How to Steam Vegetables For The Best Taste And Nutrition

How do you steam vegetables to ensure a delicious taste every time? With these simple tips, you can steam any vegetable to perfection!

Steamed vegetables are so good because they are easy to achieve the perfect crispness. When cooked and seasoned properly, you can prevent them from tasting bland. Vegetables don't need to be boiled, and you can actually lose some of their nutrients when you cook them this way

Steaming is one of the easiest and quickest ways to cook vegetables, and it also retains their nutrients. Unfortunately, it has sometimes gotten a bad reputation from people who didn't know how to do it correctly.

When steamed incorrectly, the vegetables are overcooked and end up soggy and unappetizing. But that's not the fault of steaming itself, but rather a poor steaming method. When you learn to season and steam them correctly, you'll be wondering why you didn't do this sooner! Enjoy crisp, tender, delicious steamed vegetables using these tips.

 

How to Steam Vegetables - It's Simple to Learn

Steaming vegetables is essentially the same for any vegetable you want to cook, whether fresh or frozen. Bigger vegetables take a bit longer to steam, so if you need to steam them quickly, cut them into smaller pieces.

Carrots, for instance, are a bit denser than peas, so they will take a minute or two longer to cook. I generally cut carrots in rounds, but sticks work great, too. I prefer my veggies to be a bit crunchy, and thankfully, that's the way my hubby likes them, too.

When I cook asparagus or broccoli, I watch it very closely because I don't like mushy asparagus or broccoli. I also do not care for steamed cauliflower. It has no taste to me at all. So if I'm making cauliflower, I will eat it raw or make it into "mashed potatoes" with melted butter and milk.

What You Need To Steam Vegetables

• steamer basket
• steamer pot

You can use a steamer basket or steamer pan, or there are specific types of pots made for steaming veggies. I have a double pot for steaming vegetables, similar to these (I have two sizes). A steamer pot makes it very easy.

But this type of steamer works great, too. And for asparagus, I use an asparagus steamer.

These simple tools definitely make it easier and make your veggies come out better every time. You will find you're making veggies a lot more often, and that the whole process is easier when you have the right tools to work with. Now, let's get to the details of how to do it. 

How to Steam Vegetables - A Tutorial

Here's the basic recipe for fresh veggies steamed to perfection.

Prep your veggies

First, prepare your vegetables for cooking. If you want them to cook evenly, you need to chop them into even pieces. The thicker the pieces, the longer it will take to cook. Small veggies like peas will not need to be cut up, obviously. However, for sweet potatoes, large broccoli, or even cauliflower florets, you may want to cut them down for better steaming. 

Prep your pot

Next, when using a steamer pot, fill the pot below the steamer basket with water. You usually only need a few inches of water - just enough to prevent it from boiling off during the cooking time. For most vegetables, a couple of cups of water will be plenty.

Bring the water to a boil. You should always bring it to a boil first and don't be tempted to try to shortcut and throw everything in the steamer before the water is boiling. 

Add the vegetables

Once the water comes to a boil, you can add your vegetables to the steamer basket. Cover the pot with a lid and cook with it on just until the vegetables are tender. The timing can vary, depending on the veggie. Root vegetables usually need longer.

Tender vegetables do not require as much time to steam to a crisp texture. On average, it's 3-5 minutes, but we'll give more specific guidelines below.

Drain and season vegetables

The last step is to drain the water and then season your crisp, steamed veggies to taste. You can do a little olive oil and Kosher salt, or you may add some black pepper. Some people like a squirt of lemon juice or some fresh herbs.

You can even add other spices or feta cheese. It all depends on the veggies and your personal tastes. You might also consider what you're serving them with when it comes to deciding on flavorings. 

How to Steam Vegetables Tips 

Here are some additional tips to help you get the perfect steamed veggies every time. First, always do a taste test.

When you think they're done and before you drain the water and season, take a piece out of the steamer and test it—not done? Please leave it in a bit longer. Perfect? Pull off the stove and drain!

Cooking time for steamed vegetables

The exact time you steam your vegetables can vary depending on the veggies but here are some general guidelines. 

Green beans: 4 to 5 minutes

Broccoli: 3 to 5 minutes

Cauliflower: 10 to 12 minutes

Carrots: 4 to 5 minutes

Of course, the exact steam time also varies, depending on how small you cut the vegetable pieces. 

How to Steam Vegetables in An Instant Pot

Now, what if you want to steam your veggies in an instant pot? Instant pots are so popular today, and nearly everyone has one in their kitchen. You can steam almost any vegetable in your Instant pot. To make the most of it for your cooked veggies, follow these steps. 

Just take the veggies you want to steam and use a steamer basket inside your instant pot to hold them (this also keeps them from sticking and burning to the bottom).

Add your water (or other liquid, like a veggie or chicken broth), and then seal the lid and set the timer to 0 (yes, you read that right: veggies will cook to perfection while the Instant Pot gets to pressure, in about 10 minutes).

You can steam nearly any veggie in the Instant Pot in under 15 minutes. Chopped veggies will cook faster than whole ones, and harder veggies will need a little more time than softer ones. 

The best part of using the instant pot is that you can walk away while it's cooking and do other things. It also has a very easy clean-up process. 

How to Steam Vegetables in a Rice Cooker

What if you want to use a rice cooker instead? If you don't have an instant pot or if you're already using it for something else for this meal, you might decide to pop a side of veggies into the rice cooker. This is an easy way to steam them to perfection and it's quick and easy. It's going to work very similarly to the instant pot and the same as with other steaming methods: a steamer basket is going to be the key to getting them perfect. 

Follow your rice cooker's instructions for more specifics, but the timing will vary based on the size of the vegetable and its natural toughness, the same as cooking in the instant pot. Add water, put the veggies in the steamer basket, close it up, set your timer, and let it cook! It's that easy. Once you practice a few times with your own rice cooker, you will also get the "feel" for just how much time your veggies need to be done and how you like them. 

How to Steam Vegetables in a Pot

What if you want to steam your veggies but you don't have a steamer? Well, as mentioned above, it is easier with a steamer, but you can also do it with a regular pot. Here's how. 

First, you need the perfect pot. One that has a properly fitting lid and a thicker bottom will allow the heat to spread evenly and the steam to build up inside the pot. You also need to choose the right size. It's important to fill your pot ¾ of the way with veggies so if you're not making a large serving, you need a smaller pot. You need condensate to build on the underside of the lid of the pot and then drop down to the bottom. This is how you will steam them inside the pot without a steamer basket. 

You want to add just enough water to keep the veggies from burning but you don't want to use the water itself to boil them. Layer your veggies up in the pot. Put the ones that take the longest to cook on the bottom and quicker cooking ones on top. 

Next, choose your heat setting. Never use the highest settings with steaming. Medium-high heat is usually best. Heat it until the lid to the pot starts to feel very hot and then reduce the heat to low.

Don't open the lid,

or you will interrupt the steaming process and let the steam out. Once you turn down the heat, this is when your cook time actually begins. So if you want to steam for 3 minutes, for example, this is when you begin counting down the three minutes.

More Recipes Using Vegetables

• Green Beans and Tomato Salad
• Southern Green Bean Casserole
• Northern Green Bean Casserole

Recipe Nutrition Information

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

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