These Middle Eastern Pink Pickled Turnips are crunchy, tangy, salty and properly addictive. If you've ever had shawarma from a Middle Eastern restaurant, you've probably spotted them. Those bright pink sticks tucked into a wrap or piled alongside the chicken are pickled turnips, and they're there for good reason.
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Middle Eastern Pink Pickled Turnips Snapshot
Prep: 10 minutes
Pickling: 5 days
Total: 5 days 10 minutes
Makes: 1 large jar
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Why You'll Love Them
- They're easy - There is no complicated cooking involved. The vegetables go straight into the brine.
- They're crunchy - Fresh turnips give you that proper pickle crunch.
- They're naturally pink - Beetroot slowly colours the turnips as they pickle.
- They balance rich food - The sharpness works particularly well with grilled meats, creamy sauces and warm flatbreads.
- They keep in the fridge - Make a jar and you've got something ready to add to meals throughout the week.
What Are Middle Eastern Pink Pickled Turnips?
Pickled turnips are a popular accompaniment across the Levant and wider Middle East, particularly with dishes such as shawarma and falafel.
They're made by soaking turnips in a vinegar-based brine with salt and aromatics. Beetroot is added to give the turnips their signature pink colour.
The beetroot isn't there to make the pickle taste strongly of beetroot. Its main job is to colour the turnips while adding a little sweetness.
The result is crunchy, sour, salty and slightly sweet.
And that is exactly what you want next to something rich and savoury.
Ingredients
Turnips
Use fresh, firm turnips. They should feel solid rather than soft when you pick them up.
Cutting them into batons keeps plenty of surface area while giving you something substantial to bite into.
Beetroot
Beetroot gives the turnips their characteristic pink colour. You only need a small amount because the colour develops as the vegetables sit in the brine.
White Vinegar
White vinegar gives the pickles their clean, sharp flavour without adding another dominant flavour.
Water
Hot water helps dissolve the salt and sugar before the brine is added to the vegetables.
Salt
Salt seasons the pickles and is an important part of the brine.
Sugar
You only need a little. It doesn't make the finished pickles sweet. It simply balances the sharpness of the vinegar.
Garlic
A smashed garlic clove gives the brine a gentle savoury flavour.
Bay Leaves
Bay leaves add a subtle aromatic note to the pickle.
How To Make Middle Eastern Pink Pickled Turnips
1. Prepare the vegetables
Peel the turnips and beetroot.
Cut the turnips into batons around 1-1.5cm thick. Thinly slice or cut the beetroot into small pieces.
2. Make the brine
Add the hot water, white vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic and bay leaves to a clean glass jar.
Stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
3. Add the vegetables
Pack the turnips and beetroot into the jar.
Make sure the vegetables are completely covered by the brine.
4. Leave to pickle
Allow the jar to cool completely before sealing.
Leave for 5 days so the turnips can develop their flavour and take on that beautiful pink colour.
5. Place in the fridge
Transfer the jar to the fridge once pickled.
Keep the vegetables submerged in the brine and use clean utensils whenever you remove them.
Testing Notes
- Use firm turnips - This is the easiest way to get a good crunchy pickle.
- Don't cut them too thinly - You want enough thickness for the turnip to retain its bite.
- The colour develops gradually - The turnips won't necessarily be bright pink straight away. The beetroot will continue colouring them as they sit.
- The beetroot flavour shouldn't dominate - The finished pickle should taste primarily of sharp, salty, crunchy turnip.
- Keep everything submerged - Any vegetables sitting above the brine won't pickle evenly.
Tips For The Best Pickled Turnips
- Choose fresh, firm turnips.
- Cut the turnips into similar-sized batons.
- Use a clean glass jar.
- Make sure the vegetables remain covered by the brine.
- Allow the brine to cool before sealing the jar.
- Don't reduce the salt or vinegar in the recipe.
- Use clean utensils when removing the pickles.
- Refrigerate once pickled.
What To Serve With Pickled Turnips
This is where these little pink pickles really earn their place in the fridge.
The most obvious pairing. Add them to my Lebanese Chicken Shawarma with garlic sauce and flatbread. The crunchy, acidic turnips cut through the rich chicken and creamy sauce beautifully.
