H1: How to keep veggies from going mushy in the

Ah, the slow cooker: The MVP of “set it and forget it” cooking. The idea of dumping all your ingredients in the slow cooker and having your meal cook itself is so, so tempting — but, unfortunately, this approach can result in mushy veggies.

But don’t worry, there’s a way to get the convenience of a slow cooker and add layers of texture in your meals. Here’s how to make the most of your slow cooker for perfectly cooked veg every time.

Why do veggies get mushy in the slow cooker?

In a nutshell, the long cooking times associated with slow cooking are most beneficial to meat. Hours of simmering can make a formerly tough roast melt-in-your-mouth tender — but it can also make your carrots fall apart.

On top of that, each veggie needs different cooking conditions and cooking them all the same will yield inconsistent results. If you’re cooking both veggies under the same conditions, your spinach will dissolve long before your potatoes cook through.

In general, you can sort veggies into five broad categories:

Hardy veggies that require longer cooking times (4+ hours on low): Potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, parsnips, carrots, beets and other root vegetables.
Moderately hardy veggies that require moderate cooking times (3-4 hours on low): Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, corn and similarly hearty veggies.
Moderately delicate veggies that require shorter cooking times (2-3 hours on low): Green and yellow beans, summer squash, cabbage.
Very delicate veggies that are best added after cooking, before serving: Spinach, arugula and other delicate leafy greens, sweet peas.
Veggies that can cook quickly but develop more flavor over long cooking times: Onions, tomato, garlic, eggplant.

So, how do you keep veggies from going mushy in the slow cooker?

There are a few strategies you can try for perfect slow cooking.

Add veggies as you cook

Instead of adding all your ingredients at the beginning of cooking, add them throughout the cooking time. The goal is for all the ingredients to be ready at once.

For many slow cooker recipes, that means giving your meat — and any aromatics, like onions, tomatoes and herbs that can break down during cooking — a head start. From there, add in veggies, starting with the most hardy, so each ingredient cooks for its optimal cooking time.

For example, if your roast requires 8 hours of cooking, you might add your potatoes halfway through — and your carrots an hour after that. Then, you might add peas in the final minutes of cooking, so they’re still delicious when they reach your table.

Layer veggies in the slow cooker

Slow cooker meals cook from the bottom up — so place your hardiest ingredients at the bottom to help them cook quicker. Onions or tomatoes make an ideal first layer, since they can break down completely during cooking, while potatoes, and carrots should be layered progressively higher in the slow cooker.

Prep your meal for success

The way you prep and chop your ingredients also influences their cooking time. Smaller pieces cook faster — so chopping your hardier ingredients into smaller chunks and your more delicate ingredients into larger chunks helps them cook more consistently.