Lactose Free Classic Relish
Bright, tangy, and loaded with garden-fresh vegetables, this homemade relish is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste better — from hot dogs and burgers to grain bowls and sandwiches. The ingredient list is completely plant-based, built around cucumbers, bell peppers, onion, and a punchy brine of white vinegar, sugar, and warm spices like mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric. That means there's zero dairy involved at any stage, so anyone avoiding lactose can dig in without a second thought. The salting step is the real secret here — drawing out excess moisture from the vegetables first means your relish gets that perfectly thickened, glossy texture rather than turning watery in the jar. A short simmer in the spiced vinegar brine pulls everything together into something that tastes far more complex than the simple ingredient list suggests. Keep a jar in the fridge and you'll find yourself reaching for it constantly.
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Learn more →Ingredients
16 servings
- 4 cups english cucumbers, finely chopped (about 3 medium cucumbers)
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 medium onion)
- ½ cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- ½ tsp celery seed
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- 1
Combine the chopped cucumbers, onion, and both bell peppers in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the kosher salt over the vegetables and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, until the vegetables have released a significant amount of liquid.
- 2
Transfer the salted vegetables to a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Press firmly with your hands or the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible — the vegetables should feel noticeably drier.
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