We have been steaming peppers in the Thermomix® Varoma for years: 20 minutes at speed 1 over vegetable stock in the mixing bowl. The peppers stay firm to the bite, barely lose any colour and pick up no stock flavour.
The basic recipe is simple, but the order makes all the difference. Stock goes into the mixing bowl first, then spread the peppers in the Varoma and place it on top. The peppers cook in steam, not in direct contact with water. That is what sets this method apart.
Steaming Peppers in the Thermomix® Varoma®
Ingredients 0 / 2 ✓
- 600 g peppers
- 500 g vegetable stock
Instructions 0 / 3
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1
Cut the peppers.
Wash the peppers and cut them into your desired shape.
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2
Add the vegetable stock.
Pour the vegetable stock into the mixing bowl.
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3
Steam the peppers.
Distribute the peppers between the Varoma tray and the Varoma insert tray. Place the Varoma on top and cook for 20 min / Varoma / speed 1.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why steam instead of water
Peppers boiled in a pot of water turn watery and lose their colour. The steam in the Varoma cooks them gently at a constant temperature, without the peppers absorbing any liquid. The cell structure stays intact and the colour remains vibrant.
The vegetable stock in the mixing bowl serves purely as a steam source. You can use plain water if you do not want to use the stock afterwards. We often save the stock for soups or sauces.
Shape and cut before cooking
Cut the peppers into the shape you need before cooking. Strips for salads, cubes for bakes, halves for stuffing. Once steamed, the peppers soften and are harder to cut cleanly.
The size has little effect on the cooking time. Thin strips are just as done after 20 minutes as thicker pieces, because the steam works evenly from all sides. Only whole peppers need an extra 5 minutes.
Arranging the peppers in the Varoma
Spread the peppers loosely across the Varoma tray and the insert tray. Do not stack them on top of each other. The steam needs to circulate between the pieces. If you are cooking more than one kilogram of peppers, work in two batches.
The insert tray is not optional. Without it, the bottom layer cooks faster than the top, because the steam is more concentrated there.
Use them straight away
Take the peppers out of the Varoma as soon as the time is up. If they stay inside, the residual heat continues to cook them and they become too soft. For salads or eating straight away, that is a problem.
If you want to use the peppers in a bake or as a filling, you can leave them to rest for 2 to 3 minutes after cooking. They will soften slightly and become easier to fill.
Storing in the fridge and freezing
Cooked peppers keep for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Any longer and they turn mushy. Steamed peppers freeze well. Portion them into freezer bags, press out the air and label. They keep for 6 months.
Goes well with: Couscous and feta.
To use from frozen, add the peppers directly to the pan or bake. Do not defrost them first or they will turn watery.
