Soak the vegetables in a tub of cold water with 2 teaspoons salt for 3-5 minutes. Run water in between the leaves and the stem to get rid of any dirt. Rinse well. Remove any flowers. Trim the bottoms.
Add salt, sugar and oil to a medium pot of water. Bring it to a boil on high heat.
Once the water is boiling, place the veggies with the stalk down in the water. Let cook for 1 minute then submerge the leafy parts as well and cook for another minute.