28 Tasty Broccoli Recipes to Try (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.

Proper preparation is key to ensuring you get the most nutrition from your broccoli. Rinse your broccoli under cold water immediately before preparation. Don't toss out your stems - they can balance out the taste, and contain a good chunk of broccoli's nutritional value. Stems can be peeled and cut into slices.

You can also preserve both nutrients and the enzyme needed to form protective isothiocyanates if you steam broccoli for three or four minutes (just until crisp-tender) or microwave for less than one minute.

Even adults don't enjoy eating their vegetables sometimes. The high water content in some veggies renders them a bit bland on their own, so many people would prefer to make them palatable by adding various ingredients.

It's best to start with as much boiling water as you can. Restaurants serve amazingly green and crunchy Chinese broccoli because they use huge amounts of boiling water.

Broccoli is a good calcium source, essential for maintaining strong bones and preventing osteoporosis [19,20]. It also contains vitamin K, which is essential for bone health. Broccoli is low in calories but high in fiber, making it a filling food that can help control weight and promote a healthy metabolism [21].

Cooking (Or Not Cooking) Broccoli To Protect Its Nutritional Riches : The Salt Cooking broccoli too long destroys the beneficial enzyme that breaks down chemicals into cancer fighters. The best way to eat it is raw or steamed for just two to three minutes, a nutrition expert says.

SALT! And/or pepper or other dry seasonings. A little lemon or lime juice can also simmer down some of the bitter flavors and make the dish much more interesting and flavorful. Technically adds a tiny bit to the calorie count, but not enough to actually matter in a real sense.

Healthiest Way to Cook broccoli. Over-cooking broccoli can result in a tasteless mush. A quick saute with garlic and a splash of water, that is enough to not only cook this under-appreciated vegetable but also retain all it's flavour and nutrition.

How do you perk up broccoli? ›

You can soak the broccoli in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes or more to help it regain its firmness. Another method is to slice off a portion of the stem and place the remaining stem and crown in a pot with a cup of water. Store it in the fridge overnight, and the broccoli will be crisp and fresh in the morning.

Our study shows that all cooking methods caused great losses of total soluble proteins and soluble sugars, particularly the boiling and stir-frying/boiling that use a great amount of water. It is possible that soluble proteins and soluble sugars in broccoli were lost by leaching to surrounding water.

Though there are infinite ways to prepare fresh broccoli, the most basic (and best) methods are to blanch, steam in the microwave, steam on the stovetop, sauté, and roast broccoli.

Many restaurants roast or pan-fry their vegetable side dishes in bacon, butter, or other animal fat – or a mixture of these. Why? Because it makes veggies taste richer, more flavorful, and saltier than they would if you cooked them at home, which encourages you and other customers to keep coming back for more.

Broccoli is often considered a nutritional powerhouse because of its numerous health benefits and nutrient density (Table 1). Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins C, K, and A. It also contains several important minerals, such as potassium, calcium, and iron.