Steamed Veggies
The steamer keeps the vegetables tender and colorful without making a project of the side dish. Lemon-dill butter coats them lightly, letting their natural sweetness come through.

Recipe link
Prep time20 min
Cook time10 min
Total time30 min
- Course
- Side Dish
- Cuisine
- Granny's Recipes, American
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Est. calories / serving
- 64
Ingredients
Steamed Vegetables
- 2 cups cauliflower — bite-size florets
- 1 cup carrots — thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 red onion — medium; cut into ¼-inch rings and separated
- 1 cup button mushrooms — small and whole; halve if large
Lemon-Dill Butter Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice — fresh
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dill — dried
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Steam the Vegetables: Fill a large pot with 1–2 inches of water and set a steamer basket inside, making sure the water does not touch the basket. Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower, carrots, and red onion to the basket, cover, and reduce the heat as needed to maintain steady steam. Steam for 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften but are not yet tender.2 cups cauliflower, 1 cup carrots, 1 red onion
- Add the Mushrooms: If the mushrooms are large, cut them in half. Add the mushrooms to the steamer, cover again, and steam for 3–5 minutes, checking at 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the thickest carrot slice and cauliflower stem can be pierced with a fork while still offering slight resistance.1 cup button mushrooms
- Prepare the Butter Sauce: While the vegetables finish steaming, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat for 1–2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt, dried dill, and black pepper for 15–20 seconds, until evenly combined. Do not boil the sauce.2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp dried dill, ⅛ tsp black pepper
- Finish the Vegetables: Lift the steamer basket from the pot and let the vegetables drain for about 30 seconds. Transfer them to a serving bowl. Pour the lemon-dill butter sauce over the vegetables and toss gently for 20–30 seconds, until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve: Serve warm immediately, while the vegetables remain bright and crisp-tender.
Notes
- Keep a Little Bite: Begin checking the vegetables 3 minutes after adding the mushrooms. Remove them when a fork enters the thickest carrot slice and cauliflower stem with slight resistance.
- Drain Well: Let the vegetables drain briefly before transferring them to the serving bowl. Excess steaming water will dilute the lemon-dill butter sauce.
- Flexible Vegetable Mix: Broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, or other seasonal vegetables may be substituted based on what you have on hand. Add faster-cooking vegetables later and judge doneness by texture rather than using one fixed time for every combination.
- Fresh Lemon Matters: Fresh lemon juice provides the brightest flavor and helps balance the richness of the butter.
- Best Served Fresh: These vegetables are best shortly after steaming, when their color and texture remain vibrant. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and use them within 3 days. Reheat gently until steaming hot, or 165°F; the vegetables will be softer after reheating.
- Extra Herbs: Fresh parsley or a little additional dill may be sprinkled over the vegetables just before serving.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with Herbed Chicken Breasts with Olive Oil, Busy Day Halibut, or Herbed Lemon Meat Loaf.
Nutrition (Approximate Per Serving)
Yield
6 servings — Serving size: About 1 cup
- Calories
- 64
- Carbohydrates
- 6.3 g
- Protein
- 1.6 g
- Fat
- 4.1 g
- Saturated Fat
- 2.2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0.2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0.8 g
- Cholesterol
- 11 mg
- Sodium
- 244 mg
- Potassium
- 265 mg
- Fiber
- 1.9 g
- Total Sugars
- 3.1 g
- Vitamin A
- 3529 IU
- Vitamin C
- 21.3 mg
- Calcium
- 21 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
Equipment
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Steamer basket (Use a basket that fits securely inside the large pot.)
- Large pot with lid (Large enough to hold the steamer basket with 1–2 inches of water below it.)
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Serving bowl