How to Saute Vegetables: A Complete Guide

Wanna learn how to sauté vegetables the right way? Read on for my complete guide with expert tips and FAQ’s.

5 Pro Tips for Sautéing Vegetables

When cooking vegetables in a pan, there are some key steps to follow, as well as a few things to avoid:

Use the largest non-stick skillet you have.

More skillet surface area means more of your vegetables will make direct contact with the pan and have a better chance of caramelizing (browning). Using a non-stick skillet will ensure your vegetables will slide out easily and retain their beautiful shape. (P.S. If you’re in the market for a new pan, I highly recommend the Caraway 12″ Sauté Pan [affiliate link]. You’ll get 10% off sitewide with this link.)

Do not overcrowd the skillet.

If there are too many vegetables in the pan at once, they will steam and become mushy instead of searing and retaining their crunch. If you have to cook a large amount of veg at once, do it in two batches (or use two skillets).

Medium or medium-high heat is best.

Turning up the heat allows vegetables to lock in their moisture and caramelize quicker, which means you won’t cook them to death. The goal with sautéed vegetables is to retain their bright color and texture.

Hold the salt.

Wait to salt your veggies until they’re just about done. Salt draws out moisture, so if you salt your veg in the beginning of cooking, they will steam in their own juices instead of browning.

Be patient!

Though it may seem like constantly stirring vegetables would help them cook faster, it actually does the opposite. Leaving your vegetables untouched while they’re cooking will help them brown properly. Try to only stir your vegetables once or twice while sautéing.

How to Saute Vegetables: 2 Methods

Method #1

The first method is for softer vegetables that cook quickly and have a higher water content, such as zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, bok choy, or asparagus. These can simply be cooked in a bit of oil until browned.

Method #2

The second is for harder vegetables that typically take longer to cook, like broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, etc. These veggies benefit from a little steaming before browning.

I do this by adding a splash of water to the pan with the veggies, covering it with a lid, and letting the veg steam for a few minutes. Then I remove the lid, raise the heat to medium-high and evaporate any remaining water. Lastly, I add oil and proceed to caramelize the now slightly softened vegetables just like the first method.

Check out the two methods in action in the recipe card below – featuring zucchini and broccoli.