How long to cook vegetables for vinaigrette: cook in a saucepan, in a slow cooker, steam

Vinaigrette came to us from French cuisine, but our compatriots often prepare it in their own way, including eggs, herring, and mushrooms. However, the basis of this popular salad almost always remains boiled potatoes, beets and carrots. It is important for a novice housewife to know how long to cook vegetables for a vinaigrette so that they come out soft, but not overcooked.

Cooking features

Vegetables for vinaigrette are usually boiled in their skins, but if you need to solve the problem quickly, they can be peeled, cut and steamed.
Before cooking, vegetables should be washed well, being careful not to damage their skin.
Pour cold water over carrots, potatoes and beets. Then the liquid is brought to a boil and from this moment the cooking time of the vegetables is noted.
There is no need to salt the water in which vegetables are boiled for salad. No spices are added to it either. After boiling vegetables in their uniforms, the liquid is poured out; this broth is not suitable for preparing other dishes.
Beets are usually cooked separately to prevent them from turning other vegetables pink. In addition, it requires longer preparation. However, if all the boiled vegetables go into one salad, it is permissible to cook them together, removing them when they are ready.

Ready vegetables should be removed from the water immediately so that they do not become soggy or soft. They should be dry and cool before use.

What else can you put in a vinaigrette?

Many people cannot imagine a vinaigrette without sauerkraut. It can be used instead of cucumbers or together with them. In the latter case, take approximately equal parts of both. If you only add cabbage to the salad, you will need about 300 g.

Instead of peas, you can take canned or boiled beans.

Pickled mushrooms will also add variety; you will need 200–250 g of them. Although you can add less or more, while adjusting the remaining salty foods - cucumbers and/or cabbage.

Herbs, such as dill, parsley or green onions, will add a fresh note.

Oil and salt can be pre-mixed with ½-1 tablespoon of vinegar (apple or 3%) and a pinch of ground black pepper. Vinegar will give the vinaigrette even more sourness.

How long to cook carrots, beets and potatoes for vinaigrette

The vegetables included in the vinaigrette require different durations of heat treatment. The cooking time for root vegetables also depends on their size.

Potatoes cook the fastest. Small tubers will be ready in 12-15 minutes, depending on the type of potato. Medium-sized tubers are boiled for 15-20 minutes. Very large specimens of some potato varieties may take several minutes longer to cook.
Carrots will cook in 15-20 minutes if they are small or medium in size. Large vegetables will need to be cooked 5 minutes longer.
The cooking time for beets can range from 40 minutes to 1.5-2 hours. The maximum heat treatment time may be required for beets of the so-called fodder varieties; the weight of such root crops can reach 400-500 g. Beets the size of a fist will be ready in 40-50 minutes, slightly larger ones in 50-60 minutes.
In a slow cooker, vegetables are usually cooked together, removing them as they are ready: 20 minutes after the appliance starts working, take out the potatoes, 5 minutes after that - carrots, 30-35 minutes after carrots - beets.
You can steam vegetables cut into small cubes in a slow cooker. To do this, they are placed on the grill in sectors, a liter of water is poured into the main bowl, then the unit is started for 25-30 minutes in steaming mode.
You can boil vegetables in the microwave. It is better to cook them separately, placing them in a bag and piercing it on top. Then the device must be started at maximum power for 10 minutes for potatoes, 15 minutes for carrots, 20 minutes for beets.

Features of choosing beets

Beets usually have the longest cooking time (2-3 hours), so we wondered how to speed up this process, as well as how to prepare the most delicious beets for vinaigrette and prepared a few recommendations:

Choose small specimens. In order for the vegetable to cook faster, it should be small or medium in size.
Try baking beets in the microwave or oven: wrap in a baking bag and cook for 30 minutes at 200 degrees. By the way, baked beets are considered more tasty and sweet.
Do not violate the integrity of the root crop: do not cut off the tail and do not peel the beets raw. If you do this, the vegetable will absorb a lot of liquid and will be watery and less bright.
Do not add salt to the water for cooking beets.
To maintain the bright burgundy color of the beets, after boiling, add 1/2 tsp. citric acid into the water in which the vegetable is boiled.
After cooking, always cool the root vegetables under cold water, in addition to completing the cooking process, the beets will be easier to peel.

