Perfectly steamed vegetables tossed with garlic and butter are a fresh, flavorful and easy side dish! A great addition to dinner any night of the week or a simple holiday side.
An Easy Way to Steaming Veggies
On days when there is no time or space for oven-roasted vegetables, you now have these simple steamed vegetables to fall back on! Ready in just 15 minutes, a steamed vegetable medley is perfect to add to a baked teriyaki chicken bowl or serve with steak and potatoes.
Gone are the days of steamed veggies being flavorless soggy afterthoughts. Learn how to steam vegetables that bring their natural juices and sugars while maintaining a perfectly crunchy, tender bite.
Gather the veggies that your family loves, and choose either the stovetop, the steam basket, or the microwave method. I don’t know any kid or adult that doesn’t love a tender vegetable covered in garlic butter!
Steamed Vegetables Recipe Ingredients
Once you know how to make steamed vegetables you can technically steam any veg! Popular vegetables include:
- Broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
- Brussels sprouts
- Leafy greens
- Potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Green beans
The time it takes to make this steamed vegetables recipe will vary, though, as potatoes will take longer than a leafy green like spinach. Once you learn to how to perfectly steam vegetables, you can apply your preferred method to any veggie in only a few easy steps.
How to Steam Vegetables
While you don’t need any fancy gadgets to make steamed vegetables for a healthy side dish there are a few popular methods for steaming including using a steamer basket, using the microwave, or just using a covered pan.
Here are the three popular methods for steaming vegetables.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Covered pan without a steamer: Place vegetables in a large skillet and cover with water. Place lid on the skillet and cook for up to 5 minutes. Remove the lid and let the water evaporate. Toss in the butter (or olive oil), minced garlic, and lemon pepper. Continue cooking until veggies are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a steamer basket: To your pan, add 1 inch of water and place the collapsible steamer basket inside. Then, add more water and bring to a boil. Toss the veggies into the basket and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender.
- Microwave steaming method: To a microwave-safe bowl, add vegetables and water. Place in the microwave until fork tender. About 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with butter, salt, and pepper.
How Long to Steam Vegetables
Depending on the type of vegetable you are steaming, the times may vary. Generally speaking, root veggies take longer. Small veggies will of course cook quicker, as will vegetables containing more water like zucchini. Below is a guide to help you determine how long to cook your vegetables.
- Tough dark leafy greens such as beet greens, kale, and collard greens: 3 minutes
- Delicate leafy greens like spinach: 3 minutes
- Green peas: 3 minutes
- Broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, and green beans: 5 to 7 minutes
- Broccoli stem, sweet potatoes, turnips, potatoes, carrots, all types of squash: 8 to 20 minutes
Tips for the Best Steamed Vegetables
- Size of vegetables. Most people cut their veggies into bite-sized pieces. But if not, and you’re just tossing them in all willy-nilly, just remember that bigger veggies take longer to cook.
- Uniform sizes. With the above being said, whether you cut your vegetables big or small, just make sure to keep them all the same size. That way your steamed vegetables will cook evenly.
- Root veggies cook longer. Cook your root veggies together at the same time.
- Mixed veggies. If you are planning on mixing veggies, add the ones that take longer first. Then add the other ones in later.
- Avoid over-steaming. Until you get used to making steamed vegetables like a pro, a good rule of thumb is to use a timer. Soggy veggies are not on the menu!
- Fresh or frozen. You can use either. Frozen will have more water that needs evaporating, which means they may get soggy quicker. Just keep an eye out for that and do not leave them covered for longer than necessary.
Seasoning Steamed Vegetables
Add an extra special flavor to your steamed vegetables by adding seasonings when they are done.
- Drizzle with melted butter and garlic or even garlic herb butter
- Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a bit of Parmesan cheese on top!
- Use dried herbs and seasonings such as lemon pepper seasoning, Italian seasoning, greek seasoning, or even fajita seasoning.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many dishes from a holiday roast dinner to simple weeknight burgers. Some favorites include:
Storage
Storing steamed veggies is simple and easy! Place the vegetables into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to seven days. These make a great meal plan side dish too!
For more delicious sides learn how to cook rice on the stove, make caramelized onions, or roast asparagus.
More Vegetable Side Dish Ideas
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Steamed Vegetables
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups fresh vegetables , trimmed and cut into uniform pieces
- 1-2 Tablespoons butter , or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic , optional
- ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper
S&P, to taste
Instructions
Stove top
- Place vegetables in a large skillet and cover with 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. Root vegetables will take double the time. Remove lid and let water evaporate.
- Add the butter or olive oil, minced garlic and lemon pepper. Cook an additional 2-5 minutes, or until tender. Salt and pepper, to taste.
In a steam basket
- Add 1-inch of water to your pan and then place the steamer basket inside. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Add vegetables to a basket and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook 4-5 minutes, or until tender.
Microwave
- Place vegetables and water in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender. Season with butter, salt and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Kid-Friendly, Side Dishes, Vegetables
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Can you plz help me to choose the best vegetable to steam and the best carbohydrate to boil for two 5 year olds and a 13year old. Girls🙏
There are so many options of veggies! We love to use carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, or beans for our kids. Hope that helps!
The best way to make veggies! So simple and easy! We loved them!
Yum! This looks so delicious and perfect for dinner tonight! My family is going to love this recipe! So excited to make this!
The lemon pepper and garlic make these steamed veggies perfect!
So much flavor!