Dưa Giá (Pickled Bean Sprouts)

It's only one more week to Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) and I am just barely starting to prepare food for the new year. Last year I had made Mứt Tắc (Candied Kumquats), Giò Thủ (Vietnamese Head Cheese), Dưa Món (Pickled Vegetables in Fish Sauce), and Nem Chua (Cured/Fermented Beef). But a new year calls for new recipes to enjoy!

Let's start with something light, crisp, and healthy - excellent for those of us who are weight conscious and needs to lose a pound here and there. Dưa Giá is a refreshing condiment that adds a pleasurable tartness to any braised or simmered dish such as Thịt Trứng Kho Tàu (Vietnamese Braised Pork and Boiled Eggs).

This healthy Dưa Giá is very easy and incredibly fast to make. It is packed with vegetables, herb and spices including bean sprouts, chives, red peppers, ginger, carrot, and your old reliable salt, sugar, and vinegar. This combination produces a special flavor and zest that renders a wonderful side dish.  Dưa Giá is a versatile recipe that can also be enjoyed as a salad!

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RECIPE: Dưa Giá

Printable Recipe

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Ingredients

3 bags Bean Sprout (8 oz per bag)

3 small Carrots

1 bunch Chives

1 piece fresh Ginger

4 small or 1 large Red, Yellow, or Orange Sweet Bell Peppers

8 cups Water

2 cups Vinegar

2 cups Sugar 

3 tablespoons Salt

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Preparing Vinegar Brine

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add salt, sugar and vinegar then stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool.

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Preparing Bean Sprouts, Carrots, Ginger, Bell Peppers, and Chives

Bean Sprouts - rinse with cold water. Drain.  Carrots - peel, wash and cut into matchsticks.  

Ginger - peel, wash and slice lengthwise with peeler, then cut into matchsticks.

Red Sweet Bell Peppers - wash and cut peppers into matchsticks.

Chives - wash and cut into an inch segments.

In a bowl, add bean sprouts, carrots, ginger, bell peppers, and chives, tossing well to combine.

Pack the vegetables into a clean, dry glass container. Pour vinegar brine over the vegetables to cover completely. It's okay if the vegetables are not submerged. They will shrink in volume in about 10 minutes. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Pickles will keep for at least two weeks.

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Presentation

To serve, transfer pickled sprouts onto a plate. Enjoy this crisp and cool pickled bean sprouts with bánh chưng or bánh tét (Vietnamese steamed cakes) with braised pork and eggs.  You can also add the touch of tang, sweet and sour crunch and flavor to bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich).

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!