4.71 from 17 votes

Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips Recipe

Name: Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 7210 min
Ingredients: 3 cups distilled water; ¼ cup kosher salt, (do not use table salt); 1 cup distilled white vinegar; 2 large turnips, (about 2 pounds, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick batons); 1 small beet, (peeled and cut into 1/2 -inch-thick batons); Dried red chili peppers or red pepper flakes, (optional, to taste)

Suzy Karadsheh

Updated Sep 28, 2026

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Servings

Total Time

5 d 10 mins

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Middle Eastern pickled turnips get their bright pink color from a beet. They take about 10 minutes to prepare, then five days in the refrigerator.

pink pickles in a small plate with a jar of pickled turnips and whole fresh turnips in the background

The Pink Pickles My Mother-in-Law Serves at Brunch

My mother-in-law Dina keeps jars of pickled turnips, pickled cucumbers, and preserved lemons for brunch. She serves them with foul mudammas, an Egyptian fava bean dish, labneh, a tangy strained yogurt, and boiled eggs. These pickles are my riff on hers: crisp, pleasantly sour, and tinted pink by the beet.

The hands-on work is quick. Stir together the brine, cut the turnips and beet into batons, and pack them into a jar. Then refrigerate for five days. I like them tucked into a falafel or shawarma pita, or simply set out with brunch as Dina does.

Ingredients for Pickled Turnips

A beet gives the turnips their color, while vinegar and salt bring the tang. Here’s what you’ll need:

Turnips: Choose firm turnips without soft brown spots. You’ll need about 2 pounds. Smaller turnips tend to be sweeter and milder, but large ones work well here.
Beet: One small red beet is enough to tint the turnips pink. You can eat the pickled beet, too, though it will be chewier than the turnips.
Distilled water: With distilled water, there’s no need to boil the brine. If you use tap water, boil it with the salt, stir in the vinegar, and let the brine cool completely before pouring it over the vegetables.
Kosher salt: Use kosher salt rather than table salt for the brine.
Distilled white vinegar: It gives the turnips their sharp, clean tang.
Dried red chile peppers or red pepper flakes: Add these if you like a little heat.

How to make pickled turnips. Step 1: gather your ingredients, Step 2: slice the turnips into batons, Step 3: add the turnips, beets, and brine to a jar and refrigerate for 5 days, Step 4: serve.

How to Make Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips

Cutting the vegetables into ½-inch-thick batons gives you pickle-sized pieces for snacking or tucking into a sandwich. A baton is simply a thick, stick-shaped cut.

Mix the brine. Stir ¼ cup kosher salt into 3 cups distilled water until the salt dissolves. Stir in 1 cup distilled white vinegar.
Fill the jar. Peel 2 large turnips, about 2 pounds total, and 1 small beet. Cut both into ½-inch-thick batons and place them in a large mason jar with a lid. If you need two jars, divide the beet between them so both batches turn pink. Add dried red chile peppers or red pepper flakes, if using.
Cover and refrigerate. Pour in the brine, making sure it covers the vegetables. Close the jar tightly and refrigerate for 5 days before serving.

turnip batons in mason jars with pickling brine, beets, and dried chiles

Tips for Crisp, Pink Pickled Turnips

Start with firm turnips. Fresh, crisp turnips give you the crunch you want after pickling. Pass over any with brown or soft spots.
Put beet in every jar. If you divide the turnips between two jars, add some beet to each one for an even pink color.
Give them the full five days. The brine needs time to flavor the turnips and turn them pink.

Ways to Change the Flavor

For a different flavor, add an aromatic to the jar:

Bay leaves: Add 1 to 3.
Garlic: Add 1 or 2 cloves, roughly chopped or sliced. Remove the garlic before serving.
Whole spices: Try about 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds, coriander seeds, or peppercorns.

For a little heat, use the optional dried chiles or add ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.

sliced turnip pink pickles in a small blue and white bowl

What to Serve with Pickled Turnips

These tangy, crunchy pickles are especially good beside creamy dips and inside warm pita. Here are a few ways I serve them:

Chop a few batons over a Mediterranean cucumber and tomato salad, or serve them alongside labneh and boiled eggs for brunch.
Stuff them into homemade pita bread with falafel or chicken shawarma. Add a spoonful of tahini sauce.
Set out a bowl on a mezze platter with hummus and olives.

How to Store Pickled Turnips

Keep the turnips in their brine in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

More Pickles and Mediterranean Condiments

Quick Pickled Cucumber Recipe

Quick Pickled Cabbage

Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Vegetables)

Preserved Lemons

4.71 from 17 votes

Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips

Suzy Karadsheh

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Crisp, tangy, and bright pink from one small beet, these pickled turnips are delicious with falafel, shawarma, or a mezze spread. Allow 10 minutes to prepare them and five days in the refrigerator before serving.

Prep:10

Pickling Time:5

Total:5 10

Serves: servings

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups distilled water
▢ ¼ cup kosher salt, do not use table salt
▢ 1 cup distilled white vinegar
▢ 2 large turnips, about 2 pounds, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick batons
▢ 1 small beet, peeled and cut into 1/2 -inch-thick batons
▢ Dried red chili peppers or red pepper flakes, optional, to taste

Instructions

Make the brine. In a large measuring cup or bowl with a pour spout, stir the kosher salt into the distilled water until completely dissolved. Stir in the vinegar.
Fill the jar. Place the turnips and beet in a large mason jar with a lid. Use a second jar if needed, dividing the beet between the jars. Add the chile peppers or red pepper flakes, if using.
Add the brine. Pour the brine over the vegetables, making sure they are fully covered.
Refrigerate. Close the jar tightly and refrigerate for 5 days before serving.

Recipe Notes

Using tap water: Combine the water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vinegar and let the brine cool completely before pouring it over the vegetables.
Salt: Use kosher salt, not table salt.
Storage: Keep the turnips in their brine in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Serving: Add to falafel or shawarma pita sandwiches, set out with mezze, or serve alongside labneh and boiled eggs.
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Nutrition

Calories: 20.9kcal, Carbohydrates: 4.1g, Protein: 0.6g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 1812.9mg, Potassium: 125.6mg, Fiber: 1.2g, Sugar: 2.5g, Vitamin A: 1.7IU, Vitamin C: 12.2mg, Calcium: 21.2mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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