Healthy food can’t be pleasurable? Not true! As most Naturally Healthy people know. We aren’t using willpower to eat more vegetables. We do it because we know how to make vegetables taste better.
It’s not as hard as you think.
How to Make Vegetables Taste Better – 6 EASY Ways
1. Use Salt
Many vegetables contain a bitter flavors.
While a love of bitterness can be acquired, there’s something you can do to mask it.
Yes, our old friend salt.
Really seasoning makes a HUGE difference.
Don’t be worried about the negative health connotations associated with salt.
That’s for when you’re eating industrial-sized quantities, not the small amount of sea salt that it takes to mask the bitterness in your kale.
Salt is also makes vegetables taste great because it enhances other flavours.
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2. Use a Tasty Sauce
Many sauces contain fats which can help absorb the nutrients in vegetables. And provides fat soluble vitamins which tend to be lacking in veg.
So it’s actually better for you (and your taste buds) to use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or butter when cooking veg.
Here are some of my favourite sauces:
- Mayonnaise (I love Kewpie brand)
- Pesto
- Hummus
- Sriracha
- Tabasco or other hot sauce
- Guacamole or Amazing Avo Sauce
- Tahini Sauce (mix equal parts tahini and water)
- Soy Sauce
- Oyster Sauce
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3. Don’t Boil Your Veg
One of the easiest ways to make vegetables taste yuck is to boil the hell out of them.
Boiling is also problematic because your water soluble vitamins end up down the sink.
These days, the only veg I boil are broad beans, broccoli and spuds for roasting or when I’m making mash.
So how do I cook my veg?
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4. Roast, Pan fry or Stir fry
I love roast veg but they can take a while, so I often pop them in a frying pan for a speedier alternative.
Unlike boiling, these dry heat methods of cooking help add yummy caramelized flavours to your veg and remove excess moisture.
Which is why they’re so delicious!
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5. Use Good Quality Vegetables
When I was little I hated peas. Boiled frozen peas were all I knew.
Then one day I had a life-changing spring vegetable soup at the Lynwood Cafe which had its own vegetable garden.
I couldn’t believe that I not only liked the freshly picked sweet peas.
I loved them.
Now I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with frozen peas. They’re a brilliant vegetable to have on hand.
I tell the story as a reminder that all veg are not equal when it comes to flavour.
The carrot you get from the supermarket generally never holds a candle to one you grow yourself.
If you’re a frozen vegetable fan (like me) it’s worth experimenting with a few different brands to find the ones you like best. I found the baby beans from one supplier are 100X more delicious than the old beans from other producers. Same goes for frozen spinach.
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6. Use Flavour Bombs
I’m a big fan of using tasty accompaniments to make my veg more palatable. Flavour Bombs are ingredients which add a bit hit of flavour and / or texture to a dish to instantly make your experience come alive. These are my secret weapons for making my vegetables taste good.
Here are some of my favourites:
- Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Roast Nuts (especially pine nut or pistachios)
- Chilli Flakes or Chilli Powder
- Furikake
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Pickles
- Olives
- Dried Fruit (especially fried cranberries)
- Fresh Herbs (like basil or parsley)
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More Easy Recipes for How to Make Vegetables Taste Better
(and even Amazing!)
- Easy Green Smoothie Bowl (3+ Ingredients)
- Vietnamese Carrot Bowls
- Sausage, Broccoli & Chilli Bowls
- Darya’s Egg Fried Cabbage
- Tandoori Cauliflower
- Balsamic Cabbage and Sausages
- Smoky Cauliflower Taco Bowls
- Mexican Roast Eggplant with Green Chorizo
- Beautiful Broccoli with Creamy Tuna Sauce
- Lebanese Roast Ratatouille with Hummus
Have fun in the kitchen!
With love,
Jules x