Vegetables are an important component of any nutritious diet, bringing freshness, balance, and diversity to the dinner plate. That’s why it’s important to learn the best ways to prepare them. Fresh vegetables don’t require much in terms of technique, and in many cases simplicity is best. Go for fresh or in-season produce when possible, and let the ingredients shine by avoiding rich sauces and overpowering flavors. Serving them raw, roasted, steamed, or sauteed will typically offer the best results, but there are a few additional tips to make even the most ordinary of ingredients taste spectacular.
Add Fresh Herbs or Citrus
A quick way to make any vegetable taste better is to add fresh herbs or citrus. A sprinkling of chopped basil, a few sprigs of cilantro, or a squeeze of lime juice can elevate an otherwise ordinary plate of food.
Buy Locally and Seasonally
The easiest way to get the most out of your fruits and vegetables is to buy locally and seasonally. In-season produce is often sweeter, more flavorful, bigger, and less expensive. In the spring and summer, try foods like asparagus, broccoli, radishes, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, salad greens, and bell peppers. In the fall and winter, look to eat more cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets, winter squash, and cauliflower.
Combine Savory and Sweet
An underutilized duo, a salty-sweet combination can add some excitement to ordinary veggies. A little bit of tahini with sweet potatoes, maple syrup with butternut squash, or balsamic glaze with Brussels sprouts are just a few divine sweet-and-savory pairings.
Experiment with Umami
Ingredients like tomato paste, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and miso are rich in umami and help create a depth of flavor in your vegetable dishes. You can add them into soups, dressings, sauces, or stir-fries.
Use Simple Cooking Techniques
Vegetables don’t require tons of preparation or fancy techniques. In fact, the simplest cooking methods almost always yield the most delicious results. Roasting, baking, grilling, and sauteing allow the inherent flavor of the vegetable to shine. Roast vegetables on a baking sheet at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until brown on the outside and tender in the center. In general, heartier vegetables, like onion, Portobello mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers, require longer cooking times.
