How to Properly Cook Vegetables: Methods and Tips

If you are an avid cook or a complete beginner, if you want to use vegetables in the kitchen, you better know how to cook them properly. Too often cooks can overcook or undercook, add too much salt or seasoning, or just plain pick the wrong method for cooking. We want to help you with some methods and tips when it comes to cooking your vegetables properly. 

Choosing Your Method To Cook

There are endless techniques for cooking veggies to get the most of their flavor and keep their nutritional value. Here are a few tips for ways to cook your vegetables. 

Raw

Sometimes the best way to serve veg is by not cooking it at all. All sorts of veggies you may not consider are great tasting with no prep. 

Boiling

Make sure you don’t boil your veggies too long, as you will lose the nutrients, best to boil them for just a few minutes until tender and still bright in color. 

Instant Pot

This can be a healthy and fast way to cook your veg. This recipe from Corrie cooks shows how to cook cauliflower. A simple and easy recipe that is perfect for weight loss and loaded with health benefits. 

Steaming

One of the most healthy ways to cook your veg and goes great with adding herbs and aromatics for extra flavor. 

Sautéing and Stir-frying

Fast and tasty methods but involve a little bit of oil. And who doesn’t love a roast?

Know Your Categories Of Vegetable

Most vegetables fall into a few simple categories. Knowing these categories you can generally learn the different ways to clean, cut, and cook them. 

Root Vegetables that grow underground such as potatoes, beets, turnips, carrots, and radishes. 

Vegetables with seeds and stems. Although not technically vegetables, we still classify them as such due to their characteristics for cooking. They include tomatoes, peppers, squashes, and green beans. 

There are leafy greens that include spinach, kale, and collards which are great for cooking with, and also lettuce which is not. 

Finally, there are stalks/tops of plants such as cauliflower and broccoli, leeks and celery, and spring onions. 

How To Clean Your Veggies

Every vegetable should be cleaned before you start preparing them, don’t overlook this step. Take any steps you can to ensure the cleanliness of your food. There are different ways to clean different veggies. 

For leafy greens, you may want to soak them and then gently dry them in a salad spinner or use paper towels if you are storing them in the fridge. 

Not all root vegetables need to be peeled, and a good scrub with a brush and cold water can do the trick. Many delicious recipes incorporate the skins, don’t be afraid to keep them. 

How To Cut Your Veg

As a general rule you want to cut your veg into roughly even sizes, this will allow for even cooking through the vegetables.  Some veg has parts that you will want to remove, such as stems on leafy greens like kale or plant tops such as broccoli, which you want to remove the bottom first, so you don’t make a mess. There are lots of guides on how to cut specific vegetables for specific dishes, so do a little research and practice your skills. 

There is no reason your veggies should be boring and flavorless, follow these methods and tips, and you are sure to impress your friends with your delicious veggies.