undercook the vegetables

Meaning

This phrase means to cook vegetables for too short a time, leaving them too raw, hard, or crunchy. While some people prefer vegetables slightly crisp, undercooking them too much can make them difficult to digest. The tone is neutral or mildly critical.

Examples

• If you undercook the vegetables, they will be too hard to poke with a fork.

  If you undercook the vegetables, they will be too hard to poke with a fork.

• I prefer to slightly undercook the vegetables so they stay bright and crunchy.

  I prefer to slightly undercook the vegetables so they stay bright and crunchy.

• Make sure not to undercook the vegetables, as the potatoes need to be soft.

  Make sure not to undercook the vegetables, as the potatoes need to be soft.

• The chef had to send the dish back because they managed to undercook the vegetables.

  The chef had to send the dish back because they managed to undercook the vegetables.

• It's better to undercook the vegetables slightly than to turn them into mush.

  It's better to undercook the vegetables slightly than to turn them into mush.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He cooked under the vegetables.

  ✓ He undercooked the vegetables.

  'Undercook' is a single transitive verb. You cannot separate 'under' and 'cook' like a phrasal verb.

• ✗ The carrots are undercooked cooked.

  ✓ The carrots are undercooked.

  'Undercooked' is already an adjective or past participle; adding 'cooked' after it is redundant.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you ___, they will be difficult to chew and digest.

  💡 Don't boil or steam the greens long enough.

  Show answer

  undercook the vegetables

• I always ___ because I hate mushy broccoli.

  💡 Keep them a bit raw and crunchy on purpose.

  Show answer

  undercook the vegetables