Adulting is hard. You have to pay bills, exercise, work, sleep well, and eat healthy. And unlike your seven-year-old self, it’s pretty important that you actually eat your veggies. On the plus side, there are tons of ways to cook vegetables that make them taste pretty darn good.
In fact, when the right seasoning is used with the right cooking method, vegetables can actually taste better than meat (crazy, right?). Here are some ways to cook vegetables (besides giving up and just microwaving them) that will make them taste magical.
1. Roasting
Probably the most classic way to cook vegetables, roasting veggies in the oven can really bring out a depth of flavor that you can’t get from microwaving them or eating them raw. My favorite roasted vegetable is roasted Brussels sprouts, but you can roast almost anything, from butternut squash to broccoli.
2. Blanching
Blanching is all the rage lately, and it’s a fancy term for cooking vegetables for a brief time in boiling water, and then immediately putting them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. This process cooks vegetables while preserving their nutrient value, and also brings out the brightness in their colors. You can top these veggies on some Shoyu ramen to be really fancy.
3. Sautéed
If you want your veggies to have a smoky and tender flavor, sautéing them in a bit of olive or avocado oil with salt and pepper will do the trick. Sautée is fancy French term for cooking vegetables in a pan and constantly mixing them up and around, which leaves a tender texture. Try sautéing swiss chard for a new twist on your typical spinach.
4. Frying
Okay, okay. I know what you’re thinking. Frying defeats the purpose of vegetables being healthy. But have you ever tasted fried vegetables? They’re pretty magical. My favorite are avocado fries (unsure if that’s even considered a vegetable).
5. Searing
Searing your vegetables simply means to pan-cook your vegetables with a bit of oil (done for a few minutes on each side). This ultimately leaves each side of the vegetable browned, but doesn’t cook the vegetable all the way through, so the center is still crisp.
#SpoonTip: Try searing vegetables like endives, romaine lettuce, or cauliflower steaks.
6. Grilling
Want summer to never end? Grill your vegetables. You can grill basically anything, and vegetables are no exception – grilling your veggies leaves a char that adds a unique, smoky flavor that you can’t get from anywhere else. Here are some examples of vegetables that taste great grilled.
7. Baking
I know this sounds very similar to roasting veggies, but baking vegetables for a long time can strip out their moisture, leaving a crisp, chip-like texture. Try slicing up your favorite vegetables very thin, and baking them low and slow to get a delicious veggie chip.
8. Steaming
Steaming gently cooks vegetables through the power of evaporating hot water. Typically it’s done using a steamer basket or colander in a pot of boiling water, but it can also be done in the microwave. Because steaming requires no oil, this is one of the healthiest ways to eat veggies. Steaming also keeps a lot of vitamins and nutrients within the vegetable.
9. Stir-Frying
Stir-fry is a complete vegetable dinner in one: it’s quick, filling, and definitely satisfying. It’s typically done using a wok, (a special pan with curved edges), and uses sesame and canola oils to infuse flavors into the veggies. Try out a mixed vegetable tofu stir-fry for your dinner tonight.
10. Boiling
Not only can you boil your eggs, but you can also boil your vegetables. Boiling vegetables is a super quick and easy way to make hard vegetables tender, without using any oil. It’s a win-win situation as far as vegetables go.
#SpoonTip: Boil your favorite vegetables in chicken broth to get more flavorful veggies.
With all of these different ways to cook vegetables, it’s a wonder we were so scared of them in the first place. Your next dinner of veggies doesn’t have to taste so bad – just prepare them using one of these cooking methods.