Broccoli
Quick Facts
Vegetable Type: Cruciferous
Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea var. italica
Seasonality: Fall to spring
Nutrients: Calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C
Flavor: Bitter & sharp
Complementary Flavors: Lemon, pepper, or tarragon
Quick Cooking Tip: To reduce mess, cut through the lower part of the stem—where the broccoli begins to branch off into florets. Then pull apart the florets with your hands.
Cost: $$*
*from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$)
Broccoli Recipes
Health Benefits
Making Broccoli Kid-Friendly
Sprinkle nutritional yeast over broccoli and bake in the oven to give it a crunchy texture for the little ones to enjoy.
Party Planning Tip
Serve dairy-free Paleo ranch with broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, celery, and bell peppers for an easy and crowd-pleasing crudité.
Industry Insider
Broccoli contains a bioactive compound, sulforaphane, which can help regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and lower the risk of cancers. According to studies, this reaction can take 40 to 90 minutes, so the longer the cut broccoli sits, the healthier it becomes. Cut broccoli that sits for 90 minutes has twice the amount of sulforaphane than broccoli that is cooked immediately. And the finer the broccoli is cut, the more sulforaphane is released.
—Kimberly Lord Stewart, culinary expert
Sustainability Tip
Don’t toss those broccoli stems! Add them to this green juice recipe for an extra nutrient boost.
FULL RECIPE