If you're in search of a green vegetable side dish, then look no further. This simple but delicious preparation produces perfectly cooked broccoli florets every time. A little olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice are all of the seasoning you need, but feel free to jazz it up with other ingredients if you like.
This two-step sautéed broccoli recipe produces a wonderful bright green color and crisp-tender texture. It's the perfect side dish for many main dishes, including grilled steak, roasted chicken, meatloaf, or a pork roast. Once you know how to make broccoli using this method, you'll never look back!
Tips for Making Sautéed Broccoli Recipe
- Don't overcook - When broccoli is boiled, especially for a long period, it will turn an unappetizing gray-green color, become limp, and the flavor will be lost. You want to cook it until the vegetable is just tender, but is still green and still has a bit of bite to it.
- The trick to cooking broccoli - Cooking the broccoli in a large amount of water reduces the bitter sulfur taste it can sometimes have and makes it taste fresh and clean. Then cooking it quickly using a dry-heat method such as sautéing or roasting retains the color and makes the vegetable a bit sweeter.
"This recipe for crisp-tender, flavorful broccoli is great! You essentially blanch, drain, and toss the broccoli in a pan with olive oil, garlic, seasonings, and lemon juice. It's a great side dish for any entree and is light, yet filling. The touch of lemon juice at the end adds a lovely finish to this dish." —Victoria Heydt
Ingredients
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1 pound fresh broccoli
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1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
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3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Rinse 1 pound fresh broccoli well under cool running water.
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Cut the broccoli into individual florets. Cut the stems into pieces roughly the same size as the florets. If the stems have a tough skin, peel them using a vegetable peeler.
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Place the prepared broccoli in a large pot and add water to cover and about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
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Bring the broccoli and water in the pot to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer the broccoli for 3 to 4 minutes or until the broccoli is just crisp-tender.
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Drain the broccoli thoroughly in a colander in the sink, shaking it to remove most of the water.
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Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook 2 cloves garlic (minced) for 1 minute until it is fragrant.
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Add the drained broccoli to the skillet with the garlic and oil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is glazed and tender.
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Sprinkle the broccoli with 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Feeling Adventurous? Try This:
- Make it spicy - For a little spice, add red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper
- Add umami - Add a touch of salty umami with a drizzle of soy sauce
- Make it cheesy - A few gratings of Parmesan cheese or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast add a cheesy flavor
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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133 | Calories |
11g | Fat |
9g | Carbs |
3g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 133 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 11g | 14% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 7% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 362mg | 16% |
Total Carbohydrate 9g | 3% |
Dietary Fiber 4g | 14% |
Total Sugars 2g | |
Protein 3g | |
Vitamin C 74mg | 372% |
Calcium 52mg | 4% |
Iron 1mg | 5% |
Potassium 350mg | 7% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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