Classify Vegetables by
Type and Intended Use
Lesson Plan: CA C11-2
Anticipated Problems
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How are vegetables classified? What
vegetables are in each class?
What are the common uses and preparation
techniques for vegetables?
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Terms
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anthocyanin
baking
blanching
boiling
braising
brine
brunoise
carotene
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chiffonades
chlorophyll
chutney
corn syrup
cruciferous vegetables
crudités
deep-frying
duxelles
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Terms
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ethanol
flavone
flower vegetables
fructose
fruit vegetables
frying
garnishes
grilling
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herbs
julienne
leaf vegetables
mirepoix
oil
pickling
pod vegetables
roasting
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Terms
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root vegetables
sautéing
seed vegetables
stalk vegetables
steaming
stem vegetables
stir-frying
tempura
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tubers
vegetables
vegetarian menu
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Vegetable Classifications
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Vegetable classifications—Vegetables
(légumes) are edible kitchen-garden plants,
including roots and some herbs.
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To a layperson, the classification “vegetable”
may include tomatoes, beans, and peas.
Yet chefs and botanists know that these
examples are fruits.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Chefs value vegetables for:
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Low food cost
High nutritional value
Flavor
Lively colors
Vegetables can be classified by:
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Color
Flavor
Moisture content
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Vegetable Classifications
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Many chefs create seasonally inspired menus.
Most restaurants and foodservice venues
offer a year-round vegetarian menu
(a menu that consists solely of vegetables).
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Vegetable Classifications
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Vegetables without chlorophyll (green
pigment in plants) include fungi (mushrooms
and truffles). All vegetables with chlorophyll
fall into six main classifications and are
named for plant parts:
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Flower
Leaf
Stem
Seed
Root
Fruit
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Vegetable Classifications
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The nutritional value of vegetables—aside
from being low in calories and high in
vitamins, minerals, and fiber—may be
classified by color.
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The type of water in which vegetables are
cooked affects their color.
Virtually everything in nature can be
categorized as an acid, an alkali, or a
neutral substance.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Common acids used when cooking
vegetables are lemons, oranges, and vinegar.
Alkali is a base and is a bit bitter (baking
soda).
Regular tap water is usually considered a
neutral environment.
When a chef cooks vegetables, it is desirable
to preserve their bright colors.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Chlorophyll is green pigment that is
destroyed by acids, which change the bright
green color of vegetables to a dull yellowish
green.
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To ensure that the naturally occurring acids
in green vegetables are driven off during
cooking, they are usually cooked uncovered.
Green vegetables are high in iron and
vitamins K and C.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Carotene is yellow and orange pigment that
is not adversely affected by acids or alkaline
solutions.
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Most yellow vegetables are high in vitamin A
and are cooked uncovered.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Flavone is white pigment that easily turns
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Anthocyanin is red pigment that may fade,
yellow or brown, unless a small amount of
acid is used to preserve it. However, the
addition of acid (e.g., lemon juice) to
cauliflower results in a change in cauliflower’s
distinctive flavor.
unless a small amount of acid is added to it.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Legumes are high in protein, fiber, and B
vitamins.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Flower vegetables are a class known as
cruciferous vegetables (the Cruciferae
family of plants) and are sometimes known
as the cabbage family.
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The flower vegetables may look vastly
different.
All a part of the same family and are generally
crisp and pungent.
Broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts
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Vegetable Classifications
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Leaf vegetables are a class that includes all
greens, the tops of root vegetables, and the
leaves of grapevines; they are among the
most available of the vegetable varieties.
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They range in color from whitish pale
green to dark intense green
Flavors and textures from mild and tender
(e.g., spinach and Bibb lettuce) to tough and
pungent (e.g., collard and mustard greens).
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Vegetable Classifications
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Stem vegetables (stalk vegetables) are
vegetables grown on stems; the stems and/or
the stalks are edible.
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High in cellulose fibers (strings) that are
needed to keep the weighty vegetables
upright.
Artichokes (edible thistles), asparagus, bok
choy, celery
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Vegetable Classifications
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Seed vegetables (pod vegetables) are
the edible seeds, pods, and young shoots of
plants.
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Most seed vegetables are harvested when
they are immature and very sweet.
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Most must be shelled or peeled.
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Some need to have the strings removed.
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Beans (lima, green, wax, etc), corn, peas
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Vegetable Classifications
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Root vegetables are edible bulbs that grow
underground and have very dense flesh.
