16 Velvety Melting Vegetable Recipes to Make Tonight (2024)

FAQs

What to put on vegetables to taste better? ›

Using different seasonings can completely transform your plant-based cooking. Spices like chile powder, curry, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cumin, and black pepper can do wonders for vegetables. And never forget the most important seasoning: salt (just remember to add a little bit at a time and keep tasting).

You can also marinate your vegetables before steaming or cooking. Try throwing them in a bag with some fresh herbs and some oil or butter several hours or the night before you plan on cooking them to infuse some flavors.

Reach for fresh lemon juice, parsley, fresh cracked pepper and a dash of salt to make veggies pop. Add dried herbs early in the cooking process to allow the flavor to develop as they absorb moisture. Sprinkle fresh cilantro, parsley, or thyme after cooking to finish the veggie dish with a burst of flavor and color.

Lemon – Add a few slices of lemon or lemon zest to vegetables, like broccoli, green beans, and summer squash. You can also add lemon juice to the steaming water. Olive oil – Before steaming, toss vegetables in the classic combination of olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Season your water like you're cooking pasta

But if you drop a small handful of kosher salt into the water, you'll also be gently seasoning the vegetables at the same time. Just like pasta, cooking vegetables in salted water helps the seasoning permeate the vegetable. Bonus: the salt helps the color stay Day-Glo, too.

Cooked carrots: Cooked carrots are soft and easy to chew. They can be boiled, steamed, or roasted until they are tender. Steamed broccoli: Steamed broccoli is another soft and nutritious vegetable. It can be easily cooked until it is soft enough to chew without any difficulty.

Finally, when the magnesium is leached out of the chlorophyll, the chlorophyll goes dull and the vegetables turn grayish. Because baking soda lessens the acidity of the cooking water, it also slows down the chlorophyll dulling process, thereby keeping the veggies greener for longer.

What can I add to steamed vegetables for flavor? ›

Place fresh herbs like basil or dill on top of your produce to steam (use a steamer with a deep handle to be sure vegetables are completely covered with water). Coat the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper before steaming to lock in flavor. Mince garlic and ginger for an extra flavor kick.

Fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, oregano, and many more can lend a subtle flavor to your snack for no extra calories.

Fresh herbs – Toss whole sprigs of fresh herbs, like parsley, thyme, or dill, over the steaming vegetables, or chop up the leaves and sprinkle them over the vegetables after they're cooked. Garlic – Add sliced or chopped garlic to any vegetable, but leafy greens like kale really benefit from this extra zing.

Some seasonings, like salt, should be gradually added at each step of the recipe. Others should be added towards the end since heat can make them lose their flavor. According to Stonesoup, you should keep tasting the food throughout the cooking process, but be careful to avoid taste saturation.

Sprinkle on the oregano, rosemary, thyme, and basil. Add salt & pepper to taste (I add add 1 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper). Toss well with your hands, evenly coating all the vegetables with the seasonings and oil.