Dairy Free Chow Chow Relish
This tangy, golden relish is the kind of condiment that quietly steals the show — piled onto grilled sausages, tucked into sandwiches, or spooned alongside roasted vegetables. Cabbage, carrot, zucchini, and onion get salted and pressed until dry, then simmered in a fragrant brine of apple cider vinegar, honey, turmeric, ginger, and Ceylon cinnamon until everything turns glossy and deeply flavorful. The result is bright, a little sweet, warmly spiced, and completely plant-based by nature — no swaps or substitutions needed. Store-bought relishes and chutneys often sneak in unexpected additives, so making your own means you know exactly what's going in the jar. The squeeze-and-simmer technique is the real secret here: pressing out the vegetable liquid first means the brine clings as a syrupy glaze rather than a watery pool. A short rest in the fridge lets the flavors knit together beautifully, and it keeps for up to two weeks — which means you'll always have something special on hand to elevate a simple meal.
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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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