Tasteless vegetables
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Marlingardener
Sous Chef
How are you cooking vegetables? I have found that roasting them with a drizzle of olive oil and, if you like, a light sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper is good. Eating certain vegetables (carrots, celery, spinach, etc.) raw guarantees the taste is not compromised.
Boiling vegetables is guaranteed to kill most of the taste.
Boiling vegetables is guaranteed to kill most of the taste.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Salt.
I steam or roast. I will steam/boil carrots in a covered skillet with minimal water, salt and a tiny pinch of sugar since most grocery store carrots have lost their sweetness. Once the carrots are almost done, I remove the top and let what's left of the water boil away, adding some butter while there is still a little bit of water so it will glaze. You can add green beans after carrots cook a while or green peas.
I steam broccoli, sprinkling with salt, until it is bright green and just tender.
We like to roast potatoes by cutting them into large bite size pieces, steam for a few minutes so they are partially cooked, drain, allow to dry out, salt and pepper, then toss with a generous amount of olive oil. Spread in a single sheet on parchment or a silpat on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 F until crisp and golden brown on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Stir occasionally.
Baby spinach gets quickly cooked in a skillet with minimal water with a touch of vegetable oil, plus salt and pepper. I like to add a few drops of sesame oil at the end.
I steam broccoli, sprinkling with salt, until it is bright green and just tender.
We like to roast potatoes by cutting them into large bite size pieces, steam for a few minutes so they are partially cooked, drain, allow to dry out, salt and pepper, then toss with a generous amount of olive oil. Spread in a single sheet on parchment or a silpat on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 F until crisp and golden brown on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Stir occasionally.
Baby spinach gets quickly cooked in a skillet with minimal water with a touch of vegetable oil, plus salt and pepper. I like to add a few drops of sesame oil at the end.
Ditto what all have said above.
Are you cooking raw vegies, canned or frozen?
Timing is important for most all.
Are you cooking raw vegies, canned or frozen?
Timing is important for most all.
Succotash ideas
My husband HATES lima beans so I came up with some alternatives. To keep a clean taste, the vegetables have to be cooked separately. To keep it simple, I use a dutch oven type pan with a large steamer basket. The vegetables are placed in separate piles and steamed after being sprinkled with salt. Then, they are combined with some butter and a little white pepper, adding more salt if needed.
Vegetable combos are as follows.
Mirliton/chayote squash, with black-eyed peas, corn, onions, and red bell peppers.
Edemame, red bell peppers, corn and onions.
My husband HATES lima beans so I came up with some alternatives. To keep a clean taste, the vegetables have to be cooked separately. To keep it simple, I use a dutch oven type pan with a large steamer basket. The vegetables are placed in separate piles and steamed after being sprinkled with salt. Then, they are combined with some butter and a little white pepper, adding more salt if needed.
Vegetable combos are as follows.
Mirliton/chayote squash, with black-eyed peas, corn, onions, and red bell peppers.
Edemame, red bell peppers, corn and onions.
pepperhead212
Executive Chef
And to add the salt to dishes, use either soy sauce, fish sauce, or some miso, to add that ubami flavor.
blissful
Master Chef
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
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- 6,448
Lately I've been mixing balsamic vinegar mixed with honey, for brussel sprouts, carrots, and squash, usually brushing it on and baking on parchment sheets. Don't over do it, just a T of balsamic vinegar and 2 T honey, to enhance the roasted flavor.
pictonguy
Sous Chef
Vegetables have probably the broadest range of tastes than any other category of food, maybe not fruit, but yeah, some can taste bland. Salt tends to enhance their flavor as opposed to completely changing what they taste like using other foods and condiments. I kind of like the blander taste of say, cauliflower, especially when pureed. They're all unique in that way imo.
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
Cooking vegetables in seasoned vegetable or meat stock helps to increase the flavor.
