Background Fermented foods have been an important part of the human diet for millenaries all over the world. Regarding fermented vegetables, they belong to traditionally consumed products in Asian countries, but now benefit from a renewed interest in Western countries. Scope and approach This review first gives a panorama of the large diversity of fermented vegetables, their history and the renewed interest they spark in the society and the scientific community. It summarises the advancement of knowledge on the spontaneous microbial community that develops during the fermentation process, which contains a large diversity of lactic acid bacteria including a few keystone species, but also other bacteria and yeasts. It details the consequences of microbial activities on the composition, safety aspects and the organoleptic, nutritional and health properties of fermented vegetables. Key findings and conclusions Fermented vegetables meet many societal expectations. The microbiological and biochemical changes that occur during fermentation are increasingly known. In many areas however, further investigations are necessary to better document the potential sanitary issues and the ways of controlling them, the potential health benefits of these “microbial foods”, the interest of selected starters to bring specific organoleptic and/or health properties, and thus better exploit the potential of innovation in this area.