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Mseyer (Libyan Quick Pickled Vegetables)
Crunchy carrot, cucumber and whole hot green chilies steeped in a sharp brine of lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin and parsley, the quick pickle Libyans set beside couscous and steamed dishes.
Libyan · easy · serves 6
prep 20 min · cook 5 min · plus 6 h hands-off time
~26 cal · 1g protein · 7g carbs · 0g fat · 1g fiber · 3g sugars · 0g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Mseyer, also written mseyyer or mseer, is Libya's quick pickle: vegetables and hot chilies left to in a sharp, garlicky brine of lemon juice, vinegar and water. It is served as a relish beside many Libyan main courses and is an absolute must with imbawkh, the steamed dishes, and with Friday .
Whole hot green peppers are the heart of it, and they are what the name first calls to mind: a hot, sour, crunchy mouthful. Carrot and cucumber join them, sometimes cauliflower or turnip, seasoned with crushed garlic, cumin or caraway, salt and chopped herbs. The chilies are scalded in salted water first so they soften a little and take up the brine.
Mseyer is also a staple of the traditional kitchen of Libyan Jews. Ideally it is made hours ahead, but, as Libyan cooks admit, on a busy Friday it is often mixed just before the goes on the table.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
- 4 to 6 hot green chilies, whole
- 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp for scalding the chilies, 1 tsp for the brine
- 1 carrot, cut into short thin sticks
- 2 small cucumbers, cut into short sticks
- 1 cup cauliflower, in tiny florets, optional
- 1 large garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch caraway seeds, optional
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped, optional
- 4 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 1/2 lemons, juice of 1, and the half cut into small wedges
- about 2 cups cold water, enough to cover
Instructions
- 1Put the chilies in a heatproof bowl with 1 teaspoon of the salt, cover them with boiling water and leave them for 5 minutes, then drain.
- 2Put the chilies in a large glass jar with the carrot, cucumber, cauliflower if using, garlic, cumin, caraway, parsley, coriander, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon wedges and the rest of the salt.
- 3Pour in enough cold water to cover, close the jar and shake well.
- 4Refrigerate for 6 hours so the vegetables take up the brine, then taste for salt and sourness and serve cold beside couscous or a stew.✎ Chef’s noteMseyer is lightly salted, so it is a fridge pickle: keep it cold and eat it within a few days.
Libyan home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Tripoli. Sharba gets made almost daily through Ramadan, and the mint goes in last: a fistful of dried leaves rubbed between the palms into the pot once it is off the heat. The spice base is bzaar, the Libyan blend built on caraway and turmeric rather than anything generically North African.
🗺️
Libya. The Libyan spice base is bzaar, built on caraway and turmeric rather than on the chilli-forward blends further west, and it is what makes a Libyan tomato sauce taste Libyan. Sharba, the soup that opens the meal in Ramadan, is finished off the heat with dried mint rubbed between the palms, which is the step that gives it away.
🌍
Africa. Africa's fifty-four nations hold cuisines as different as Morocco's slow-cooked tagines and South Africa's open-fire braai, yet shared threads run through them: ancient grains like millet, sorghum, and teff; stews thickened with groundnut, okra, or palm; and fiery condiments from Tunisian harissa to Ethiopian berbere. Staple starches, fufu, injera, ugali, couscous, anchor communal meals often eaten by hand from a shared dish, where hospitality is a point of honor.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
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Good to know
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Libya meal
Shahi bil Ful (Libyan Tea)Drink
GhraybahDessert
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Mseyer (Libyan Quick Pickled Vegetables)?
Crunchy carrot, cucumber and whole hot green chilies steeped in a sharp brine of lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin and parsley, the quick pickle Libyans set beside couscous and steamed dishes.
Where does Mseyer (Libyan Quick Pickled Vegetables) come from?
Mseyer (Libyan Quick Pickled Vegetables) is a Libyan dish from Tripoli, Libya.
Can Mseyer (Libyan Quick Pickled Vegetables) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Mseyer (Libyan Quick Pickled Vegetables) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Mseyer (Libyan Quick Pickled Vegetables) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Mseyer (Libyan Quick Pickled Vegetables) take to make?
About 6 h 25 min in all: 20 minutes prep and 5 minutes cooking, plus 6 h of hands-off waiting the method needs, serving 6.
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