I add a ham flavored base to my boiled dinners and green beans along with some cayenne or hot pepper flakes, garlic, onion, etc…
As Andy mentioned salt and I would add fat give flavor. A knob of butter on top of almost any vegetable helps to add flavor.
There are many options as you can see from the posts above.
I suppose that it all boils down to not getting out more than you put in.
Good luck!
I add a ham flavored base to my boiled dinners and green beans along with some cayenne or hot pepper flakes, garlic, onion, etc…
As Andy mentioned salt and I would add fat give flavor. A knob of butter on top of almost any vegetable helps to add flavor.
There are many options as you can see from the posts above.
I suppose that it all boils down to not getting out more than you put in.
Good luck!
Rascal
Head Chef
I buy from small holdings. The best is aim and dad stall out front of their driveway. All grown on their property. Carrots are do sweet and yummy. We get most our stuff there. Potatoes from a potato grower honesty box.
Supermarket stuff is tasteless.
Russ
Supermarket stuff is tasteless.
Russ
Jade Emperor
Sous Chef
Agree with all of the above.
Just to add that I always try to think about how each vegetable’s different flavours will work together. Spinach has a mineral flavour, which is why it works so nicely with salty feta.
Broccoli is lovely with pepper and a little butter or olive oil, maybe mixed with zucchini or squash.
Peas and corn.
Carrots and turnips
Pumpkin with caraway seed
Onions and garlic with anything
Just to add that I always try to think about how each vegetable’s different flavours will work together. Spinach has a mineral flavour, which is why it works so nicely with salty feta.
Broccoli is lovely with pepper and a little butter or olive oil, maybe mixed with zucchini or squash.
Peas and corn.
Carrots and turnips
Pumpkin with caraway seed
Onions and garlic with anything
I always boiled them
Frozen
You can sautee frozen vegetables. Boiling them leeches out the flavor and nutrients as well.
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
@Aunt Bea gave me the best bit of advice when cooking frozen green beans - the tender, thin Haricot Vert skinny French bean. A Tbsp of water, a Tbsp of butter, and the beans in a saute pan or lidded skillet. Simmer gently, stir once or twice, and eat when tender. I've done that with other frozen veggies and it never fails to deliver a tasty veg.
You might also consider different seasonings to add while cooking. A herb mix like Italian or Greek seasoning in the butter/water bath. Maybe something like nutmeg, allspice, or Aleppo pepper sprinkled on top of roasting carrots perks up the flavor. Experiment with what you have on hand.
Try fresh veggies. While they aren't as convenient as frozen, they usually have a bit more flavor as long as they are in season.
You might also consider different seasonings to add while cooking. A herb mix like Italian or Greek seasoning in the butter/water bath. Maybe something like nutmeg, allspice, or Aleppo pepper sprinkled on top of roasting carrots perks up the flavor. Experiment with what you have on hand.
Try fresh veggies. While they aren't as convenient as frozen, they usually have a bit more flavor as long as they are in season.
Silversage
Head Chef
That's the problem. Buy fresh vegetables whenever possible. Toss them with olive oil, salt them well, and spread them on a sheet pan to roast.
larry_stewart
Master Chef
Salt is the best way to bring out the natural flavors of each vegetable.
There are some vegges that have more intense flavors, that can boost the flavors of others when cooked together, like Peppers, onions, garlic which lend their flavors to others ( along with a little salt).
Roasting with a little oil ( and salt) or grilling adds a nice charred flavor to the veggies. Many times I'll make a grilled veggie pasta salad. Just grill a bunch of veggies ( zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli ( watch out, the florets char real quickly), onions. But them up into smallish pieces after grilling, then add to pasta of choice. Heat up some oil and minced garlic ( dont let garlic burn). Add all together and mix. Add salt as needed.
You can never go wrong by sprinkling a little parmesan cheese on veggies, or a cheese based sauce ( especially for broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes ...).
