28 Tasty Broccoli Recipes to Try
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Whether you're looking for a hearty side dish or want to quickly roast some florets you have on hand, these broccoli recipes have got you covered. For a main course, try chef Greg Vernick's roasted broccoli steaks, served with tapenade and a homemade tomato butter. Or, try a broccoli-forward soup; F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple's version, topped with crispy broccoli florets and croutons, is especially satisfying. Read on for these and even more broccoli recipe ideas.
Caramelized Broccoli with Garlic
Here, chef David Gingrass slowly caramelizes broccoli to bring out its sweetness, then enlivens it with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of crushed red pepper. The resulting broccoli is tender, flavorful, and makes an easy side dish.
Roast Chicken with Chile-Basil Vinaigrette, Charred Broccoli, and Potatoes
Chef Hillary Sterling's epic chicken gets its juiciness and deep flavor from brining, air drying, and marinating. The process is simple but does require some planning- — start at least a day ahead. She serves the bird on a mix of charred broccoli, onions, and fingerling potatoes, fiery from the chiles and fresh from the basil, with a bright kick of red wine vinegar. Six heads of garlic mellow and sweeten after roasting, adding a caramelized flavor to the dressing and marinade.
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan
This easy roasted broccoli recipe is a great side dish for grilled or roasted meat or fish and can be served atop cooked pasta or rice. It's ready in under 45 minutes, making it ideal for weeknight cooking.
Broccoli and Potato Soup
The bright green broccoli florets floating on top of this hearty soup make it especially eye-catching, but it's the broccoli stems that do the real work. They're cooked with the potatoes and then pureed to form a creamy base. A final sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese gives the soup an extra savory touch.
Roasted Broccoli Steaks with Tomato Butter and Tapenade
At his Philadelphia restaurant, chef Greg Vernick treats broccoli like a steak, roasting it at a high temperature on a preheated pan to achieve a lightly charred crust. Cooked on the same pan, umami-packed tomatoes blend up into a super-quick sauce enriched with just the right amount of butter.
A?oli-Glazed Charred Broccoli
? Luis Garcia
For this speedy recipe, a?oli-coated florets get gorgeously bubbly and browned on a grill or under the broiler, almost like instant broccoli casserole. Chef Helene Henderson says to serve the broccoli piping hot.
Flash-Roasted Broccoli with Spicy Crumbs
The genius idea here is to pulse sliced pepperoni with breadcrumbs, then use Dijon mustard to adhere the mixture to broccoli. It's a simple way to add lots of extra flavor and a great crunch to the dish.
Meyer's Lemony Broccoli and Chickpea Rigatoni
Chef Marc Meyer's book Brunch offers outrageously good recipes from his first Manhattan restaurant, Five Points. This quick and hearty pasta with chickpeas in a piquant lemon-Parmesan cheese sauce epitomizes his unfussy, ingredient-centric style.
Roasted Sheet Pan Broccoli with Pickled Pepper Vinaigrette
Tossing broccoli pieces with oil, salt, and pimentón (Spanish paprika), then roasting them on a preheated baking sheet in a super-hot oven coaxes out the vegetable's sweet side as the florets crisp and the stems turn meaty and tender. A punchy pickled pepper vinaigrette and shavings of Parmesan cheese transform the roasted broccoli into a satisfying and substantial side dish, delicious spooned over steamed whole grains or served alongside a juicy steak.
Sicilian Scacciata
Scacciata is a sought-after Sicilian street food featuring a light and crispy bread dough stuffed with a variety of fillings. Cookbook author Valeria Messina fills this winter version with gooey provolone cheese, tender broccoli florets, Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives.
Shaved Broccoli and Fennel Salad with Goat Cheese
The combination of creamy goat cheese, fresh herbs, and thin, crunchy vegetables with rich olive oil, lemon, and a little salt is irresistible. If you have a mandoline, it's great to use here.
Broccoli, Shiitake, and Red Onion Roast
In this sheet pan recipe, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, and red onions cook together in just 20 minutes, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner.