Vinaigrette: step-by-step recipe with photos
The vinaigrette recipe also includes boiled carrots and potatoes. We recommend cooking all the vegetables for the vinaigrette in separate saucepans. This way, different vegetables will not absorb the smells and tastes of their neighbors. To keep the potatoes white, add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to the water when cooking.

It is more convenient to peel vegetables when they are warm, then the skin will come off easily. But it’s better to cut them cold, after some time spent in the refrigerator. Cold pieces of chopped vegetables will not stick together.

Vinaigrette is usually seasoned with aromatic unrefined sunflower oil, but there are variations on the theme of dressing for this salad in the form of a mixture of oil with mustard, vinegar, garlic or spices.

Vinaigrette is a dietary snack or a complete lunch. Therefore, this dish can often be found on the menu of people who want to lose weight.

So, let's start preparing the vinaigrette according to the classic recipe.

Vegetables for vinaigrette in a saucepan

Compound:

beets – 0.2-0.3 kg;
carrots – 0.2-0.3 kg;
potatoes – 0.4-0.6 kg;
water - how much will go.

Cooking method:

Wash the vegetables. Place carrots and beets in one pan, beets in another. Fill the food with water and put it on fire.
15 minutes after boiling water in a pan with carrots and potatoes, pierce the vegetables with a skewer to check their readiness. If they are soft, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl. If the vegetables are still hard, cook them for another 5-10 minutes, periodically checking their readiness.
40 minutes after the water boils in the pan with the beets, start checking the readiness of the root vegetables. As soon as they become soft, remove them from boiling water.

All you have to do is wait until the vegetables have cooled down, after which they can be peeled and chopped.

Vinaigrette with baked vegetables and beans

Roasting vegetables for vinaigrette will be a healthier and tastier alternative to boiling. After all, when cooking, some vitamins are lost, but when baking, most of them are retained. In addition, baked beets have a sweeter taste. Choose small vegetables so they will cook faster.

You will need:

Beets - 5-6 pcs;
Carrots - 6 pieces;
Potatoes - 5-6 pieces;
Pickled cucumbers - 3-4 pcs;
Beans - 1 cup;
Onion - 1 piece (small);
Sauerkraut - 100 g;
Sunflower oil - 3-4 tbsp. for salad dressing + 1 tbsp. for cooking beans;
Salt - according to taste preferences.

Vinaigrette with baked vegetables and beans: recipe

Preparation:

Boil the beans in advance. In the evening, you can soak it in a bowl of water at room temperature. Soaking will allow you to get rid of phytic acid, which interferes with the full absorption of microelements, as well as antinutrients. In addition, the beans will cook a little faster after soaking. To soak effectively, the beans must spend 12 hours in water. The ratio of beans and water is 1:1. In the morning, rinse the beans under running water. Place in the pan you plan to cook in and cover with water.
When the water boils, add 1 tbsp. l. sunflower oil, which will reduce the formation of foam during cooking. Cook the beans over low heat without a lid. The process will take from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours depending on the type of bean. Please note that with such a long cooking time, the water in the pan may boil away, so add it if necessary. Salt the beans at the end of cooking. Check readiness by taste: the beans should become soft. Drain and cool the beans.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Wash the skins of beets, potatoes and carrots with a brush. Dry with a paper towel. Wrap each copy tightly in foil.
Place the wrapped vegetables on a baking sheet. They will spend about 1 hour in the oven. Check the readiness with a toothpick; if it gently penetrates the thickness of the root vegetable, it means it is cooked. Note that the potatoes will bake the fastest, followed by the carrots, and the beets will bake for 1 hour.
When the vegetables have cooled, unwrap the foil.
Finely chop the onion and marinate for half an hour in boiling water. Then drain the water and squeeze the onion. Now the onion will not taste bitter in the finished dish.
Peel the vegetables and cut into equal sized cubes.
Squeeze the cabbage from the liquid.
Cut the cucumbers into circles, and then cut each circle into 4 parts.
Place all vegetables except beets in a salad bowl. Salt and add oil. Stir. Then add the beets. This method is needed so that the oil protects the vegetables from being stained by beets. Add beans, cabbage and cucumbers. Taste it; you may need to add more salt. Garnish the salad with parsley leaves.