They're also excellent alongside my Shawarma Spatchcock Roast Chicken. Serve the chicken with rice, salad, toum and a pile of these pickles.
Add them to Chicken Shawarma Bowls with Garlic Sauce & Turmeric Rice. The bowl already has spiced chicken, rice, salad and garlic sauce, and the pickled turnips bring the sharpness and crunch.
A handful of these alongside my Chicken Shawarma Spiced Hummus Bowl is an easy win. Creamy hummus and sharp pickles were made for each other.
Serve them with my Shish Tawook Meal Prep Bowls with Lebanese Rice. They make a really easy addition to the chicken, rice, salad and garlic sauce.
Stuff them into my Easy Homemade Turkish Chicken Doner with the chicken, salad and sauces. They give the whole thing that takeaway-shop feeling.
And don't overlook tacos. My Middle Eastern Smash Tacos are packed with spiced meat, salad and tahini sauce, and the pickled turnips add exactly the sharp, crunchy contrast they need.
They're also great on mezze platters with hummus, baba ganoush, falafel and flatbread.
How To Store Pickled Turnips
Once pickled, keep the turnips refrigerated and submerged in their brine.
Always use clean utensils when taking them from the jar.
For the best texture and flavour, use within 1 month.
FAQs
Why are my pickled turnips pink?
The beetroot releases its natural colour into the vinegar brine, gradually turning the turnips pink.
Can I make pickled turnips without beetroot?
Yes, but they won't have the characteristic pink colour. Beetroot is mainly used for colour and adds a little sweetness.
How long do pickled turnips take?
Give them around 5 days for the flavour and colour to develop.
Are Middle Eastern pickled turnips spicy?
No. Traditional pickled turnips are not particularly spicy. They're salty, sour, slightly sweet and crunchy.
Do pickled turnips need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Once they've finished pickling, store them in the fridge and keep them submerged in the brine.
More Middle Eastern Recipes:
Shorbat Adas - Arabic (Middle Eastern) Lentil Soup
Kabsa (Machboos): the Middle East's iconic Chicken and Rice Dish
Lebanese Spatchcock Chicken Tray Bake with Baby Potatoes
Baked Lebanese Shawarma Kofta Meatballs (Lamb or Chicken)
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📖 Recipe
Middle Eastern Pink Pickled Turnips
Ingredients
- 350 g Turnips peeled
- 1 Small Beetroot peeled
- 360 ml Hot Water
- 120 ml White Vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Sea Salt Fine
- 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 2 Garlic Cloves smashed
- 2 Bay Leaves
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
- Peel the turnips and beetroot.
- Cut the turnips into batons around 1-1.5cm thick. Thinly slice or cut the beetroot into small pieces.
Make the brine
- Add the hot water, white vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic and bay leaves to a clean glass jar.
- Stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
Add the vegetables
- Pack the turnips and beetroot into the jar.
- Make sure the vegetables are completely covered by the brine.
- Leave to pickle
- Allow the jar to cool completely before sealing.
- Leave for 5 days so the turnips can develop their flavour and take on the pink colour.
- Place in the fridge
- Transfer the jar to the fridge once pickled.
- Keep the vegetables submerged in the brine and use clean utensils whenever you remove them.
Notes
Testing Notes
- Use firm turnips - This is the easiest way to get a good crunchy pickle.
- Don't cut them too thinly - You want enough thickness for the turnip to retain its bite.
- The colour develops gradually - The turnips won't necessarily be bright pink straight away. The beetroot will continue colouring them as they sit.
- The beetroot flavour shouldn't dominate - The finished pickle should taste primarily of sharp, salty, crunchy turnip.
- Keep everything submerged - Any vegetables sitting above the brine won't pickle evenly.
Tips For The Best Pickled Turnips
- Choose fresh, firm turnips.
- Cut the turnips into similar-sized batons.
- Use a clean glass jar.
- Make sure the vegetables remain covered by the brine.
- Allow the brine to cool before sealing the jar.
- Don't reduce the salt or vinegar in the recipe.
- Use clean utensils when removing the pickles.
- Refrigerate once pickled.
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