Among the most common questions I receive is, “What should I serve on the side?” So it is never a bad idea to have an arsenal of simple side dishes that you know how to make by heart that you can pair with just about anything you cook.
Having a simple sautéed veggie dish is one of the easiest, funniest, and most flexible ways to make dinner.
They go well with just about anything, because they are easy, colorful, delicious, flexible, and go well with many different types of meals.
Besides, eating vegetables is not boring or has too much spice for this dish, it is really easy to eat, easy to make and Apronese believes that many people will fall in love with the following recipe.
Quickly save it in your dish notebook right away.
There Is Flexibility in This Recipe
I think you’ll find that this is more of a technique than a recipe because you can experiment with just about any vegetable or seasoning that you have in your pantry in order to make this work for you.
Check out my list of ideas below for vegetables and seasonings to match your meal.
Vegetable Options
The vegetables I used for my sauce were carrots, red bell peppers, zucchini, and yellow squash, but you can use any variety of vegetables you like.
If you’re sticking with vegetables, try to choose a range of colors and textures, and chop them into different shapes.
There is only one further thing to remember when cooking vegetables, which is to add hard vegetables to the skillet first, and softer vegetables to the skillet last, so that they all arrive at the same level of doneness.
The following are some great examples of vegetables to use:
- Broccoli
- Red or Yellow Onion
- Cauliflower
- Green Beans
- Snow Peas
- Mushrooms
- Asparagus
There are a few vegetables that I would not recommend sautéing with this method, even though it is a great way to cook many vegetables.
These include:
- Potatoes (unless pre-boiled)
- Tomatoes (too watery, will create a wet cooking environment)
- Leafy Greens (you might get away with kale, but others are probably too delicate)
Seasoning Options
Whenever I cook vegetables, I usually use a combination of basil, oregano, salt, and pepper, which is a simple combination that goes with just about anything.
However, that mix can be switched up if you find that different seasonings are more of a match to your meal.
Here are some other great seasoning suggestions:
- Lemon Pepper
- Taco Seasoning
- Greek Seasoning
- Curry Powder
- Herbs de Provence
- Steak Seasoning
- Garlic and Dill
- Simple Salt & Pepper
See this sautéed vegetable technique in my cajun sausage and vegetables meal prep.
The Key Is High Heat
Using a very hot skillet is one of the keys to making these sautéed vegetables turn out perfectly.
I have found that medium-high works well for me, but it may vary depending on your cookware and your stovetop settings.
If the skillet is too hot, water may spit out and spat, but the oil should not be allowed to begin to smoke.
That is what the skillet should be hot enough so that water sprinkled on the surface will sputter and spatter.
There are several reasons to use a high heat when frying vegetables, as high heat ensures that any moisture that is released from them evaporates quickly instead of pooling in the skillet, which would cause them to simmer and soften rather than enabling them to remain crisp and fresh.
Sautéed Vegetables with Simple Ingredients
You can opt to serve the vegetables sautéed in these simple, delicious, and colorful side dishes with virtually everything you make for dinner, as they compliment well with just about any dish you make.
Author: Beth
Prep Time: 10 mins/ Cook Time: 10 mins/ Total Time: 20 mins
Servings: 4 (1 cup each)
Ingredients
- 3 carrots ($0.42)
- 1 zucchini ($0.72)
- 1 yellow squash ($0.78)
- 1/2 red bell pepper ($0.75)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.07)
- 1/4 tsp dried basil ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp dried oregano ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional) ($0.04)
Instructions
- Firstly, peel and slice the carrots. Secondly, cut the zucchini and yellow squash into half-rounds. And thirdly, slice the bell pepper into quarters.
- Cook the sliced carrots for about 2-3 minutes in a skillet heated over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil to the skillet once the skillet is very hot, stir it to coat the surface, then add the sliced carrots.
- In the next step, add the bell pepper, zucchini, squash, basil, oregano, and garlic powder. Continue to cook the vegetables for 2-3 minutes more, or about 2-3 minutes less than it would normally take. Ideally, you want to take the raw edge off the vegetables, but not to the point where they become limp and mushy.
- Remove the skillet from the heat once the vegetables are just beginning to soften. Add the butter and toss to ensure that the butter has melted and coated the vegetables thoroughly. To serve, sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over the vegetables, taste them and adjust as required. Garnish the dish with fresh chopped parsley right before serving.
*As for the pepper, you can use one whole pepper, but I just happened to have a half pepper that I was going to use in the recipe, which is listed as 1/2.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 cup ・ Calories: 102.55 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 9.98 g ・ Protein: 2.15 g ・ Fat: 6.9 g ・ Sodium: 166.88 mg ・ Fiber: 3 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our full nutrition disclaimer .
Sautéed Vegetables: How to Make Them – Step by Step Photos
This dish will cook very quickly, so you won’t have time to chop anything once it starts cooking.
As a result, start by chopping all of your vegetables in advance of cooking.
This dish came together in just a couple of minutes. I used three carrots, one zucchini, one yellow squash, and half a red bell pepper (which I had leftover from another dish).
Try to choose vegetables with a wide variety of colors and textures, whatever you choose.
You can start cooking the carrots in the hot skillet by adding a tablespoon of cooking oil and swirling it around the surface.
Once the skillet is hot, add the carrot slices, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
It is important that you add carrots to the dish before the other vegetables, because carrots are a hard vegetable and they take longer to cook.
You can then add the zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and 1/4 dried basil, 1/6 dried oregano, and 1/6 garlic powder into the mixture.
When the vegetables are just about to soften, continue to sauté them for 2-3 minutes.
Don’t cook them to the point where they are mushy, but don’t cook them too long. It is best to take off the raw edge, but not to the point where they’re mushy.
Upon removing the skillet from the heat, add 1 Tbsp of butter and, tossing the vegetables as they begin to soften, continue to cook for another minute or until the butter has melted and is coated with the vegetables.
Lastly, add a pinch of salt and pepper and season with a bit of parsley (optional) before serving. Taste the vegetables and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
Finish with a garnish of chopped parsley and serve.
Eat the rainbow.
Eating well is what everyone wants, especially when eating while having many colors and good for health, have you ever tried to cook this dish?
Share your results with Apronese.
Guaranteed, this simple vegetable recipe is super easy to make and easy to find ingredients anywhere, or simply in your fridge. Try it now.
