Fresh, vibrant, and incredibly adaptable, broccoli is a wholesome favorite in plant-based cooking. It can be roasted, steamed, stir-fried, air-fried, blended into soups, or added to pasta dishes, casseroles, and grain bowls with ease. With its satisfying texture and mild flavor, broccoli brings both comfort and freshness to a wide variety of meals.
The Health Benefits of Broccoli
Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family. It is more nutritious than its cruciferous cousins, such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, kale, and bok choy. All of these veggies contain nitrogen compounds called indoles, which help prevent cancerous tumors of the stomach, prostate, and breast. But broccoli contains exceptionally high levels of enzymes and nutrients, such as carotenoids, that help neutralize cancer-promoting free radicals. In addition, it’s rich in calcium, fiber, vitamin C, folate, riboflavin, potassium, and iron. It’s an exceptional source of antioxidants. It’s a superfood, to be sure, and a defensive powerhouse!
How to Buy Broccoli
Young, fresh-picked broccoli with tightly closed and uniformly green florets is best. The stalks should snap crisply. When cooked, overly mature broccoli is tough and woody, and it emits a sulfurous cabbage odor. Yellowing florets indicate that broccoli is past its prime.
How to Store Broccoli
Refrigerate in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable drawer for up to five days. Plastic vegetable bags from the produce department or a gallon-size zip-lock bag would work great. Just snip a few slits along the sides to allow air to circulate.
How to Prepare Broccoli
You can enjoy raw broccoli in salads, on a veggie tray with other colorful vegetables, or on its own as a healthy snack. Chewing raw broccoli is one of the best ways to benefit from all of its nutrients. Steaming broccoli is another nutritious way to prepare broccoli, as opposed to boiling, microwaving, and stir-frying, which compromise many of its nutrients. So if you’re eating broccoli just for the health benefits, enjoy it raw or steamed for the best results. If you do want to cook your broccoli, cook it in a basket or colander, covered, over simmering water until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Many people cut the stalk and leaves away and discard them; we suggest cooking them as they also contain nutrients. Peel the stalks down to a light green color before cooking for the best results. Refrigerate any leftovers.
More Facts About Broccoli
Broccoli has grown in America for roughly 200 years. The first commercially grown broccoli crop was harvested in New York and planted in California in the 1920s.
Looking for more plant-based basics? Visit our Nutrition Guide.