Chicken Free Chow Chow Relish
This tangy, golden relish is a Southern classic made entirely from vegetables, vinegar, and warm spices — no meat, no poultry, nothing but pure garden goodness in a jar. Shredded cabbage, grated carrot, zucchini, and onion get salted and squeezed dry before simmering in apple cider vinegar and honey, which means you end up with a deeply flavored, syrupy condiment rather than a watery, forgettable pickle. The addition of turmeric, ginger, and Ceylon cinnamon gives it a subtle warmth that sets it apart from anything you'd find on a grocery store shelf. Squeezing the vegetables thoroughly before cooking is the key step — it concentrates the flavor and helps the glaze cling to every shred instead of sitting in a puddle at the bottom of the jar. Once it cools and chills, the flavors knit together into something genuinely addictive. Pile it onto hot dogs, stir it into potato salad, or serve it alongside beans and rice for a bright, punchy contrast. It keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, so one batch goes a long way.
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Learn more →Ingredients
16 servings
- 3 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 cup carrot, finely grated
- 1 cup zucchini, finely diced
- ½ cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
For finishing
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
Instructions
- 1
Combine the shredded cabbage, grated carrot, diced zucchini, and diced onion in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fine sea salt and toss well to coat. Let the vegetables sit for 1 hour at room temperature until they have released a significant amount of liquid and softened noticeably.
- 2
Transfer the salted vegetables to a clean kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth and squeeze firmly over the sink until as much liquid as possible has been expelled — the vegetables should feel dry and compact.
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