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In young root vegetables, the flesh is
sugar-filled.
In more mature vegetables, the flesh is
starchy.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Many of these root bulbs are shaped like
“tubes” and are commonly referred to as
tubers (fleshy roots or rhizomes). Root
vegetables include:
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Beets, carrots, garlic, leeks, onion, parsnips,
potatoes, turnips
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Vegetable Classifications
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Fruit vegetables are a special group that
crosses the lines of vegetable classifications
with many fruit botanical properties and
numerous seeds.
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Tomatoes and green peppers are true fruits.
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Cucumbers, squash, and okra are pods.
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The main indicator that classifies plants as
fruit vegetables is the presence of numerous
seeds.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Fruit vegetables are a large classification
and include:
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Eggplant
Cucumbers
Okra
Peppers (green, red, and frying)
Squash (acorn, buttercup, pumpkin)
Tomatoes
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Vegetable Classifications
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Fungi: non-chlorophyll vegetable plants
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Mushrooms (champignons) are edible fungi
grown from underground spores that push
through the ground and are harvested by
humans.
Truffles are edible fungi that grow underground;
they come in black and white varieties. Both are
very expensive.
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Vegetable Classifications
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Herbs are usually plants, but some are
derived from trees and fruits;
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Widely used in vegetable cooking and all
other savory cooking.
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Raw Vegetables
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Most vegetables are edible raw (most
nutritious state for vegetables).
Lettuce, greens, and garden vegetables
(onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, bell
peppers) are common ingredients in fresh
salads.
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Raw Vegetables
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Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, peppers, and
carrots are commonly consumed raw with
dips as a snack food or as an appetizer called
crudités.
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Raw Vegetables
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Raw vegetable garnishes (decorations or
trimmings on or served with prepared dishes)
add color and texture and are intended to
complement the flavor. Examples:
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Parsley on a plate
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Radishes and tomatoes cut to look like flowers
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Cucumber fans, relish, and tartar sauce
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Pickling Vegetables
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The pickling (steeping in brine) of vegetables
flavors them. Vegetables may or may not be
cooked prior to pickling.
Brine (a flavorful liquid made from acids,
such as vinegar, heavily salted liquids, and
sweet and sour liquids) pickles vegetables.
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Preserves the vegetables
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Changes their taste and texture.
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Pickled vegetables can be cooked (e.g., pickled
beets and pickled red cabbage).
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Cooked Vegetables
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Cooked vegetables are common. Many
methods exist for cooking vegetables.
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Boiling
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Blanching
Deep frying
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Steaming
Grilling
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Microwave cooking
Braising
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Frying / Sautéing
Roasting
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Cooked Vegetables
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Boiling (bubbling) usually requires that the
vegetables be submerged in 212°F water and
cooked uncovered until tender.
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One of the easiest ways to prepare vegetables
Common cooking technique for harder
vegetables (tubers, squash)
Useful cooking technique for starchy seed
and root vegetables
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Cooked Vegetables
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Blanching is a technique in which vegetables
are dropped briefly (a few seconds) into
boiling water and then are placed immediately
in cold water to stop the cooking process.
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Heightens their natural color and softens
raw vegetables slightly.
Makes them just right for use in some salads
Shortens the cooking time required when
heated just prior to service.
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Cooked Vegetables
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Steaming is the placing of food over rather
than in boiling or simmering water in a tightly
covered pot. A collapsible metal/bamboo
steam basket and a perforated platform are
both flexible enough to fit most pan sizes and
contours.
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An excellent cooking technique for most
vegetables.
Steam is hotter than boiling water, vegetables
cook faster with less direct contact with water.
Vegetables retain more nutrients
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Cooked Vegetables
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Microwave cooking of vegetables is common,
but it is not always satisfactory.
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Water is usually included with the
vegetables, which effectively “steams” them.
The steam created does more to cook the
vegetables than the microwave.
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Cooked Vegetables
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Frying (sautéing; cooking over medium-high
to high heat in fat or oil) is a typical cooking
method for vegetables, and it can take
several forms.
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Stir-frying is a rapid cooking and stirring of
precisely sliced vegetables over high heat in a
small amount of oil.
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Cooked Vegetables
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Cooked Vegetables
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Sautéing (cooking over medium-high to high
heat in a small amount of fat or oil) is a
process that occurs in a pan with sloping
sides, and generally the food is shaken rather
than stirred.
