.

What is the white stuff in giardiniera? ›

Q: What are the white spots I see on the top after not using my Giardiniera/Muffalata for a long time? A: Do not worry! Those are just the salt deposits from the oil because it was too low and were left on top of the vegetables and olives. Just mix everything back together and the product will be perfectly fine.

What does giardiniera mean in English? ›

noun. [ feminine ] /dʒardinjɛra/ (mestiere) woman gardener.

Does giardiniera go bad? ›

Think of the Giardiniera as you would pickles or olives or something along those lines, and how long you would keep them open and where you would store them at. over time the veggies will start to get soft and when they are no longer appealing, that is definitely time to get ride of them.

How do Italians eat giardiniera? ›

In Italy, giardiniera is most commonly eaten before big meals as a part of the classic ritual of antipasti, in order to get those digestive juices flowing and get people excited for the meal ahead. Giardiniera translates to "from the garden," which is an apt name for the practice from which it originated.

Do Italians eat giardiniera? ›

Giardiniera, a popular Italian pickle made from a mix of vegetables, is the perfect addition to a sandwiches, an antipasto platter, tuna or egg salads, or as a jazzy side to grilled sausages, roasts, or frittatas.

Why is a giardiniera so good? ›

Noticing this trend himself, Kern explains that “it's the combination of textures, acid from the vinegar, richness from the oil, and spice from the peppers,” that makes it such a versatile thing to have in your kitchen. Versatility aside, Chicago-style giardiniera caters to my deep inclination to be lazy.

What brand giardiniera does Portillo's use? ›

The original Italian recipe for giardiniera includes many of the same vegetables used in the Marconi brand giardiniera specially crafted and bottled for Portillo's—pickled peppers, cauliflower, carrots and celery—but with a few key tweaks to the original recipe.

What is the difference between giardiniera and Muffuletta? ›

Muffaletta is a chopped, relish-like condiment featuring many olives and crisp pickled vegetables. Its texture is more like a bruschetta or tapenade. Giardiniera, on the other hand, is a mix of cauliflower florets, carrots, bell peppers and celery, which may or may not include olives.

What is another name for giardiniera? ›

Giardiniera—or mixed pickled vegetables—are usually referred to in Italy simply as sottaceti, literally meaning "under vinegar." They often appear as part of a standard Italian antipasto misto, and they also work very well with boiled meats in the winter months.

Do you refrigerate a giardiniera? ›

Does my Giardiniera need to be refrigerated? A. Giardiniera does not need refrigeration as long as the Oil Level in the Jar is kept above the vegetable level. Refrigeration won't hurt the product, but we recommend serving at room temperature.

Does giardiniera go bad in the fridge? ›

A. Giardiniera does not need refrigeration as long as the Oil Level in the Jar is kept above the vegetable level. Refrigeration won't hurt the product, but we recommend serving at room temperature.

How long is homemade giardiniera good for? ›

If you use only oil, it will keep up to 2 weeks. To preserve it longer, can the Giardiniera. You'll need to blanch all the fresh produce in salty water before adding them to the jars. Then use the traditional canning method of boiling the jars for 10 minutes to properly seal.

How long does a fresh giardiniera last? ›

How Long Does Giardiniera Last? Giardiniera will keep several weeks in the refrigerator, covered, due to the acidity of the vinegar. If you use only oil, use it within 2 weeks.

How long can you keep a giardiniera? ›

Canning them properly, though, will give them a longer shelf life; they will last up to a year (after that they will start to lose their crispy texture). Serve giardiniera with a wide range of foods; it makes an excellent cheese platter garnish.

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