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How to make veg taste better?

52 replies

Bookaholic73 · 28/12/2025 20:17

So I need to increase my intake of dark green leafy veg.
I hate veg boiled, and am sick of just stir fried.

Can you suggest ways to make it more palatable?

OP posts:
millymollyminging · 28/12/2025 20:36

Air fried kale is great. It’s the only green leafy veg I will eat.

Bookaholic73 · 28/12/2025 20:37

tartyflette · 28/12/2025 20:35

You can add shredded cabbage to various stews and casseroles , especially pork. If you cook it for a long while it mostly disappears into the stew and will have a sweet and nutty taste.
Also, after boiling or steaming the veg, fry some garlic in olive oil and finish cooking the greens in this for a minute ir so. Finely chopped fresh chillies are also good fried with the garlic and oil, if you like heat.
I have an excellent recipe for a pork and cabbage casserole if you're interested. It only needs some plain boiled basmati rice to go with it.

Yes please, you’ve made the combo of pork and cabbage sound delicious!

OP posts:
Coffeeishot · 28/12/2025 20:37

Bookaholic73 · 28/12/2025 20:35

Wow, thanks for the quick replies!
I’m loving all of the suggestions, but sadly bacon is a no no for me.

I agree with whoever said butter makes any veg better, but I am trying to lose weight so can’t do that all the time.

You can wilt with a little bit oil, also side salads just well on the side with meals so you can reduce carbs and it fills the plate up a bit.

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Crikeyalmighty · 28/12/2025 20:42

Bookaholic73 · 28/12/2025 20:37

Yes please, you’ve made the combo of pork and cabbage sound delicious!

I used to make Swedish cabbage rolls when we lived in Copenhagen - basically it was minced pork , cream , white pepper and an egg then stuff the mix in outer cabbage leaves and make rolls, bake and serve with mash, lingonberry jam and a home made mushroom sauce- it’s much nicer than it sounds!!

ElleDeeCB · 28/12/2025 20:44

Roast cabbage broccoli or sprouts with Harissa - see the Green Roasting Tin and Zoe cookbooks for ideas.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 28/12/2025 20:59

Salted butter warmed with a bit of lemon zest and quite a lot of freshly ground black pepper.

Or dried fermented black beans, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained, roughly chopped and stirred through with a scrap of butter.

merrymelody · 28/12/2025 21:05

I never boil vegetables. It takes away all the nutrients and flavour. Steam or microwave them until tender-crisp with a bit of salt.

Dartmoorcheffy · 28/12/2025 21:09

Make a medley of dark greens, white cabbage and leeks. Steam it then chop it, add butter, white pepper, salt and sime if thise crispy fried onions that you get in a tub in lidl. It tastes amazing and I could eat it in a bowl on its own.

Salted spinach with poached eggs and poached smoked haddock is really really good for you too.

Meadowfinch · 28/12/2025 21:19

Wrap a head of celery in greaseproof paper, with a little butter, and bake in the over for 20 mins. The same for florence fennel.

Make leek & potato soup, or brocolli & (leftover) stilton soup.

cobrakaieaglefang · 28/12/2025 21:23

Honey roasted veg..for root veg anyway ..not tried leafy..

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 28/12/2025 21:39

For the best nutritional value just juice it/nutribullet and slug it back.

tartyflette · 28/12/2025 21:42

Bookaholic73 · 28/12/2025 20:37

Yes please, you’ve made the combo of pork and cabbage sound delicious!

Ok, it's really easy and I've put in rough quantities because i don't know how many people you need it for. Should be easy to scale up a bit. This is plenty for two to three hungry people.
So -- About 400 grams stewing pork (or shoulder chops, diced. )
A little olive oil.
About 400 grams sliced or shredded green/savoy/white cabbage
1 fat garlic clove, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes plus about 1 tbs tomato puree.
1 chicken 'stock pot' or stock cube, dissolved in about 250 ml of hot water
Worcester sauce - 2 shakes, more if you like it.
1 fresh chilli - sliced ( optional)
Couple of pinches of dried thyme. Salt, pepper to taste.
Heat the olive oil in an oven proof casserole and warm the garlic for 30 secs. Add all the pork, give it a stir, then add all the other ingredients.
You may need extra water to cover it all.

Bring to the boil, place in oven then cook for two hours. About 150-160 C/gas 3-4?
Check seasoning. Serve with boiled rice.
I make it spicy but you don't have to. Hope you like it!

lacquershimmer · 28/12/2025 21:45

Chop, put in glass dish, add a bit of butter, cover, microwave for 3-6 mins depending on how much you’re cooking. Delicious.

