Vegetables are rich in many of the vitamins and minerals that we need to function and stay healthy. Although vegetables are beneficial to our health, not a lot of people like eating them because some vegetables can be too overpowering, bitter, or bland. Adding a twist to vegetable dishes might just be the secret to make them more appealing to the tastebuds. Here are some tips to make vegetables tastier.
Veggie Tips
1. Add Some Spices and Herbs
Spices, herbs, and citrus fruits add flavor to any food, not just vegetables. An effective way on how to make vegetables tastier is to add a burst of flavor.
Basil
Basil has a sweet, minty, and peppery flavor, which is ideal to pair with eggplant, squash, and green leafy vegetables.
Oregano
With a slightly bitter and pungent flavor, oregano is often paired with olive oil to create a vinaigrette for salads.
Cumin
Cumin has warm, earthy sweetness with a hint of bitterness. It’s best paired with root crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets (singkamas). Cumin also works well with squash and carrots
Ginger
Ginger has a spicy, earthy, and zesty flavor, ideal for almost all types of vegetables including beans, broccoli, carrots, and peas.
Parsley
Parsley is known for its fresh scent. But it also has a peppery, earthy tastethat’s ideal as garnish. Parsley works well in almost any kind of vegetable dish – may it be boiled, roasted, or steamed.
Thyme
With slightly floral tones, a little minty and sweet thyme is ideally paired with potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes.
Nutmeg
When ground into spice, nutmeg has a warm, nutty taste that’s ideal for root crops, cauliflower, spinach, and broccoli
Mint
This herb produces a sweet, cool feeling on the tongue. Mint is best used in leafy salads, vegetable smoothies, and shakes.
Rosemary
Rosemary has a woody, slightly minty bitter taste that’s great for turnips, potatoes, squash, and asparagus.
Paprika
Paprika has a sweet, spicy, and bitter taste, which makes it a great spice to pair with Brussel sprouts, broccoli, carrots, and green beans
Calamansi
Calamansi has a sweet citrus flavor that goes well in green leafy salads.
Lemon
Compared to calamansi, lemon has a citrus flavor with bitter undertones. Lemon is best used on roasted bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts.
2. Find the Right Cooking Method
If done correctly, cooking vegetables not only makes the nutrients easier to absorb but can also change and improve the flavor. Cooking is definitely an effective way on how to make vegetables tastier.
Boil
Boiling vegetables makes them softer and easier to consume. Boiling vegetables also bring out flavor such as in sweet potatoes.
Steam
To maintain crunchiness and bring out the flavor, a person can use steam to slowly cook the vegetables. Broccoli and cauliflower can be steamed to maintain that scrumptious crunch.
Stir-fry
Stir-frying involves high heat and faster turning of the vegetables. Stir-frying vegetables preserve more nutrients compared to boiling.
Saute
Unlike stir-frying, sauteing vegetables uses medium heat and stirring until the vegetables become tender. The best vegetables to saute are carrots, green beans, baby corn, zucchini, and bell peppers.
Roast
Roasting vegetables caramelizes the natural sugar, which brings out a different flavor. If done correctly, roasting vegetables intensifies the flavor and makes it more delicious.
Grill
Grilling vegetables allows for the smokey taste to set in which gives the vegetables a distinct flavor. The best vegetables to grill are eggplant, bell peppers, corn, and mushrooms.
Stew
Stewing involves cooking vegetables together with other vegetables and spices to produce a hearty vegetable soup. Stewing often involves adding meat into the pot. The best vegetables for stew include tomatoes, carrots, peas, potatoes, mushrooms, and beans. Leafy vegetables are also ideal for stews.
3. Dip Them in Sauce
How to make vegetables tastier? Let those dry veggies take a dip. Vegetables are an ideal snack but they might not taste that good if eaten alone. Pair raw vegetables with dips to add more flavor.
Cheese
Cheese has a salty, creamy taste. These types of dips are best paired with ready-to-chew vegetables such as carrots, asparagus, and cucumber.
Sour Cream
Sour cream has a creamy, zesty taste that makes it an ideal dip for fresh cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and asparagus. It might also go well with green leafy vegetables.
Garlic Dip
Garlic dip is made of garlic mixed with sour cream, mayonnaise, and other spices. The strong pungent flavor is ideal for dry vegetables.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise has a tangy, sweet, and creamy flavor ideal for vegetables with a strong taste such as bell peppers. It also goes well with green leafy vegetables.
4. Mix Them With Fruit
Compared to vegetables, fruits have a sweet more palatable flavor. Pairing vegetables with fruits is an effective way on how to make vegetables tastier.
Salad
Mixing citrus fruits and berries in a bowl of green leafy vegetables make a fine flavorful healthy salad.
Blends
Blending fruits with mild-flavored vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, and beets make sweet refreshing smoothies that are ideal for people on the go. Green leafy vegetables are also a great addition to shakes and smoothies.
Key Takeaways
Vegetables aren’t always appealing to the tastebuds. However, there are many ways to make eating vegetables a more enjoyable experience.
Using spices and herbs improve the flavor of vegetables. Cooking brings out the flavor of vegetables. Using dips and mixing vegetables with fruits is also another way to make vegetables more enjoyable to eat.
Learn more Healthy Eating Tips here.
[embed-health-tool-bmr]
