Perk up your plate with gloriously pink pickled veg

From quick jarred onions to a Russian salad, or beetroot adding a hit of pink-purple in a Middle Eastern pickle, these vibrant veg add a pop to your plate – and in the mouth!

Credit: Andrew Dorn

— See Jason Atherton making his pickled beet dish on Jason Atherton's Dubai Dishes, airing on SBS Food Wednesdays 8.30pm from 3 April, and also streaming as part of SBS On Demand's Eid Collection. You can see Joseph Abboud making his pickles in the 'Meze' episode of Middle East Feast with Shane Delia, also streaming as part of the Eid collection. —

Whether you get a little fancy with pickled beetroot served up with burrata and pinenut crumble or whip up a simple, quick onion pickle, the bright pink notes of these perky vegetables will liven up your plate.

Sumac pickled onions

Credit: Tammi Kwok

Made all in the jar, this easy red onion pickle can be adapted to pickle radish, broccoli stems or even apple peel. You can eat this immediately, or keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Pickled beetroot, burrata and pinenut crumble

Pickled beetroot with burrata and pine nut crumble. Credit: Jason Atherton's Dubai Dishes / James Bailey

In Jason Atherton's Dubai Dishes, the Michelin-starred British chef travels to the city where he worked for part of his career, and where he now has several ventures. Sharing his passion for Dubai's culinary heritage, he visits places around the city, meets up with new food stars and cooks up several recipes in each episode – including this vibrant dish of pickled beetroot with a pine nut crumble (find a version of the recipe here), inspired by a visit to huge Dubai vegetable market.

Pink pickled vegetables

Credit: Andrew Dorn

Melbourne's Joseph Abboud shared this recipe on the Middle East Feast with Shane Delia. Cauliflower, garlic and baby turnips are given a great pink-purple hue in this pickle, made with white wine vinegar, allspice, pepper and fennel seeds. This one should be refrigerated for a week before eating.

Yucatán pickles

Credit: Hardie Grant Books

You can find these pickles like these at pretty much every taqueria and taco stand in Yucatán, Mexico. They’re super easy to make and are a great addition to tacos, sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs as well as fresh seafood. Red onions come together with red wine vinegar, peppercorns, garlic and oregano. These are best chilled for at least three hours before serving, although they'll keep for a week, so you can also make them well in advance.

Pickled pink cauliflower

Credit: Murdoch Books / Ben Dearnley

Alice Zaslavsky serves up these fantastic florets as part of a recipe for what she calls "Hubba-babaghanoush" - a dip for those who can't decide whether they want hummus or babaganoush.

Beetroot, carrot and potato salad (vinegret)

This vibrant salad is traditionally served for Russian Orthodox Easter. A colourful combination of fresh and pickled vegetables, this recipe from Marsha Tsitovitch is the perfect side for any feast.

Lime-pickled red onions

Credit: Quadrille / Mowie Key

Another slight twist on the quick-pickled onions idea, this version from Catherine Phipps uses lime juice, rather than vinegar. These can be served after 30 minutes of standing time, but can also be made ahead and stored in the fridge. Phipps suggests serving with her recipe for marinated chicken with soft flatbreads.

Pickled beet and daikon

Credit: Outback Gourmet

Justine Schofield's recipe combines sliced onion, grated beetroot and daikon, ginger, cumin, sugar and salt to make a bright purple-red 'pickle' (really more a spiced condiment, since there's no acidic element), which she serves with pork chops and smoked labneh.