It is widely agreed that boiling or steaming frozen peas, carrots, peppers, and broccoli is a bland way to eat them; meanwhile, sautéing in a hot pan ensures the vegetables don’t turn mushy or watery. Chef Brian, known as ‘Chef Brian’s Kitchen’ on YouTube, also adds vinegar to mixed vegetables to lock in lots of flavour.
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In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Brian revealed that his “secret pro tip” for cooking delicious frozen vegetables is to add balsamic vinegar, preferably as a glaze.
While balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar are good alternatives, Brian claims that just one tablespoon of the sweet glaze “adds so much depth”, especially when paired with salty condiments like soy sauce.
The chef instructs home cooks to add it as a finishing touch to the veggies in the last few minutes of cooking.
How to make frozen vegetables taste better
Cooking frozen vegetables straight from the freezer will produce better results than thawing them beforehand, according to chef Brian.
He suggests cooking them in a frying pan with a little olive oil for flavour. As they saute, the water inside the frozen produce helps crisp up the vegetables as it reduces.
For extra flavour, Brian suggests adding the equivalent of two garlic cloves (per bag of mixed vegetables) to the pan, along with two tablespoons of oil.
Add the frozen vegetables to the pan and spread them out to ensure even cooking. Brian suggests adding two tablespoons of unsalted butter at this point. Salted butter should be avoided to prevent the vegetables from drying out.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper before adding soy sauce, and cook until reduced.
Stir in one tablespoon of balsamic glaze before mixing everything together one last time. Leave the veggies to simmer for a couple of minutes before serving.
