How to Cook Vegetables in the Microwave

Last Updated: August 1, 2019 References

Healthy eating can be difficult when resources and time are scarce. Luckily, your handy-dandy microwave will do all the work for you when it comes to cooking your vegetables. Just wash, dry, and microwave for a few minutes, and your veggies are ready to eat!

Steps

1
Prep your vegetables. Of course, this will mean different things depending on the item. Generally speaking, small, even chunks is the way to go.
- It is generally a good idea to cook vegetables separately so that nothing is over- or under-cooked. However, if you must mix them up, cut the vegetable that requires more cooking into smaller chunks. For example, if cooking potatoes and cauliflower together, make sure that the potato chunks are much smaller than the cauliflower florets.
- In the case of corn on the cob, keep the husk on. Because corn is a grain, the loss of water results in starchier, firmer corn. The husk helps prevent this loss of moisture.^{[1]
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2
Put the vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl. For safety reasons, bowls that do not heat up in the microwave are preferable (such as Pyrex glass bowls). However, any microwave-safe bowl used carefully with oven mitts should do the trick.^{[2]
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3
Lightly season. Microwave cooking results in a texture much like steamed vegetables (which makes sense; microwave radiation excites water molecules in food, which increases temperature and results in water converting to steam). Heavy seasoning is rarely necessary because the vegetable retains much of its original flavor. A little bit of salt and pepper is sufficient; a pinch of spices or herbs will be more than enough.
4
Microwave on high! Add about 3 tablespoons of water to the bowl for every pound of vegetable.^{[3]
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Research source} Generally, firmer vegetables such as beets or turnips will take longer to cook, whereas softer, moister vegetables such as broccoli take much less. Leafy greens such as spinach take very little time at all. Cook for approximately ½-2/3 the recommended time, then check each minute after with a wooden skewer.^{[4]
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- For reference, potato chunks generally take about 8 minutes, broccoli florets about 4 minutes, and spinach about 3 minutes per pound.^{[5]
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- Understandably, larger chunks also take more time to cook that smaller bits. Take this into account.
- Consult this chart for more specific cooking times.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I add oil to roast veggies?

Community Answer

Yes. Don't expect them to be crispy, though.
Question

Are vegetables less nutritious when cooked in the microwave?

Community Answer

No. A lot more nutrients are actually retained with this method of cooking than when boiling for example, where water-soluble vitamins are lost in the water. Microwave cooking is actually recommended for this reason.
Question

How long should I cook potatoes in the microwave?

Community Answer

I would start with five minutes, then test it with a knife to see how soft it is, and then perhaps heat it in two minute increments after that.