Charred Broccoli with Black Garlic Vinaigrette
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Crisp-tender charred broccoli is tossed with a thick, umami-rich vinaigrette and sprinkled with salty feta and sunflower seeds. Black garlic cloves give the dressing a sweet, tangy, balsamic-like flavor that pairs well with the earthiness of the dried shiitake mushrooms.
Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Tossing vegetables with mac and cheese is the easiest way to get your family’s broccoli haters to scarf down their veggies.
Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli with Cranberry Agrodolce
A quick, high-temperature oven roast on a baking sheet yields crispy, golden brown brussels sprouts and almost-charred, smoky broccoli. Tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce studded with tart cranberries, Fresno chiles, and shallots, the vegetables become an easy, elegant side dish.
Orecchiette with Broccoli and Tomatoes
Balsamic vinegar adds a hint of sweetness to this savory sauce tossed with broccoli and pasta.
Broccoli and Wild Mushroom Casserole
Photographer and Alabamian Robert Rausch grew up eating vegetable casseroles — he and his mother are both vegetarians. The broccoli casserole his family ate is a step up from the standard church cookbook recipe, which calls for using canned mushroom soup: In place of that, he uses wild mushrooms. He still relies on Ritz crackers, though, for the crispy, buttery topping.
Grilled Broccoli with Chipotle-Lime Butter and Queso Fresco
If you've never tried grilling broccoli, you are definitely missing out: The vegetable becomes tender and deliciously charred. Tossing the broccoli with butter flavored with lime zest, honey, and smoky chipotle Tabasco makes it luscious.
Warm Broccoli and Barley Pilaf
People tend to cook barley more in the winter than in the summer. But once it's been toasted in a saucepan with some butter and boiled (only 20 minutes), barley is a terrific showcase for super fresh vegetables, like the broccoli we use here.
Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole with Sausage
This easy gluten-free broccoli and rice casserole is a one-dish meal that's just right for a chilly night.
Baked Broccoli Ravioli
Chef Bill Telepan's fresh free-form ravioli are filled with broccoli and cheese, then boiled and baked until crisp at the edges.
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Pine Nuts
This weeknight recipe comes together in just three steps and boasts a lot of flavor from the toasted pine nuts and lemon dressing.
Charred Broccoli with Blue Cheese Dressing and Spiced Crispies
Chicago chef Stephanie Izard amps up broccoli with a punchy vinaigrette, creamy blue cheese dressing, and an irresistibly crunchy, butter-toasted Rice Krispies topping.
Broccoli with Preserved Lemon Yogurt
To make broccoli special, chef Laurent Tourondel cuts it into steaks and roasts it in the oven, then serves it with a cool and tangy yogurt sauce.
Broccoli-Spinach Soup with Crispy Broccoli Florets and Croutons
Given this soup's supremely silky texture, you'll think it's made with cream, but that texture actually comes from a potato pureed into the broth. For contrast, Justin Chapple tops the soup with crispy broccoli florets and croutons.
Roasted Broccoli with Broccoli Stem Vinaigrette
Roasting broccoli gives it a wonderful sweetness and crunch, making it a welcome side dish to any meal. Add in garlic and the spicy heat of crushed red pepper, and you've got a dish that will make even the biggest broccoli skeptic ask for seconds. The stems need not go to waste — they're just as delicious as the other parts of the broccoli. "This is a stem-to-floret dish," notes TV personality Alex Guarnaschelli.
Fried Broccoli
Based on a tempura batter from Seattle chef Edouardo Jordan, a 2016 F&W Best New Chef, the coating for this fantastic fried broccoli gets its whisper-thin crunch from cold sparkling water and baking powder. Enjoy the broccoli with a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon.
Roasted Garlic-Parmigiano Broccoli
This roasted broccoli recipe requires just seven ingredients: unsalted butter, garlic cloves, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, salt, freshly ground pepper, broccoli, and extra-virgin olive oil.