How to Steam Your Vegetables in a Stasher Bag

No surprise, but steaming is one of the healthiest and simplest ways to prepare vegetables. Let us count the ways ... 

Veggies plus water equals maximum nutrition. Instead of using oil or fat, the boiling water outside and the water vapors produced inside gently cook your veggies, preserving most of nutrients within the food. 

Fancy equipment, be gone. If you're using a Stasher bag to do the cooking, this process gets even easier. Simply chop your vegetables to a desired size, seal them inside a Stasher and place the bag in a pot of boiling water. Cover the pot with a lid and let the vegetables steam away. That’s it!

We love the Stand-Up Stasher for family-sized steaming, while a Sandwich Stasher is perfect for single serving meals. Stasher can also be used to cook raw or frozen veggies by sous vide. 

Because vegetables have different cooking times, you may need to cook them in different bags. For example, bell peppers soften much faster than carrots, so steam them separately. If you are steaming vegetables with similar cooking times, such as broccoli and cauliflower, go ahead and let them steam together.

Depending on the size of your pot, you can cook several bags of vegetables at a time. Just pull them out at the appropriate cooking time.

If you are steaming in a Stasher, here's a piping hot tip: cover your pot while you steam. This helps keep the water vapors inside the pot, which will help the vegetables cook faster and more evenly. Want more info? Detailed instructions for three popular steamed vegetables, below! 

How to steam carrots in a Stasher bag

1. Fill a stock pot with about 6 to 7 cups of water and bring it to boil. 
2. Peel 2 large carrots and trim off the ends. Chop the carrots into 3 sections and chop each section into carrot sticks.
3. Transfer carrots into a Stasher. Press out any air bubbles inside the bag and seal it.
4. Carefully place the bag in the pot of boiling water and cook for about 15 to 17 minutes.
5. Use tongs to remove the bags from the pot of boiling water. Open up the Stasher bags with oven mitts or tea towels. Remove the vegetables from the bag with tongs and serve!

How to steam bell peppers in a Stasher bag

1. Fill a stock pot with about 6 to 7 cups of water and bring it to boil. 
2. Remove the stem and seeds from a large bell pepper. Slice the pepper into 1/2 inch strips.
3. Transfer the sliced peppers into a Stasher. Press out any air bubbles inside the bag and seal it.
4. Carefully place the bag in the pot of boiling water and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Use tongs to remove the bags from the pot of boiling water. Open up the Stasher bags with oven mitts or tea towels. Remove the vegetables from the bag with tongs and serve!

How to steam green beans in a Stasher bag

1. Fill a stock pot with about 6 to 7 cups of water and bring it to boil. 
2. Snap off the end of the green beans with the stem.
3. Transfer the green beans into a Stasher. Press out any air bubbles inside the bag and seal it.
4. Carefully place the bag in the pot of boiling water and cook for about 12 to 14 minutes. 
5. Use tongs to remove the bags from the pot of boiling water. Open up the Stasher bags with oven mitts or tea towels. Remove the vegetables from the bag with tongs and serve!

How to steam broccoli in a Stasher bag

1. Fill a stock pot with about 6 to 7 cups of water and bring it to boil. 
2. Slice a broccoli crown into florets. If the florets are quite large, slice them in half.
3. Transfer the broccoli into a Stasher. Press out any air bubbles inside the bag and seal it.
4. Carefully place the bag in the pot of boiling water and cook for about 13 to 15 minutes. 
5. Use tongs to remove the bags from the pot of boiling water. Open up the Stasher bags with oven mitts or tea towels. Remove the vegetables from the bag with tongs and serve!

Bonus: make baby food in a Stasher

Steamed veggies make an excellent snack or side dish for a quick and healthy meal, but they also make nutritious baby food. Continuing with the "keep it simple" party, you don't even need any equipment for this (although if you do, you can get even more creative). Win! 

1. Once you've steamed and thoroughly cooled your vegetables, simply smoosh them up right inside the bag.
2. Spoon out softened food for your little one at home or store it in your fridge for later. 

So simple, so good. What are your favorite vegetables to steam? 

This post was written for Stasher by our friend Lisa Lin, editor of Health Nibbles + Bits. Connect with Lisa on Instagram.