Vegetables for vinaigrette in a slow cooker

Compound:

carrots – 0.2 kg;
beets – 0.2 kg;
potatoes – 0.4 kg;
water - how much will go.

Cooking method:

Wash the vegetables. Place beets on the bottom of the multicooker, then carrots, then potatoes. Pour in water until it completely covers the food.
Start the appliance in the main mode or in the first course cooking mode for an hour. From time to time, open the lid, check the readiness of the vegetables and remove them one by one.

Cool, peel the vegetables and start preparing the vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette with sea notes

You can diversify the taste of the salad by adding squid and seaweed to its composition. Be sure to try this version of vinaigrette, it is worthy of attention.

For the salad you will need:

Squid - 0.5 kg;
Sea kale - 200 g;
Beets - 2 pcs;
Potatoes - 2 pcs;
Carrots - 2 pcs;
Pickled cucumbers - 1 piece;
Red onion - 1 piece;
Green onions - 3 feathers.

To dress the salad you will need:

Sunflower oil - 3 tbsp;
Sugar - 1 tsp;
Mustard - 1 tsp;
Apple vinegar - 2 tbsp;
Salt - 0.5 tsp;
Black pepper - ⅓ tsp.

Vinaigrette with sea notes: recipe with photos

Cooking process:

Remove the mantle from the squid. To do this, pour boiling water over them for up to 1 minute, then rinse under running water; the skin will come off easily.
Cut lengthwise and remove spine and entrails.
Place in a saucepan with cold water and put on fire. Salt the water when it is slightly warm. Bring to a boil and immediately turn off the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the squid meat from the water. Cool and cut into strips along the grain of the meat.
Boil potatoes, beets and carrots in different containers in salted water. Peel while warm, and when completely cool, cut into cubes.
Finely chop both types of onions.
Cut the cucumbers into rings, and then cut each ring into four parts.
Cut the seaweed into strips of 3-4 cm.
Prepare the dressing. To do this, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and whisk with a hand whisk. You don’t have to add mustard to the dressing if you don’t like it, but it won’t be noticeable with so many vegetables; it will only add its characteristic piquancy.
First add everything to the salad bowl except the beets. Add dressing and stir. The oil will coat the food pieces and prevent the beets from staining. Add the beets and stir everything together. Ready.

General recommendations and advice

The cooking time for beets depends on two parameters - size and age. Young beets cook 2-3 times faster than old ones. Large root vegetables, harvested more than a year ago, can be cooked for up to 3 hours. A few tips to help speed up your cooking:

If the beets are not cooked in a saucepan in half an hour, they need to be removed from the heat, drained and placed under a tap with cold water for 10 minutes, then left in cold water for another half hour;
To prevent the beets from losing color when cooked in parts, add acidic products - vinegar, lemon juice, citric acid;
The fastest recipe is beets in a bag.

Beets should not be cooked together with other vegetables - this will cause all products to acquire an unpleasant red tint and a beetroot taste.

Beetroot Recipes

Beets are included in a wide variety of dishes. Everywhere its task is to give products a bright red color.

Classic borscht

To make classic borscht you will need:

500g beef;
500g potatoes;
500g cabbage;
300g beets;
300g carrots;
2 onions;
2 tablespoons of tomato paste;
Parsley, salt, spices - to taste.

First, the meat broth is prepared. The meat is cut into large pieces and sent to cook in a large saucepan for 1.5-2 hours. Be sure to remove the foam during the process. At this time, vegetables are prepared - beets, potatoes, cabbage, onions and carrots are cut into strips or cubes, and the beets are stewed over the fire for 15 minutes. Onions and carrots are fried. When it is ready, add tomato paste.

When the meat broth is ready, add potatoes, cabbage and beets and cook until the potatoes are ready. Approximately halfway through cooking, add frying. Salt and pepper before cooking. While the soup is cooking, chop the greens and add them to the finished soup before serving.

