In What Ways Can Broccoli Be Prepared?

Most often, broccoli is cooked in boiling water. However, this is not the only way to prepare Mediterranean cabbage. The vegetables are also suitable for blanching, steaming, sautéing, roasting – and you can even eat them raw. Broccoli can be prepared particularly gently if you blanch it.

Blanching preserves both the color and the vitamins and nutrients in the broccoli. Wash the broccoli head thoroughly and then cut into pieces. You can use both the stalk and the florets. For an even cooking time, the pieces should be roughly the same size. Place the chopped broccoli in boiling, salted water and cook for about 1 to 1.5 minutes. Then remove the broccoli from the saucepan and immediately place it in a bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking process and the broccoli remains crisp and tender. The blanched broccoli can be served immediately or frozen.

Broccoli can also be prepared very gently by steaming. Fill a saucepan about two inches with water and place a steamer basket inside. When the water boils, the washed broccoli is divided evenly into the insert and steamed over medium heat in the covered pot for about 3 to 5 minutes. Because the vegetables do not come into direct contact with the water, fewer nutrients are lost. When the broccoli is done, the lid must be opened immediately to stop the cooking process. The steamed broccoli can then be served immediately.

You can also sauté broccoli. To do this, put about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a pan and heat it for about 30 seconds. Then add the lightly salted broccoli florets and toss in the pan until completely coated in oil. Now let the broccoli cook, tossing it constantly, until it’s tender and bright green, ready to eat.

The oven is also suitable for preparing broccoli. Wash the broccoli, cut into small pieces, and dry well. In a bowl, toss the pieces with about three teaspoons of olive oil and a little salt until the florets are evenly coated with the oil. Now place the broccoli on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and put it in the oven preheated to 220 degrees. After about 20 minutes of baking time, the broccoli should be done. It is also very good as part of our broccoli quiche.

If you want to eat broccoli raw, you should wash the vegetables carefully and cut them into small pieces. Since they are easier to digest than the stalk, the florets are particularly suitable for eating raw. They taste particularly good as part of a raw vegetable platter in combination with a spicy dip.