Broccoli isn’t a traditional Korean vegetable, so this is something that I invented. I hope you like it!
In this video, I am demonstrating how to arrange broccoli and 2 other side dishes that I have already posted on my website in Korean lunch box called Doshiraak (도시락). This is going to be good chance for you to review some Korean recipes and also to give you an idea of making your own lunch in a lunch box.
Check my recipes for the 2 other side dishes: rolled egg omelette and dried anchovy side dish, and make your own dosirak. Enjoy my recipe!!
Ingredients
1 bunch of broccoli (about 700 grams), kosher salt, sugar, vinegar, and water
Directions
- Make pickle juice first:
Put 5 cups of water, ¼ cup of kosher salt, ¼ cup of sugar, and ½ cup of vinegar into a pot and bring to a boil. - Separate the florets from the stems with a knife and cut them into bite sized pieces by cutting lengthwise into halves or quarters.
- Remove the tough bottom ends of the stems, and skin off the rough parts. Then cut them into bite sized pieces.
- Rinse and drain the broccoli florets and stems and put them into a strainer over a large bowl.
- When the pickle juice boils, pour it over the broccoli little by little to blanch. The hot boiling juice will go through the strainer and gather in the bowl under the strainer.
- Immerse the blanched broccoli into icy cold water to keep its bright green color. Strain it.
- Put the broccoli into a glass jar and wait until the pickle juice cools down.
- After the juice cools, pour it into the jar and close the lid.
- Store it in the refrigerator.
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon for that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
It must really depend on what kind of salt and sugar one uses because using just regular sea salt, I made mine way too salty following the recipe. I also used raw sugar and they also turned out much less sweet than I expected. But the crunch is wonderful, more than enough to want to keep the recipe! Next time I’ll just tweak the salt and sugar amounts by a little to adjust them to my taste. I pickled broccolli and cauliflower together, yum!
hi Maangchi, I made this pickled broccoli of yours and as usual it tastes very delicious. Can’t get enough of it and I was wondering can I reuse the pickle brine solution to make another batch of pickled broccoli instead of making a new one?
I’m glad you like the recipe. I don’t reuse the brine. Fresh brine with fresh ingredients is better.
Hi, how long can these broccoli pickles last in the refrigerator?
how super yummy and healthy. i hope to run into you one day at Bryant park. i’m a big fan :) i was just there a few ago with my daughter playing ping pong. great lunch box recipe. thanks!
Thanks for helping me use up my broccoli, Maanghci. I so like your Korean recipes.
I make a variation of this pickle brine with garlic, onion and peppercorns but with less salt. You can pickle many veggies this way especially cucumber. You can also use carrot, cauliflower, ripe tomato, asparagus, bell peppers use your imagination. I used to keep the brine going and continually add veggies as the old ones are eaten. Add a ‘little’ more vinegar when the flavor seems weak.
What Kind of Rice did you make for this doshirak?
It’s multi-grain rice. The recipe is posted here: https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/korean-multigrain-rice
Thank you so much!!! Just finished making some brocolli pickles and im on a low carb diet so i cant have white Rice. You’re a lifesaver! :)
wonderful!
These look lovely and bright green in my fridge! Who cares if they’re not authentic, they’re delicious! Do you have any other suggestions for vegetables that could be pickled sort of like this?
These are really really really salty! I was surprised … next time I’ll use less salt. Until then, I guess I’ll just eat them with a lot of rice!
good, you can adjust the amount of salt to your taste.
oo~~ just whipped up my first batch of this stuff! teehee, let’s see how it turns on in the AM!
me, to Umma: banchan da dwetssumnida~
Umma: eeenghh? mon banchan?
keke.
Hi Maangchi uhnni! Long time fan and first time commentator :) I’m a Korean American with a tight budget and ever since I learned this broccoli pickle from you, I’ve been making it to substitute kimchi(too expensive to buy & too many ingredients to make). My question is this; do you think the same recipe can work with cauliflower?? Thank you for your wonderful work as a Korean cuisine ambassador!
Thank you! yes, cauliflower sounds great to me!
Hi Maangchi!!!
Quick question about your broccoli recipe: my sister and I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the broccoli that is often served as side dishes in Korean restaurants. Are your broccoli pickles similar to the restaurant broccoli? (I don’t think that broccoli is pickled.) If not, can you come up with a recipe for that broccoli???
New to your website… read about you in the Daily News. Congratulations on your success!!!
Welcome to my website and thank you for your interest in my recipes! The broccoli dish you had in a Korean restaurant sounds like it was steamed and seasoned. After steaming it, add salt, minced garlic,sesame oil, and mix it together.
Hey Maangchi,
Just want to ask you, is it alright if my broccoli turns into olive colour like in just a few hours after making? Thanks so much. :)
My pickles are too salty! I know they are meant to be salty and I eat them with plain sticky rice but still too strong. I will try again sometime with a little less salt.
“I will try again sometime with a little less salt” good idea!
Hi Maangchi,
You really make my life more meaningful. I always love to cook and my favourite food has always been Korean. I could not find any Korean recipes before until i found you. I also watch you on YouTube and you are so lovely and very entertaining. I love watching your videos :)
I also just downloaded your eBooks today. I love all of the food that you made on youTube and on your eBooks. I’m going to try all of them. :D I enjoy cooking more now.
I’m going to make some broccoli pickle and cauliflower pickle soon.
Is it okay if I put both together in one jar? and I don’t have any jars, is it okay if I keep them in a large plastic container?
Thank you Maangchi. <3 :D
I think it’ll be ok to use a plastic container. Thank you very much for your interest in my recipes! Happy cooking!
I just made this with Daikon radish, just substituted every place that said broccoli with radish and it turned out fantastic.
awesome! You can leave your successful cooking experience on the forum.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/reader-recipes
It will be easy for me to refer it to my other readers who may be interested in making radish pickles.
Hmm Maangchi… now I’m thinking of making this with cauliflower instead of Brocoli! I think I might try it (if I can find a good jar…) and tell you the results. I think it’ll be good because raw cauliflower is already edible, and it would be perfect if pickled. In fact, I think any raw-edible vegetable can be pickled like this.
Oh I made it with cauliflower! I just used my kimchi jar since I don’t have kimchi at the moment (and I will be going away within a few weeks anyway so I can live without for now ;)).
Is it just me or is the brine VERY salty? I did follow the measurements… but the cauliflowers do taste good. Do you know how long I can keep it, maangchi?
awesome! Your cauliflower pickle will turn out delicious! Yes, the brine is salty because it will be eaten with bland rice. Korean style jangahjji (salty pickles) is different from usual pickle because it’s served with bland rice. But if you want, use less salt.
Had a question…made the pickles around 3pm yesterday and it’s 4pm now. So far everything looks and tastes good but I’m wondering about the still pretty strong vinegar smell/taste. Will that get milder the longer I have it? I’ve never pickled anything myself so I just don’t know if that’s normal or what…
Yes, it’s normal. You didn’t do any wrong. : )
I start eating my broccoli pickles right after making.