Saute Vegetables Without Oil

The term sauté implies cooking with oil, but you can cook in a sauté-like fashion without using oil. It's fairly easy, and you can achieve a good flavor without food sticking to your skillet. But there are a few tricks to doing it. You will need high heat and a pan that holds the heat. A cast-iron skillet is perfect for the task. Read on to learn how to sauté vegetables without oil.

Carmelize to Impart Flavor

Use a large cast-iron skillet, since it allows for more vegetables to touch the hot surface of the pan. The fact that it's cast-iron means the pan will get hot and stay hot. To begin your sauté, it's best to turn up the heat on the pan first. Once the pan is hot, toss in a chopped vegetable. Using onion as your first vegetable is one way to impart key flavor. Onion caramelizes nicely, and that carmelization is a desired flavor in most sautéed vegetable dishes. Furthermore, there's enough moisture in onions to keep them from burning or sticking immediately--giving them enough time to slightly brown.

Deglaze with Liquid

You need to stand by the skillet and use a heat-resistant spatula to keep the onions moving. Soon, you will see the edges turn golden brown, and you might experience a bit of sticking. When you do, add only about 1-2 teaspoons of water or other liquid. You goal is to just add enough liquid to deglaze and prevent sticking--but not enough to steam them. You don't want to boil your vegetables. When the water or liquid cooks out, you can deglazes with another teaspoonful or two of liquid.

Add Vegetables and Herbs

Other dense vegetables that can take the high heat from start to finish are peppers, celery, and carrots. But if you are adding broccoli or mushrooms to the sauté, it's best to add them closer to the end. Furthermore, if you plan to add herbs--such as garlic--do so at the very end. Garlic burns quickly, and there's no undoing it once it's burned. Always cook off the little bit of liquid before you add more, and stay with your pan. Keep the vegetables moving around to prevent sticking. Shoot for slightly crisp vegetables--not overdone ones. Aim for a bright color and a flavorful caramelization of your vegetables.

Add Flavor and Nutrition

Other than using water to deglaze, you can use liquids that impart more flavor and nutrition to your dish. Some of these liquids include: red or white wine, rice wine vinegar, broth, V-8 juice, citrus juice, salsa, or soy sauce. Experiment with various liquids and herbs for new flavor combinations.

If you've been sautéing in oil to keep foods from sticking, you now have an alternate method. You can sauté without added oil and without sacrificing all the flavor. What's more, using this method cuts out a whole lot of calories.