How to Make Bitter Vegetables Taste Better: Science & Tips
Learn the science behind bitter flavors and how to make vegetables taste better. Expert cooking and nutrition tips with easy recipes to enjoy veggies more!
Tame the Bitterness: Science-Backed Tips to Enjoy Veggies More
Do you struggle to enjoy strong, bitter vegetables like kale, Brussels sprouts, or broccoli rabe? You’re not alone—bitterness is one of the main reasons people avoid eating nutrient-rich greens and vegetables. But with a little science information and a few kitchen tricks, you can transform those sharp, bitter notes into balanced, crave-worthy flavors. I’m sharing why vegetables can taste bitter, how cooking methods change flavor compounds, and what expert nutritionists and chefs recommend to help you actually enjoy your veggies. Plus, you’ll get simple, flavor-boosting recipes to make bitter vegetables your new favorite side dish.
“I really just don’t like vegetables.” Maybe you’ve heard this from a friend, family member, or children. Maybe even you have said it before! As a registered dietitian nutritionist with 30 years of experience, I have heard this refrain countless times! But, it’s all okay. Let’s talk about it. In fact, disliking bitter veggies may be in your genes. As early as the 1930s, human research revealed a genetic trait that increases sensitivity to bitter flavors for some individuals more than others.1,2 With a higher than average number of tastebuds, so-called supertasters (and children, it turns out) appear to have an above-average aversion to vegetables.
Why Are Veggies Bitter?
Superpower tasting abilities aside, all of us taste some degree of bitterness from one type of compound, glucosinolates. They appear throughout the Brassicaceae or cruciferous family of vegetables—think mustard greens, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, arugula, kale, bok choy, Swiss chard, and even wasabi. (Learn more about cruciferous veggies here and dark green leafy vegetables here.) Similarly, isoflavone compounds in soy foods like tofu and tempeh may set off the bitter receptors on our tastebuds, too. If you fell in love with all of these foods at first bite, great for you; but for many of us, enjoying foods on the bitter side of the spectrum are often an acquired taste.
If you still make a yuck expression when faced with leafy greens and cruciferous veggies, why bother to acquire the taste? The problem is this: they are good for you. Really good for you! Glucosinolates, for instance, are bioactive compounds that actually enhance our own natural antioxidant and detoxification processes. Vegetables, especially the cruciferous ones, are nutritional powerhouses of fiber, folate, vitamins C and K, and calcium. A head-to-head comparison of oranges against certain leafy greens like kale, will find double the amount of vitamin C in the kale!
Learning to Love Veggies
If only you could learn to like the taste…but you can! The super-tasting genetic predisposition is only a starting point. Many factors influence our food preferences, from the number of times we try a food, to societal norms, to what we see our peers doing and eating. The more you can cultivate a sense of curiosity about new-to-you foods and flavor-enhancing techniques in the kitchen, the more you will succeed in training your taste buds.
Three Tips to Make Bitter Vegetables Taste Good
Try these proven nutrition and cooking tips to tame the strong, bitter flavors of veggies so you can dig into their health benefits.
1. Trick Your Tastebuds
Flavorful umami ingredients like capers, miso paste, tomato paste, and vinegars are your secret weapons here: they distract with sour and salty notes, and a little goes a long way. A squeeze of citrus like lemon, lime, or orange right before serving acts similarly.
2. Pair with Sweet
Pair bitter vegetables with naturally sweet vegetables like corn, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squashes, and onions. In fact, the sweetness of caramelized onions is an ideal backdrop for any dark leafy green or cruciferous vegetable. Don’t forget fruit: top spicy arugula with fresh pear in this Jade Pear Pistachio Salad, or dice dried apricots or cherries into cooked vegetables for a similar effect.
3. The Power of Fat
The addition of fats can mellow out those bitter flavors. By massaging avocado oil or olive oil into raw leafy greens, you add a depth of flavor and creamy mouthfeel, plus boost your absorption of nutrients like vitamin K that actually require a bit of fat for full absorption. Drizzling veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts, with EVOO and roasting, grilling, or sautéing them caramelizes their surface, those bringing out wonderful flavors and aromas.
The bottom line: It may take some experimentation to retrain your taste buds, but you can do it!
Pro Tip
Next time you boil or steam vegetables, save that cooking water for repurposing it in vegetable broth or a deglazing liquid for your next batch of caramelized onions. With long exposure to heat and water, vegetables tend to leak out some of their bioactive compounds and other vitamins and minerals, so don’t throw that good stuff away!
Top 10 Vegetable Recipes that Tame Bitter Flavors
Discover more delicious recipes to make veggies taste delicious!
Easy Herb Grilled Vegetables
Vegan Cauliflower Spinach Lasagna
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
Hearty Chickpea Stew
Healthy Edamame Chard Brown Rice Salad
Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower with Hemp Seeds
Swiss Chard Salad with Oranges and Citrus Vinaigrette
Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower with Ranch Dip
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Peanuts and Papaya
Creamy Purple Cauliflower Salad
References
- Flaherty JA. Are You a “Super-Taster”? New York, NY: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter; 2007;25(2): 6.
- Tepper BJ. Nutritional implications of genetic taste variation: The role of PROP sensitivity and other taste phenotypes. Annual Review of Nutrition. 2008;28:367–388.
- Tordoff MG, Sandell MA. Vegetable Bitterness is Related to Calcium Content. Appetite. 2009 April ; 52(2): 498–504. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2009.01.002.
- Cruciferous Vegetables. Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center Web site. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/cruciferous-vegetables. Updated April 2017. Accessed April 26, 2018.
- Roland WS, Vincken JP, Gouka RJ, et al. Soy isoflavones and other isoflavonoids activate the human bitter taste receptors hTAS2R14 and hTAS2R39. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2011;59(21): 11764-71. Doi: 10.1021/jf202816u.
- Isothiocyanates. Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center Web site. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/isothiocyanates. Updated April 2017. Accessed April 26, 2018.
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
- Yuan G, Sun B, Yuan J, Wang Q. Effects of different cooking methods on health‐promoting compounds of broccoli. J ournal of Zhejiang University Science B. 2009;10(8):580‐588. DOI:10.1631/jzus.B0920051.
- Murador DC, Mercadante AZ, de Rosso VV. Cooking techniques improve the levels of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in kale and red cabbage. F ood Chem. 2016 Apr 1;196:1101‐7. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.10.037. Epub 2015 Oct 22.
Main image: Balsamic Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprouts with Farro
Written by Lora Silver, Dietetic Intern with Sharon Palmer, RDN
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A fantastic way to take advantage of the carrot tops. They do not only taste somewhat in the mix of bitter and sweet, but also have a very pleasant astringent scent.