ParsnipPies · 28/12/2025 21:47

Do you like coleslaw? You can make it with an awful lot of raw veg and the mayo makes it very palatable.
Also have a bag of spinach in the fridge and add a handful to everything. Raw on sandwiches, salads, wraps and heated for less than a minute in any hot dishes.
I know you say you don’t like veg in its normal form but is there any chance you are over cooking it. If you put salt in the water or boil for too long it goes grey and mushy. Basically keep tasting it as you are cooking it and once you can bite into it serve.
Then don’t forget other colours of veg. You can make a very nice pasta sauce with tinned tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, peppers etc

Binus · 28/12/2025 21:47

Do you like dark greens in salad? It sounds weird but I know some people who dislike it cookes but are fine with it raw.

boothandbones · 28/12/2025 22:54

Kale in the oven is great, tiny spray of olive oil and then I put Nando’s peri salt on when it comes out
watch it like a hawk as it goes from crispy to black v quick!
it’s great added to salads for texture

burblish · 29/12/2025 06:12

Adding generous portions of green vegetables to risottos, pasta sauces and Indian dishes is a great way to up your green veg intake. Italians would definitely clutch their pearls at my veg sauce-to-pasta ratio!

I made risotto for dinner last night with tons of leek, celery, frozen spinach, peas, lemon and white wine (you can also throw in some diced carrot or butternut squash to add sweetness; I would have added courgette, too, if I'd had some). Courgettes pair beautifully with tomato pasta sauce or (my favourite) sauteed with olive oil, garlic, sage, thyme, lemon, pepper and chilli flakes, then stirred into pasta with loads of freshly grated parmesan. Courgette fries are delicious, too, and can be made in an air fryer to reduce the amount of oil needed - a nice variation is to use panko breadcrumbs to give added crunch.

Look up Indian recipes for spinach dishes or any Indian dishes with leafy green veg (such as saag) - you can use spinach for most of them. Classics include aloo palak (potato and spinach curry), palak paneer (spinach and paneer cheese) and spinach with lamb or chicken if you're not vegetarian. If you make dal, you can chuck a load of spinach in there, too.

Ooh, and Greek spanakopita (spinach and feta filo pie) is another fabulous spinach dish, to give you one more idea.

You could try other leafy greens in place of the spinach in these dishes, but I personally find spinach is more versatile and works with a greater variety of herbs and spices than, say, kale or cavolo nero.

Splendidlydidy · 29/12/2025 06:18

Quick fry in a splash of oil with garlic and soy sauce.

Poppy61 · 29/12/2025 07:35

We put steamed veg in rice or cous cous. A treat curry, or gumbo, with added goodness.

sashh · 29/12/2025 10:14

Pickled veg? I know it is usually red cabbage but I don't see why you couldn't pickle other veg, maybe broccoli.

I got a pack of veg from Sainsbury's, it was sprouting broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas and I can't remember what else. Anyway steamed for 5 mins then a cheese sauce was poured over. I had a visitor who didn't know what time they would arrive so easy to make and leave until later.

Stuffed cabbage? Blanche the leaves and fill with a mix of leftovers, rice and chicken work well. Pour over some passata and bake for 30 mins.

Pakoras - OK not low fat but they could be baked in the over instead of fried.

Added to an Asian style broth. My basic broth is boiling water, a veg stock cube, ginger and garlic (fresh, frozen or from a jar) than you can add anything you want. Pack choi works well and you can add meat or other veg.

Make 'pesto' from the veg.

I make 'stem soup' with the stems of broccoli and cauliflower.

mamaduckbone · 29/12/2025 10:24

Savoy cabbage sautéed with onions is delicious

Sunnyside4 · 29/12/2025 11:06

If you like gravy, cheese/parsley/hollandaise sauce you could add some of that on top. I know the latter three freeze ok, you might just need to add a bit of milk as it seems to thicken up with freezing.

NiftyBlueRobin · 29/12/2025 11:28

What kind of cuisine do you enjoy? That will help with preparation recommendations.

Blending them into a sauce is a good way of getting them in. Likewise, if you're not opposed to smoothies, blending some kale and spinach with sweeter ingredients like banana, berries etc. can also be a way of getting them in.

If trying to lose wait so wanting to avoid high oil/butter content, then steaming them in a little bit of salt, smidge of oil and lots of lemon juice is a good way of brightening dark greens up and giving them flavour. This can be a side to your main meal (like Korean Sigeumchi-namul) or mixed into stews, curries etc.

Garlic and onion powder are your friends - toss these on when frying or roasting to give lots of flavour.

For kale, chopping it into oblivion really is the most palatable way I have found to make it. Then it just blends in to the other ingredients in your dish. Very quick to do with a big, sharp knife and a see-saw motion.

Bok choi counts as a brassica vegetable and has a milder flavour than kale, brussel sprouts etc. Similarly, cauliflower is milder in flavour but is also a brassica so has many of the same health benefits as dark leafy greens.

bloodredfeaturewall · 29/12/2025 11:34

why leafy greens specifically when there are so many tasty vegetables?

agree with garlic making anything tastier
and roasting
and glazing with soy sauce and/or honey
adding spice
butter or oil

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