Steamed Vegetables With A Vegan Herbed Butter Sauce

Steamed veggies can be pretty boring on their own, which is a shame because they are so healthy. But they can be made so much better with a few simple tricks. One of them is the herbed butter sauce. It is simple to make and it turns your plain old veggies into something tasty and fun. If you have kids that refuse to eat their greens, this might be just the thing you need to motivate them to eat healthier. The best thing about this recipe is that even though the vegetables are technically steamed, you do not need a steamer basket or anything like it, you can make this quick side dish in an ordinary pan.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch or 3 crowns broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 large carrot or half of a 10oz bag of matchstick carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Instructions:

Cut the broccoli into florets or even smaller.
If you do not have matchstick carrots, thinly slice the carrot or julienne it.
Thinly slice the bell pepper.
Set the vegetables aside.

In a small dish or on a plate, add the salt, oregano, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Melt the vegan margarine in a small pot.
Once it is melted, add the herbs.
Stir and cook them for about 30 seconds.
Pour in the lemon juice, stir it again, and remove from the heat.

(if you do not have a steamer basket)
Pour the water in a large saucepan and turn the heat to medium heat.
When it starts to boil, add the vegetables and cook them for 5-7 minutes.
Stir them halfway through.
Drain the vegetables, put them in a large bowl, and pour the butter sauce over them.
Toss them until they are evenly coated.

(if you have a steamer basket)
Steam the vegetables until they are crisp-tender.
Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and pour the butter sauce over them.
Toss them until they are evenly coated.

Tips and ideas:

When cooking the herbs, be careful not to burn them. Your goal is only to infuse the butter with their flavours.

There are many variations of this meal that you can make. You can use olive oil instead of margarine, you can use different vegetables or different herbs. The possibilities are endless.

Images – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59KlBpRFrJM