Vegetable Steaming Times (Chart)
If you're always short of time when it comes to cooking a dinner, consider steaming food. Steaming is an easy and relatively quick way to prepare vegetables such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, asparagus, beans, beets, cauliflower, celery, and radishes. Steaming veggies, whether fresh or frozen, in a stainless steel steamer basket or a bamboo steamer is also one of the healthiest cooking methods. If you steam your vegetables correctly (i.e. don't allow them to touch the boiling water under the steamer basket), you will be rewarded with delicious steamed food that is full of flavor and nutrients. If you are new to steaming as a cooking method, the chart below showing the approximate steaming times for different vegetables should help you get started.
Please note that the steaming time chart provided below is only intended as a guide – the actual cooking times may differ considerably due to personal tastes (some people like their veggies harder and crisper) and due to differences in the water content of foods (generally, the fresher the food, the faster it will cook). In addition, the preparation method and size have a great impact on how long it takes to steam a vegetable. For example, whole vegetables take longer to cook than diced or sliced vegetables. The steaming time table included on this page lists the preparation method/size of the vegetable that corresponds to the shown steaming time.
Furthermore, the last column in the table below provides ideas on how you can add flavor to your steamed vegetables without using salt or dairy products. You will learn that steamed cauliflower is amazing with lemon or lime juice, while fennel is tasty when served with extra virgin olive oil and basil. Shelled peas, which can be put into the steamer basker either fresh or frozen, get a nice kick from lemon juice and fresh herbs such as mint.
Approximate Steaming Times for Vegetables:
| Vegetable | Size/Prep | Time | How to season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artichokes | Steam whole artichokes | 25-40 min | Season with extra virgin olive oil and lemon zest |
| Asparagus | Whole spears, thick spears peeled lightly | 7-13 min | Serve with quince jam, cranberry jam, olive oil combined with lemon zest, or olive oil combined with sesame seeds |
| Asparagus | Cut into 2-inch pieces | 4-7 min | Season with olive oil combined with lemon zest or sesame seeds |
| Beans, green | Whole beans | 6-10 min | Season with garlic |
| Beans, wax | Whole beans | 6-10 min | Season with garlic |
| Beets, small or medium-sized | Whole, unpeeled beets scrubbed clean; peel off the skins after steaming | 35-50 min | Season with fresh thyme |
| Beet greens | Cleaned and coarsely chopped | 7-9 min | Drizzle with olive oil |
| Broccoli | Trimmed stalks | 8-12 min | Season with olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, lemon juice, lime juice, or balsamic vinegar |
| Broccoli | Trimmed stalks split in half or florets | 5-7 min | Extra-virgin olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, lemon juice, lime juice, or balsamic vinegar |
| Brussels sprouts | Whole, trimmed | 8-15 min | Season with fresh thyme |
| Brussels sprouts | Trimmed and halved | 6-8 min | Season with fresh thyme |
| Cabbage | Cut in wedges | 6-10 min | Lemon or lime juice |
| Carrots | Cut into ¼-inch thick slices | 7-10 min | Season with honey combined with cinnamon or ginger |
| Carrots, baby | Whole baby carrots | 10-12 min | Season with honey combined with cinnamon or ginger |
| Cauliflower | Florets | 5-10 min | Lemon or lime juice |
| Celery root (celeriac) | Cut into ¼-inch thick matchsticks | 5-7 min | |
| Celery stalks | Cut into ½-inch thick slices | 4-9 min | Season with seeds |
| Corn on the cob | Whole, husks removed | 7-10 min | Homemade chicken or vegetable stock |
| Daikon radishes | Peeled and cut into chunks | 8-12 min | Season with fresh herbs |
| Chicory (endives) | Cut in half lengthwise | 5-10 min | Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice |
| Fennel bulbs | Cut crosswise into ½-inch slices | 8-10 min | Season with olive oil and basil (or lemon) |
| Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) | Peeled or scrubbed; sliced | 5-8 min | Serve with arugula or fresh herbs such as chives or parsley |
| Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) | Whole tubers, peeled or scrubbed | 20-25 min | Serve with arugula or fresh herbs such as chives or parsley |
| Kale | Trimmed | 4-7 min | Drizzle with olive oil and crushed garlic |
| Kohlrabi | Peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes | 5-8 min | Toss with parsley and olive oil |
| Leeks | Trimmed, cut in half | 5-8 min | Season with your favorite vinaigrette |
| Okra | Fresh whole okra, trimmed | 6-8 min | Season with lemon/lime juice and parsley, or with sauteed scallions |
| Onions, pearl | Whole onions, peeled | 8-12 min | |
| Parsnips | Peeled and cut into ½-inch slices | 7-10 min | Season with fresh herbs such as oregano or parsley |
| Peas, green | Fresh, shelled peas | 2-4 min | Season with fresh herbs (such as mint) or lemon juice |
| Peas, sugar snap | Whole pea pods, trimmed | 5-6 min | Season with fresh herbs (such as mint) or lemon juice |
| Potatoes, all | Peeled or scrubbed clean, cut into ½-inch slices | 8-12 min | Toss with fresh parsley, rosemary or dill |
| Potatoes, new | Whole, scrubbed clean | 15-20 min | Toss with fresh parsley, rosemary or dill, or with chopped red onions |
| Radishes | Whole radishes, trimmed | 7-14 min | Season with chopped scallions or chives |
| Scallions | Cut into ½-inch slices | 3-5 min | |
| Spinach | Cleaned, whole leaves | 3-5 min | Season with olive oil and garlic, or sesame seeds |
| Squash, butternut | Peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes | 7-10 min | Season with honey, lemon juice, and rosemary |
| Turnips | Cut into 1/2-inch cubes | 8-12 min | Season with olive oil and fresh herbs |
| Turnip greens | Cleaned and coarsely chopped | 4-6 min | Season with olive oil and garlic |
| Sweet potatoes | Cut into large chunks | 8-12 min | Season with honey and lemon juice |
| Swiss chard | Coarsely chopped leaves | 3-5 min | Serve with chopped fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, olive oil and pepper |
| Zucchini | Cut into 1-inch slices | 5-8 min | Season with olive oil, lemon/lime juice, and fresh herbs (such as thyme or rosemary) |
It is also possible to steam bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomatillos, and garlic; however, other cooking methods, such as roasting, may be better suited to retain their texture and/or bring out their flavor. If you are interested in roasting as a cooking method, be sure to check out our Oven Roasting Times for 60 Different Vegetables.
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