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Are there any solution to make leafy vegetables more "crunchy"? (I usually boil my leafy vegetables in water but it seems that when I bite them, they usually does not tear off easily. They become quite "sticky" like pan pizza.)

Example of leafy vegetables: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O075MxiwT4U/TYNSsUyvxpI/AAAAAAAAAHo/ToW_w0Uel6I/s800/vegetable.jpg

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    Is there any particular reason you're boiling them? That's generally the cooking method that makes things the softest.
    – Cascabel ♦
    Jan 16, 2012 at 1:33
  • @Jefromi, Hi Jefromi, yes, boiling makes veg soft but it does not mean that when you bite them, they get tear off easily. Sometime, the stem become very hard at the outside even though it is soft in the inside. I am trying hard to make the veg soft and one can easily bite it off easily. I don't want to make my veg chewy.
    – Jack
    Jan 16, 2012 at 2:10
  • That's what I mean. If you want crunch or crispness, boiling is bad; soft is your enemy.
    – Cascabel ♦
    Jan 16, 2012 at 2:18
  • +1 Yes Jefromi, you got it. Yes, boiling is bad but soft is my enemy. Unfortunately, I need to make the veg cooked and not raw so I end up meeting both my enemy - boiling and soft. Probably grill the veg will remove all my problem once and for all.
    – Jack
    Jan 16, 2012 at 2:29

2 Answers 2

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Leafy greens generally tear quite nicely when they are raw. If you apply any moist heat to them, they will wilt and no longer tear as nicely. In fact, certain leafy greens can become downright tough if you cook them to long.

If you'd still like to cook your greens, but retain a little of their crunch, you can always grill them.

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  • No wonder my leafy greens are always so chewy. However, I prefer my leafy green to be cooked to remove most bacterias. I will try grilling them.
    – Jack
    Jan 16, 2012 at 2:12
  • You might want to wait until you've actually tried grilling to accept an answer - especially since there are other answers. If you like grilling, you'd probably also like roasting/broiling in the oven, and you might also like a quick steaming or stir-frying.
    – Cascabel ♦
    Jan 16, 2012 at 2:59
  • If the only reason why you are boiling it is to remove bacteria then do a quick blanc of the vegetables in boiling water for a couple seconds then take them out and grill them. Although grilling them should remove the bacteria...
    – Jay
    Jan 16, 2012 at 4:30
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If you want to cook veggies without losing their crispiness, try to soak them in a cold water with ice cubes after boiling it. I've done this many times and it works wonders.

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  • while this does make many vegetables better (e.g. broccoli), leafy ones become soft even if simply blanched (30 sec in roiling boil, then iced immediately).
    – rumtscho ♦
    Jan 31, 2014 at 14:34

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