It's hard to imagine anything easier than boiling vegetables. You heat some water, toss in the vegetables, wait a bit, and you're done, right? But the truth is, there's a bit more to it than that. For example, should you cover the pot or not? It actually depends on the vegetable you're boiling.
Boiling vegetables is really super easy. But if you don't do it right, you can end up with watery, flavorless, tired looking veggies, instead of bright and tasty ones. The key is to cook each vegetable just right so that you lose as little flavor, color and nutrient value as possible during the boiling process.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that boiling leeches nutrients out of the vegetables, and so the goal is to have them in water as little time as possible, while still getting them cooked!
In this article, I'll go over the preparation work you need to do, and then I'll talk about how to boil vegetables.
Preparation Work
The nice thing about boiling vegetables is that there's really no complicated preparation work involved. All you need to do is get your vegetables ready, and get your water ready. But there are a few things you want to keep in mind.
Preparing The Vegetables
No matter what vegetables you're using, there are a few things you need to do to get them ready for boiling.
And that's pretty much all there is to it!
Getting The Water Ready
So you might be wondering what you need to do to get the water ready. It's just boiling water, right? But to get the best possible results, there are a few things to keep in mind. Remember, the goal is to cook the vegetables as fast as possible. The less time they spend in the water, the less nutrients and flavor they lose.
Once your veggies are chopped and the water is boiling, it's time to boil the vegetables.
Boiling The Vegetables
Now that your vegetables are cut into chunks, and you have some boiling, salted water, we can talk about boiling vegetables.
Here what you need to do:
- 1Add the vegetables to the boiling water. You can just drop them in, in which case you should watch out for splashes, or you can lower them in using a spoon.
- 2Bring the water temperature back up. -> For green vegetables, leave the pot uncovered and keep the heat high. It'll help preserve the green color.
-> For other vegetables, cover the pot. You can reduce the heat, so long as the water stays at a boil. - 3Cook the vegetables until they're done. Depending on what vegetables you used and how big the pieces are, it'll take more or less time. The best way to tell if they're done is to taste a piece every so often. When it tastes done, it's done! -> A lot of people like their cooked veggies to still be a little crispy. But however you like them best it the best way to do it. But remember, the more you boil a vegetable, the more nutrients it loses!
- 4Remove the vegetables from the water. You can take them out with a slotted spoon, or drain the water out of the pot.
-> If you're not serving the vegetables right away, you can immerse them in ice water for a few seconds. That'll stop the cooking process, so that they don't become overcooked after you take them out of the water. To reheat them, immerse them in boiling water for a few seconds.
Once the vegetables are done boiling, they're ready to serve as is, but you can always add a bit of butter or seasonings for some extra flavor.
And that's all there is to it! Boiling vegetables is so easy, and so convenient. The trick is knowing how to deal with the vegetable you have.