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Original poster

How often do you sautee your veg?

38 replies

Clarin · 05/11/2025 14:15

Very boring question.

Im a self taught cook. And have pretty much come to sautee basically all my veg - fresh and frozen alike. Sweetcorn, green beans, broccoli, peas, cabbage etc.

But I just never see anyone else in my family or friend group doing the same. I can’t be the only one doing this. It’s so easy and genuinely tastes the best imo. No watery veg ever!

Am I just very unobservant. Just curious…

OP posts:
Original poster
Clarin · 05/11/2025 14:57

I never boil veg although that’s what I grew up with.

OP posts:
ArtTheClownIsNotAMime · 05/11/2025 15:00

JadziaD · 05/11/2025 14:52

Are you using saute correctly? Cooking vegetables on high heat, with small amount of fat, to get some colour on them?

That's not heating them.

I admit, I actually thought saute'ing vegetables was cooking them slowly in a little fat like what I do with onions before I make a casserole or something (sweat the onions is perhaps a more accurate term).

But neither the correct use of the word nor my incorrect use of the word is a way I would cook most vegetables routinely, no.

I think what you describe is "sweating" which is a foul term for food!

snurtifier · 05/11/2025 15:01

Most veg get sauteed in our house. Pretty much the only things I'd ever boil are potatoes and some green veg like sprouts.

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 05/11/2025 15:03

I don’t generally because that means you actually have to supervise them, whereas I can just leave them in the steamer to do their thing. Lovely to have the time to properly get into cooking, it’s very rare that I have the time these days.

Original poster
Clarin · 05/11/2025 15:06

I guess I just quite like the flavour you get from getting a little color on the veg

OP posts:
BaronessBomburst · 05/11/2025 15:09

Things only get sautéed at weekends. Week nights veg all goes into one dish in the oven, whilst I get on with everything else.
I only boil eggs and pasta.

ForZanyAquaViewer · 05/11/2025 15:21

Clarin · 05/11/2025 14:56

i vary the heat depending on the veg. Sometimes they go low and slow with the lid on (splash of water for steam) then a quick flash of heat at the end for flavour. Thats how I cook my broccoli .

But a lot of time I just chuck a bunch of veg on a medium heat a bit of olive oil/garlic and stir until cooked. Lovely!

Show quote history

Neither of those is sautéing, though.

I cook most of my veg in a pan with a small amount of oil or butter and spices/garlic/ginger (the seasoning is dependent on what is being cooked and desired end result). Or I roast things. The only vegetables I actually sauté would be courgettes and mushrooms, I think. Sometimes sliced peppers.

I have never boiled or steamed a vegetable. The idea makes me feel quite depressed. 🤣

Endofyear · 05/11/2025 15:23

I mostly stirfry with onions and garlic, sprouts, broccoli, carrots, courgettes, green beans, aubergine, mushrooms etc. Love roasting carrots, sweet potato, squash, peppers etc too. Very rarely boil veg, it's a bit plain and boring! I'm not white british either, maybe that's why? My granny always fried her veg with onions, garlic and spices and they were delicious!

I have sometimes used those frozen steam veg bags in the microwave but I always add a knob of butter, a squeeze of lemon and lots of black pepper!

JadziaD · 05/11/2025 15:24

@ForZanyAquaViewer I agree - OP is not technically sautee'ing most of her veg.

What's the word for cooking them slower with fat and spices? Is it braising?

Using the correct termonology, I apparently sautée greens sometimes! We love (what we used to call chargrilled, but I'll be using correct terminology from now on. Natch. Grin) sauteed greens sometimes with a little dressing, or piled in a wrap with some halloumi or similar.

I guess stir frying veg is similar to sautéed as well in which case, we do that a lot too!

I almost never braise vegetables because it takes to long but a good braised leek, red onion and cabbage is fantatic with salmon.

TenWeeCaramelJoeys · 05/11/2025 15:41

I steam pretty much all vegetables, apart from peppers/courgettes /aubergines which I either fry or oven cook. I only sauté things like onions/carrots/mushrooms etc when I’m making soup or stew or a sauce.

MerryPinkCritic · 05/11/2025 16:29

Omg I read this completely wrong. I saw this when first posted and thought it said “how often do you sautee your vag?” And deliberate didn’t open it at first for this reason. Haha Wednesday brain

ArtTheClownIsNotAMime · 05/11/2025 17:00

MerryPinkCritic · 05/11/2025 16:29

Omg I read this completely wrong. I saw this when first posted and thought it said “how often do you sautee your vag?” And deliberate didn’t open it at first for this reason. Haha Wednesday brain

Calling @GwynethPaltrow

Tamfs · 05/11/2025 17:03

I put mine in the airfyer. Except peas and sweetcorn, they just get a quick dunk in boiling water.

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