12 Not-Boring Broccoli Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cooking method for broccoli? ›

Steaming broccoli is quick and easy, and it's considered one of the healthiest ways to prepare the vegetable. Instead of submerging the florets and stem into boiling water or roasting them in the oven, the broccoli is placed in a steamer basket over simmering water and covered with a lid.

Simply sautee the broccoli in a pan with just a little butter, some onions and grated garlic and voila! Add a drizzle of lemon if desired.

Healthiest Way to Cook Broccoli

Lightly sauteed with garlic and a splash of water. It's that simple. Cooking broccoli in this way retains most of its colour, nutritional value along with that crunch that results in a delicious side dish that even my youngest and pickiest eater enjoys.

In conclusion, the current study clearly shows that nutrient and health-promoting compounds in broccoli are significantly affected by domestic cooking. All cooking treatments, except steaming, caused great losses of chlorophyll and vitamin C. Only boiling and stir-frying/boiling caused the loss of total carotenoids.

Add lemon juice, a bit of olive oil, salt, lemon pepper, and fresh raw garlic to a bowl - stir it up and toss with steamed or roasted broccoli. Put some cheese on it, grill it in the microwave, then put some chili powder (like Tajín), or lemon juice and a little bit of salt and voilá, it tastes really good.

Steamed broccoli may be one of the healthiest ways to cook broccoli because it's quick and nutrients and vitamins won't be lost in the cooking water, as can be the case with boiled broccoli. "What a hit with my family. Just the right mixture of garlic and cashews with our favorite side dish, broccoli," says SALSIEPIE.

Serving broccoli raw is an excellent option, since it retains these nutrients and the enzyme that forms isothiocyanate compounds. Before serving on a relish tray or salad, quickly blanching and cooling allows you to get even a bit more of these compounds.

Broccoli can be eaten raw, but blanching it quickly in boiling water helps give it a more crisp-tender texture and bring out its flavor. Broccoli can also be steamed, sautéed, and roasted. You could even throw long spears on the grill!

If your child is hesitant at first glance, try serving a micro portion of broccoli. A micro portion is a very small portion, about the size of a small sample or even smaller. Micro portions can make a nervous or selective child feel more comfortable around a new food.

It's definitely hard to find a spice or herb that doesn't work with broccoli or broccolini. Any combination of garlic, salt, pepper and any classic herbs, (basil, rosemary, sage, parsley, tarragon, thyme, etc.,) is a surefire way to treat these veggies right.

How do you perk up broccoli? ›

A quick soak in ice water for 5 to 10 minutes is often enough to reinvigorate wilted veggies. Bendy carrots will straighten right up, lettuce will crisp, and limp broccoli will find its strength again.

Blanching your vegetables makes them sweeter and more tender. But if you drop a small handful of kosher salt into the water, you'll also be gently seasoning the vegetables at the same time. Just like pasta, cooking vegetables in salted water helps the seasoning permeate the vegetable.

Is it better to steam or microwave broccoli? Microwaving is a safe way to cook broccoli and requires less time than steaming. Microwaving is also thought to preserve the nutrients in vegetables most effectively.

That's why steaming is one of the best ways to maximize nutrients. It turns out that's especially true for broccoli. When in doubt, microwave. That's because microwaving uses little to no water, and can heat the vegetable quickly, thus preserving nutrients such as vitamin C that break down when heated.

Break apart the florets. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook, uncovered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes depending on the size of the florets. Drain into a colander, transfer to a plate, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges.

The natural nooks and crevices in broccoli and cauliflower are the perfect hiding spot for dirt, germs and even little bugs. Get your cruciferous veggies squeaky clean by filling a sink with cold water and then soaking them for a few minutes.

Steaming veggies can preserve nutrients, color, shape, and texture, without having to add any unnecessary fats through ingredients like oils or butter. To steam, place food into a steam basket and cover over simmering water. Since food is not directly touching the water, vegetables retain more of their nutrients.

Steaming. Steaming is one of the best cooking methods for preserving nutrients, including water-soluble vitamins, which are sensitive to heat and water ( 4 , 5, 6, 17 ). Researchers have found that steaming broccoli, spinach, and lettuce reduces their vitamin C content by only 9–15% (5).