Boiled Broccoli (with Seasonings) (2024)

FAQs

What seasonings are good on broccoli? ›

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.

Add two tablespoons of water to the pan, and quickly cover it. Cook, covered, for 2 to 4 minutes more, until the broccoli is tender but still bright green. Finally, season. Remove the cooked broccoli from the heat, and season it with a big squeeze of lemon juice and more salt and pepper to taste.

My favorite way to prepare broccoli is by sautéing it in a large skillet with a little olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt. This gives it a little bit of roasted flavor while locking in that bright green color. Sometimes I like to give my broccoli a distinctively Asian flavor by swapping in sesame oil for olive oil.

To boil, place in a pan of boiling water and cook the florets for 6-8 minutes. To steam, place in a steamer over boiling water and cook for 6-8 minutes. Broccoli to be stir-fried should be separated into bite-sized florets, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and add the florets, cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender.

The best season for broccoli is October through April. When selecting broccoli at the grocery store, choose florets with firm stems and dark green buds. When the buds begin to turn yellow or limp, it's past its prime. Store broccoli in the fridge wrapped in damp paper towels for three to four days.

Steaming broccoli is a fast and healthy way to cook this nutritious vegetable. It preserves broccoli's vibrant green color and fresh flavor without the addition of oil. While boiled broccoli is often soggy, steamed broccoli is characteristically crisp-tender.

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.

Chop your broccoli after you cook it – not before

Even better, once it's been boiled for a bit, it's so easy to remove all the florets with just a single slice of a knife.

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.

What is the healthiest way to cook broccoli? ›

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.

Boiling will remove up to 90% of broccoli's nutrients, so prepare it a similar way, such as blanching.

In the middle of the cooking water may be added to the milk to aid in preventing leaching of calcium from bones by the microelements contained in broccoli.

Like other vegetables, broccoli can harbor a host of contaminants. "It's important to wash any vegetables, as they can carry Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria,” registered dietitian Chelsea Edwards tells Southern Living. "Not washing your produce increases the risk of one of these foodborne illnesses."

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.

Bean sprouts, Brussels sprout, cabbage, capsicum, cauliflower, celery, chilli, eggplant, endive, ginger, green beans, jalapeno, leek, lemon, lime, mushroom, olive, onion, orange, potato, radish, shallot, spinach, spring onion, squash, tomato, watercress, zucchini.

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!

Stir-frying and stir-frying/boiling, the two most popular methods for most homemade dishes in China, cause great losses of chlorophyll, soluble protein, soluble sugar, vitamin C, and glucosinolates, but the steaming method appears the best in retention of the nutrients in cooking broccoli.