In Korean

Korean beets always turn out spicy and spicy. For those for whom such a diet is contraindicated, it is better to abstain from this dish. Required:

500g beets;
80 ml vegetable oil;
2 cloves of garlic;
1 teaspoon sugar;
2 teaspoons vinegar;
Half a teaspoon of salt;
Seasonings to taste (seasoning for Korean carrots is suitable).

Raw beets are peeled and cut into strips. A marinade of vinegar, salt and seasoning is added to it, everything is thoroughly kneaded with your hands. The garlic is peeled, finely chopped and placed on top of the beets. The oil is heated almost to a boil, poured over the finished mixture, and immediately covered with a lid. The dish is left for half an hour, then stirred and infused again - this will take 2-3 hours.

Salad with meat

For the salad you will need:

200g of any meat;
100g beets;
Potatoes;
Carrots;
Luke;
Pickled cucumbers;
Green peas;
Mayonnaise;
Vinegar.

First you need to prepare the ingredients - meat, beets and carrots are boiled, potatoes are deep-fried, onions are pickled in vinegar. The salad is laid out on a dish in layers: meat, then potatoes, beets, carrots, cucumbers, onions, peas. Everything is seasoned with mayonnaise.

Beet caviar

Required:

2-4 medium beets;
1-2 onions;
2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste;
A glass of brine;
Salt, sugar, pepper - to taste;
A pinch of citric acid.

The beets are boiled whole, without cutting, then grated on a coarse grater. Fry the onion until golden brown, add beets to it. Fry everything together for 5 minutes, then add brine, tomato paste and seasonings, mix thoroughly. When the dish becomes homogeneous, it is removed from the heat, allowed to cool and served as a side dish for meat.

Beet potato pancakes

Beet pancakes are much more original than potato pancakes. They will need:

500g beets;
Egg;
Garlic clove;
5 tablespoons flour;
Salt, pepper - to taste.

The beets need to be boiled in advance, peeled, and allowed to cool. Then it is grated. Finely chop the garlic. Then mix the beets, garlic and egg, and seasonings. Mix all this thoroughly to obtain a homogeneous mass. Add flour to the resulting mixture and mix again. Draniki are not molded, but placed with a spoon on a heated frying pan. Fry until golden brown.

How to prepare “Vegetable vinaigrette”

1. Prepare your food. Boil the vegetables until tender, cool, and peel.

2. Cut the peeled potatoes into cubes. Place in a deep bowl.

3. Add diced carrots.

4. Chop the sauerkraut finely, add it to the salad bowl, along with the canned peas.

5. Add chopped cucumbers, onions or green onions.

6. Add chopped beets. To preserve their own color with all the ingredients, the beets are oiled separately, that is, they are cut first and filled with oil. I love it when the vinaigrette is dark. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Season the salad with vegetable oil and stir. If you don't have enough acid, add a little apple cider vinegar or cabbage brine.

8. Let the salad brew for a couple of hours, try it!

How to prepare carrots for cooking and how long to cook vegetables

One of the easiest ways to prepare carrots is to boil them. All you need to make boiled carrots is a saucepan and some water!

Cooking carrots by boiling may seem boring. And while it's true that they don't have the caramelized sweetness of roasted carrots or the crunch of roasted carrots, boiled carrots can be very tasty if you know how to do it right.

Preparation stages

Boiled carrots are actually really easy to make, so it doesn't really require a lot of prep work. Here's what you need to do.

Wash the carrots

Like any vegetable, you need to wash your carrots to remove any dirt or chemicals that may still be on the surface. Just gently wipe them under warm water, making sure to remove all dirt.

Peel the carrots

A lot of carrot flavor and nutrients are located near its surface. So it is often better not to peel the carrots, but to simply wash them thoroughly - the carrots turn out much tastier than just like that. But if you need to peel carrots, use a vegetable peeler and be sure to only remove one layer.

Boiling causes the carrots to lose flavor and nutrients, releasing them through the surface.
When you cut carrots, you expose more surface area and lose more flavor and nutrients. Result?
Large pieces of carrots taste better when cooked!
Smaller carrot pieces take much less time than whole carrots.
Very small pieces may only take a few minutes to cook, while really large whole carrots may take a full hour.