A stir fry with soy sauce, garlic and ginger can work with many veggie blends
Carrots sautéed up in olive oil, with a pinch of sugar and salt caramelize up very well ( dont over cook). Can even add ginger and maybe a squeeze of orange juice to it).
We often eat French cut string beans in a garlic/ lemon sauce
Pickling Cukes, string beans, carrots, cauliflower, peppers with vinegar, salt, garlic
marinating mushrooms in a vinegar based marinade with other herbs and spices ( parsley, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, bay leaf).
I'd avoid boiling, unless just to blanch quickly.
Butter and salt also go a long way. Steam or blanch quickly to get desired consistency, then add butter and a little salt an pepper. Nice simple way to boost the flavor of the veggies. We do it with Broccoli all the time.
Another thing we do with broccoli is cut it up into bite sized piece. Quickly fry up in oil, just to heat, but maintain the crunch. last minute sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. then remove from pan.
Dipping veggies in dips, whether it be sour cream based , hummus, babaganoush or other types.
There are some vegges that have more intense flavors, that can boost the flavors of others when cooked together, like Peppers, onions, garlic which lend their flavors to others ( along with a little salt).
Roasting with a little oil ( and salt) or grilling adds a nice charred flavor to the veggies. Many times I'll make a grilled veggie pasta salad. Just grill a bunch of veggies ( zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli ( watch out, the florets char real quickly), onions. But them up into smallish pieces after grilling, then add to pasta of choice. Heat up some oil and minced garlic ( dont let garlic burn). Add all together and mix. Add salt as needed.
You can never go wrong by sprinkling a little parmesan cheese on veggies, or a cheese based sauce ( especially for broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes ...).
A stir fry with soy sauce, garlic and ginger can work with many veggie blends
Carrots sautéed up in olive oil, with a pinch of sugar and salt caramelize up very well ( dont over cook). Can even add ginger and maybe a squeeze of orange juice to it).
We often eat French cut string beans in a garlic/ lemon sauce
Pickling Cukes, string beans, carrots, cauliflower, peppers with vinegar, salt, garlic
marinating mushrooms in a vinegar based marinade with other herbs and spices ( parsley, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, bay leaf).
I'd avoid boiling, unless just to blanch quickly.
Butter and salt also go a long way. Steam or blanch quickly to get desired consistency, then add butter and a little salt an pepper. Nice simple way to boost the flavor of the veggies. We do it with Broccoli all the time.
Another thing we do with broccoli is cut it up into bite sized piece. Quickly fry up in oil, just to heat, but maintain the crunch. last minute sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. then remove from pan.
Dipping veggies in dips, whether it be sour cream based , hummus, babaganoush or other types.
Georgevan - I hear you. Eons ago all my vegies were frozen or canned. Only time I did fresh was for special holiday meals - just like everyone else in my era and circumstance. You can still rescue them.
Aunt Bea and CG's answers are the easiest to apply when a habit is so ingrown that's it's difficult to change. Use a saute/frying any flat wide pan, your tiny bit of water and butter.
It was the overcooking in the boiling water that was sort of drowning them. Also temperature should be considered. Start off hot to get things going but as soon as you see some action, lower the temperature a bit. They won't cook any faster at a high heat than they do at a low heat. After all, most frozen vegies are already cooked, you are just defrosting and reheating them in that pan.
Please let us know if your vegies come out a bit tastier now.
Aunt Bea and CG's answers are the easiest to apply when a habit is so ingrown that's it's difficult to change. Use a saute/frying any flat wide pan, your tiny bit of water and butter.
It was the overcooking in the boiling water that was sort of drowning them. Also temperature should be considered. Start off hot to get things going but as soon as you see some action, lower the temperature a bit. They won't cook any faster at a high heat than they do at a low heat. After all, most frozen vegies are already cooked, you are just defrosting and reheating them in that pan.
Please let us know if your vegies come out a bit tastier now.