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Mirepoix
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Duxelles
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Cooked Vegetables
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Mirepoix (meer-eh-pwah) is prepared from
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Mixture of finely diced carrots, celery, onion
(aromatic vegetables)
Sautéed in butter and seasoned with salt,
powdered thyme, a bay leaf, and often
blanched ham or bacon.
Cook vegetables until they are very tender.
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Cooked Vegetables
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Duxelles (dukes-ells) is a finely minced
mixture of sautéed onions and mushrooms;
the mushrooms have had nearly all the
moisture squeezed from them.
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Added to sauces
Used as a filling (farci), placed between the skin
of a chicken and the meat
Added to scrambled eggs, served warm on toast.
Dish may use on “duxelles” as part of the title
when used as a sauce or filling
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Cooked Vegetables
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Deep-frying (in French: friture) is the total
submersion of vegetables into a deep pan
filled with hot bubbling fat.
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A favorite method of cooking potatoes for
many cultures. (In England: “chips” )
Vegetables are breaded and battered first
for extra flavor and crunch, protects them from
high heat.
Tempura is a famous Asian version of
batter-dipped and deep-fried vegetables,
with a particularly light and crunchy result.
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Cooked Vegetables
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Cooked Vegetables
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Grilling is cooking over direct heat or flame
on a grate or in a grill pan or mesh holder.
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Low-fat cooking method adds a wonderful
dimension to vegetables by the addition of a
smoky flavor and a charring of the vegetables’
natural sugar, resulting in a great flavor.
Marinating vegetables in vinaigrette or other
barbecue-type marinade prior to grilling
enhances the flavor.
Hard and moist vegetables have great results
on the grill.
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Cooked Vegetables
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Braising is a two-step dry and moist cooking
process.
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First, the vegetables are seared on top of the
stove in hot butter or some other fat.
Then they are finished with slow cooking
(simmering) in a flavorful broth on low heat,
usually in a covered pan and in the oven.
Braising is a less common method for cooking
vegetables because it tends to be used
seasonally and for specific items (stew, pot roast)
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Cooked Vegetables
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Roasting is a dry cooking method in which
the product is put into an oven-ready pan
with butter or oil;
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Product is stirred once or twice
Cooked at about 425°F until the vegetables
are browned.
Often used with tubers and squash, but it
can be used for most vegetables
Resulting in caramelized products that are
rich in flavor.
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Basic Vegetable Cuts
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Slices are round, elliptical, or diagonal
Chop or mince cuts are irregularly shaped.
Mince cuts are finer.
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Brunoise are square-shaped cuts
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Chiffonades are thinly or finely shredded cuts
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Julienne (allumette) are cuts that
made by slicing “rolls” of lettuce, parsley, and
other leaves
are long, thin matchstick shape
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Oils and Sweeteners
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Vegetables are major sources of cooking oil.
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Oil is a liquid form of fat.
Many vegetables, such as corn, soybeans, and
safflowers (relatives of sunflowers) provide
high-quality liquid fat.
Vegetables high in starch are a common
source of alcohol, specifically grains and
potatoes.
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Oils and Sweeteners
Vegetables are primary sources of
sweeteners.
Sugar cane and beets are the
main sources
for table sugar (sucrose),
but corn is the
source for:
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corn syrup - a sweetening product made by
adding enzymes that break down
cornstarch into glucose.
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Oils and Sweeteners
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High-fructose corn syrup is subjected to
additional processes with enzymes and is
prevalent in processed foods).
All vegetables contain the natural sugar
fructose in varying amounts. Onions, corn,
and carrots are particularly high in sugar
and caramelize easily under high heat.
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Non-food Uses
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Ethanol is a flammable fuel produced from
corn and is a gasoline additive. Vegetables
are renewable sources of energy, specifically
in the form of ethanol fuel.
Animal feed for livestock is often prepared
primarily from vegetable grains (corn, wheat)
Fertilizers are prepared from composted or
non-edible vegetable byproducts (stalks and
leaves).
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Review
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What are the six classifications of vegetables
with chlorophyll?
What are some common acids used when
cooking vegetables?
Name the category of vegetable for each of
the following: broccoli, asparagus, corn, beets
Name the nine ways described to prepare
vegetables in this lesson. Which is the
easiest?
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