Vegetarian Quick Pickled Red Onions with Turmeric & Ginger
These tangy, jewel-toned onions are the kind of condiment that quietly transforms everything they touch — tacos, grain bowls, avocado toast, a simple cheese board. The brine gets a warm, earthy lift from ground turmeric and ginger, plus a gentle sweetness from honey that balances the sharp bite of apple cider vinegar beautifully. There's no canning equipment or complicated technique involved; a small saucepan, a glass jar, and about five minutes of active effort are all it takes. The hot brine does the heavy lifting, softening the onion slices and pulling them into that gorgeous deep pink within half an hour. Every ingredient here is straightforwardly plant-based, so there's nothing to swap or second-guess — just wholesome pantry staples working together. A jar keeps in the fridge and only gets better as the flavors mellow and deepen over the next day or two, making it a brilliant thing to prep ahead for the week.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 large red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pack the sliced red onion into a clean 16 oz glass jar, pressing gently so the slices fit snugly.
- 2
Combine the apple cider vinegar, water, honey, salt, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the honey and salt are fully dissolved, about 2–3 minutes. Do not boil.
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