How to Steam Vegetables (Times for Every Vegetable)

To steam vegetables, place them in a basket over 2 to 3 cm (about 1 in) of boiling water, cover tightly, and cook at a steady simmer until just tender, usually 3 to 10 minutes depending on the vegetable and size. Steamed vegetables keep more colour, crunch and water-soluble vitamins than boiled ones.

Why steam cooks so well

Steam is hotter than it feels. At sea level, steam is 100 °C / 212 °F, the same as boiling water, but it carries a hidden load of energy. When water vapour condenses back into liquid on the cooler surface of a vegetable, it releases its latent heat of vaporization, about 2,260 kJ for every kilogram of steam. That energy dumps straight into the food.

So steam heats food quickly and evenly, without the vegetables sitting in water. Two big advantages follow:

• Less leaching: water-soluble nutrients like vitamin C, folate and some B vitamins dissolve out of vegetables into cooking water. Boiling can lose a large share; steaming loses much less because only a thin film of condensed water touches the food.
• Gentle texture: no rolling boil to knock delicate vegetables around, and no waterlogging.

Steaming does not brown food, because the surface never rises much above 100 °C. For browning and caramelized flavours, roast or sauté instead.

Steps

1. Add 2 to 3 cm of water to a pot and bring it to a boil. The water must stay below the steamer basket.
2. Cut the vegetables into even pieces. Similar sizes cook in the same time. Put denser vegetables in smaller pieces if steaming a mix.
3. Put the vegetables in a steamer basket above the water. Spread them in a loose layer, no more than two or three pieces deep, so steam can circulate.
4. Cover tightly and reduce to a steady simmer. A tight lid traps the steam. Medium heat is enough; a furious boil just evaporates water faster.
5. Steam until just tender, checking at the shortest time. A paring knife should slide in with a little resistance. Green vegetables should be bright, not olive.
6. Lift out the basket carefully, opening the lid away from you. A cloud of 100 °C steam can burn badly. Tilt the lid so steam escapes away from your face and arms.
7. Season immediately and serve. Toss with salt, a little butter or olive oil, lemon juice or herbs while hot. Remember carryover cooking: vegetables keep softening for a minute or two after you pull them.

Steaming times

Times are for the stovetop with a steady simmer. Start checking at the low end.

Steaming without a steamer

• Plate method: crumple three balls of foil, set them in a pot with 2 cm of water, and rest a heatproof plate on top.
• Colander or sieve: set a metal one in a large pot over water and cover with the lid or foil.
• Microwave: place vegetables in a microwave-safe dish with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) water, cover with a vented lid, and cook on high for 2 to 5 minutes, stirring halfway. Times vary by microwave wattage.
• Parchment pouch: wrap vegetables with butter and herbs and bake at 200 °C / 400 °F for 12 to 20 minutes. That is en papillote, steaming in a packet.

Common mistakes and fixes

• Bottom layer soggy, top undercooked: the water touched the basket, or the pile was too deep. Lower the water level and spread the vegetables out.
• Pot boiled dry: too little water for a long steam. Check potatoes and roots halfway and top up with boiling water from a kettle.
• Dull green colour: steamed too long. Pull greens as soon as they turn vivid, or shock them in ice water if serving later.
• Bland vegetables: unseasoned. Salt after cooking, and add fat or acid to carry flavour.
• Lifting the lid often: every peek lets out steam and slows cooking. Set a timer instead.