How to steam broccoli in the microwave (2024)

FAQs

How to steam broccoli in the microwave? ›

Place glass plate on top of bowl, making sure plate is big enough to cover the whole bowl. Place bowl/plate in the microwave and cook on high for 3-5 minutes. Three minutes for more al dente broccoli, up to five minutes for softer broccoli. Remove the plate when cooking to avoid continuing to cook.

Place the broccoli in a microwave-safe dish and add about 2-4 tablespoons of water. You can add more or less water depending on the portion of broccoli you are cooking. Cover the bowl with a loose lid or microwave-safe plastic wrap with holes for ventilation. Microwave 2-4 minutes until the broccoli is tender.

How to Steam Veggies in the Microwave. Steamed veggies are super easy to make with the Micro-Cooker^®. Just add a few tablespoons of water for every cup of fresh veggies and cook until they reach the desired doneness. Feel free to use more water than necessary and strain the water when the vegetables are done cooking.

Place 3/4 to 1 inch of water in a saucepan with a steamer and bring to a boil. (Note that if you don't have a steamer, you can simply put the broccoli directly into an inch of boiling water.) Add broccoli, steam 5 to 6 min: Add the broccoli to the steamer and cover; reduce heat to medium and let cook for 5-6 minutes.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of water (a little more if you're steaming multiple portions). Place in the microwave and pop a lid on top to keep the steam in. Microwave on high! Firmer vegetables like turnips or potatoes may take 6-8 minutes, and softer, moister veg like broccoli will take less – around 4 minutes.

Make sure you don't use more water, otherwise the broccoli will boil rather than steam, making for soggy results. Add your broccoli to the skillet and cover it with a lid. Cook until the broccoli reaches your desired level of tenderness, about 3 to 5 minutes.

That's why steaming is one of the best ways to maximize nutrients. It turns out that's especially true for broccoli. When in doubt, microwave. That's because microwaving uses little to no water, and can heat the vegetable quickly, thus preserving nutrients such as vitamin C that break down when heated.

The broccoli florets should all fit in the bowl without peeking over the top. Add the water to the bowl. Cover with a plate (upside down or right-side up) that lies flat against the top of the bowl, capturing all of the steam. Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Broccoli can be eaten raw, but blanching it quickly in boiling water helps give it a more crisp-tender texture and bring out its flavor. Broccoli can also be steamed, sautéed, and roasted. You could even throw long spears on the grill!

Cooking may enhance the antioxidant activity of broccoli, but it may also reduce its content of certain heat-sensitive nutrients, such as vitamin C and sulforaphane. When cooking broccoli, it may be best to steam it, as this appears to offer the greatest retention of nutrients, compared with other cooking methods.

How do you steam broccoli and keep it bright green? ›

Be careful not to steam green vegetables.

Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, when chlorophyll is cooked, it produces carbon dioxide. Since you have to cover the vegetables to steam them, the chlorophyll turns a drab, grayish color. You can prevent this by boiling the greens, in salted water.

Micro-Steaming Vegetables. To micro-steam, lay vegetables in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Cover them with a triple layer of damp paper towels. Microwave on high heat until the vegetables are tender, two and a half to six minutes, depending on the power of your microwave.

But because microwave cooking times are shorter, cooking with a microwave does a better job of preserving vitamin C and other nutrients that break down when heated. As far as vegetables go, cooking them in water robs them of some of their nutritional value because the nutrients leach out into the cooking water.

How to cook Tenderstem broccoli: in the microwave. Cooking broccoli in the microwave is essentially a way of steaming the veg. Place the broccoli in a microwave-safe container with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and cook on high for around 4 mins.

When you steam broccoli or boil pasta, you're cooking by convection. The molecules in water, steam, and other liquids and gasses don't have to collide with their neighboring molecules in order to transmit their energy. They can simply change their position — and take their heat with them.

Can you microwave broccoli without water? No, in order to create steam to cook broccoli in the microwave, you will need some water. However, you won't need a large pot of boiling water––just add a few tablespoons of water to fresh or frozen broccoli.

A spokesperson for Saran Wrap agrees that plastic wrap is indeed safe to use in the microwave when used as directed. Follow these tips and you'll have perfectly cooked food in the blink of an eye: To vent excess steam, turn back one corner of the wrap.