We are going to prepare some steamed vegetables, one of the best ways to preserve the properties of these foods, their nutrients and their flavor. You can use any vegetable to make this recipe, but not all are the same and some are even better for grilling.
The good thing about using this technique to cook vegetables is that you do not use any type of fat, which makes them healthier. Steaming vegetables is a healthy and perfect way to maintain the flavor of vegetables. This cooking technique is very simple and fast, but to make it look good, it requires that we take into account some tips that we will give throughout the recipe. For example, so that the vegetables are all equally cooked, they must have a similar texture. If we have a harder vegetable, we will have to cook it a little earlier or cut it into smaller pieces, so it is best to put vegetables that need the same cooking time. The ones we propose below need almost the same amount of cooking, except for the cauliflower, which needs a few more minutes and, for this reason, we will cut it into smaller pieces; the other vegetables in 7-9 minutes will be ready. Keep reading and discover how to steam vegetables with all our tricks.
Ingredients to make Steamed Vegetables:
- 6 pieces of broccoli
- 6 pieces of cauliflower
- 1 carrot
- 1 zucchini
- 7 green asparagus
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of olive oil
- 1 pinch of pepper
How to Steam Vegetables:
Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into florets and wash them. Prepare the remaining vegetables for it. Clean the asparagus and cut it into pieces, peel the carrots and cut them into slices and, finally, wash and cut the zucchini into slices, leaving the skin.
Put a pot on the fire with a little water, about less than half of the pot. To steam vegetables there are special pots or steamers, however, we can also steam vegetables without a steamer. For this second option, we will simply need a saucepan and a strainer.
If you have a steamer, or the typical pot with holes, insert it. If you don’t have one, just put in a strainer. Of course, it should not touch the water, so the pan should be smaller than the strainer. Put the vegetables in the steamer or strainer.
Tip: If your strainer is too big and steam can escape, another way to steam vegetables is without a steamer and by placing a sheet of aluminum foil over the pot, without touching the water, and placing the vegetables on top.
When the water starts to boil, lower the heat to medium and cover. Let the vegetables steam for between 8 and 10 minutes, the final cooking time will depend on how you like the vegetables done. If you like them al dente, after 7 minutes they will be ready. Prick a piece with a toothpick or a knife to check the doneness. When they are ready, turn off the heat.
Put them in a serving dish, add a splash of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. This recipe for steamed vegetables is perfect and you have already seen that with a few simple tricks you can cook them with and without a steamer.
