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(updated February 24, 2023)
4.18 from 34 votes
By Dani Spies
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Learn how to sauté broccoli with this easy sautéed broccoli recipe! This is an easy-to-make broccoli side dish cooked in garlic and olive oil that pairs perfectly with chicken, fish, pasta and whole grains.
Never underestimate the power of basic cooking techniques! Whether you are roasting broccoli, steaming broccoli or sautéeing broccoli, it’s often the simplest technique that yields the most delicious results.
This easy broccoli recipe is cooked on the stovetop with garlic and olive oil in just minutes. I love serving it alongside my baked turkey meatballs or my crispy cast-iron salmon. It’s a bright and flavorful way to cook broccoli and can really be enjoyed in so many different ways (it would be delicious in this crustless broccoli quiche!).
how to sauté broccoli
If you have never sautéed broccoli before, be prepared to fall in love! The entire process takes just 10 minutes and couldn’t be any easier to do. Here’s a general run down on how to do it (you will find the step-by-step recipe down in the recipe card below).
Step one, sauté! Begin by cooking the garlic in olive oil. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the broccoli along with a fat pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for just a couple of minutes. When the broccoli shifts from pale green to vibrant green, you are ready for the next step.
Next, steam. To ensure your broccoli is nice and tender, add a splash of water and pop on the lid. This will allow the broccoli to steam and become fork tender. I recommend cooking anywhere from 3-5 minutes depending on how al dente you like your broccoli.
Season and serve. Remove the lid and cook for an additional minute or until any excess water has evaporated from the pan. Adjust your seasonings and enjoy.
Fresh, seasonal broccoli doesn’t need much to taste delicious. A simple combination of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper is really all you need to make your broccoli shine! But for those looking to add a bit more flavor and dimension, here are a handful of ways to season your broccoli:
Lemon. Once the broccoli is cooked and ready to serve, finish the pan with a fat squish of fresh lemon juice. So bright and lovely.
Red pepper flakes. If you like heat, try sprinkling some red pepper flakes over the top. If you want to infuse the heat into your broccoli, add the pepper flakes to the pan when you are suaténg the garlic.
Parmesan cheese. Earthy, nutty parmesan cheese is a delicious way to add more flavor. Simply sprinkle it over the top before serving.
Fresh herbs. To give the broccoli a fun, bright, seasonal vibe top with fresh parsley, cilantro or oregano.
These are just a handful of ideas to get you started! Remember; what grows together goes together! Play with mixing and matching different seasonal ingredients to come up with your very own broccoli combinations.
more simple vegetable side dishes:
roasted popcorn broccoli
oven roasted asparagus
simply steamed beets
roasted cauliflower
braised red cabbage
bok choy stir fry
If you make this sautéed broccoli recipe, be sure to leave a comment and ★ rating below letting me know how it turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for me and our Clean & Delicious community(thank you!).
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4.18 from 34 votes
Sautéed Broccoli
Simply sautéed broccoli is a go-to side dish in our house. Enjoy it as a side dish or it add it to your favorite pasta and whole grain recipes. It's also delicious scrambled into eggs or added to your favorite frittata.
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the garlic with a pinch of salt and sauté until fragrant (about 30-60 seconds).
Add broccoli to the pan, season with salt and pepper and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add in 1/4 cup of water, pop on the lid and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Remove the lid and cook until any extra water has evaporated out of the pan.
Adjust seasonings, serve and enjoy!
Notes
To add even more flavor to the broccoli, swap the water with low sodium veggie or chicken broth.
If you like a little heat, sprinkle some red pepper flakes over the top of the broccoli.
Store any leftover sautéed broccoli in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to five days.
Dani Spies is the founder and host of Clean & Delicious; a weekly cooking show on YouTube and a healthy eating blog that celebrates real, whole foods! She takes a holistic approach to health and wellness and is loved for her approachable, down to earth style both in and out of the kitchen.
How do restaurants make broccoli taste so good? As with everything made by chefs, they have unexpected (read: unhealthy) additions to their meals — mostly butter, oil and heaps of salt. An excellent tip for the perfect broccoli is the blanching step.
Steaming broccoli is quick and easy, and it's considered one of the healthiest ways to prepare the vegetable. Instead of submerging the florets and stem into boiling water or roasting them in the oven, the broccoli is placed in a steamer basket over simmering water and covered with a lid.
Broccoli: Use fresh broccoli for best results, but you can also use frozen broccoli. I recommend decreasing the cooking time by 30 to 60 seconds if using frozen broccoli. Seasonings: These could include melted butter, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and/or zest, salt, pepper, garlic, or shredded cheese.
Before serving on a relish tray or salad, quickly blanching and cooling allows you to get even a bit more of these compounds. When you want cooked broccoli, steaming or very brief microwaving are excellent choices.
Chinese restaurants often incorporate garlic, ginger, and soy sauce to add depth and flavor to the broccoli. You can also add a dash of sesame oil or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an added kick.
Garlic and butter help make broccoli taste irresistible. Simply sautee the broccoli in a pan with just a little butter, some onions and grated garlic and voila! Add a drizzle of lemon if desired.
Why You'll Love this Sautéed Broccoli: Quick and Easy: All you need is a skillet with a lid + 15 minutes! Healthy: Unlike boiling, which can cause some of the more heat-sensitive nutrients, like vitamin C, to leach out, sautéing helps vegetables retain some of their more delicate nutrients.
To boil, place in a pan of boiling water and cook the florets for 6-8 minutes. To steam, place in a steamer over boiling water and cook for 6-8 minutes. Broccoli to be stir-fried should be separated into bite-sized florets, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and add the florets, cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender.
Broccoli contains many vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Broccoli's benefits include helping reduce inflammation, keeping blood sugar stable, and strengthening the immune system. Broccoli is a green vegetable that vaguely resembles a miniature tree. It belongs to the plant species known as Brassica oleracea.
A quick soak in ice water for 5 to 10 minutes is often enough to reinvigorate wilted veggies. Bendy carrots will straighten right up, lettuce will crisp, and limp broccoli will find its strength again.
Fill a large bowl with 2 ⅔ cups cold or warm water and ⅓ cup white vinegar. Allow it to soak for 2 minutes, then dump the broccoli into a colander. Rinse the vinegar-treated broccoli very well under running water.
Broccoli is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Its health benefits range from potentially lowering blood sugar levels to aiding in cancer prevention and promoting joint health.
SALT!And/or pepper or other dry seasonings. A little lemon or lime juice can also simmer down some of the bitter flavors and make the dish much more interesting and flavorful. Technically adds a tiny bit to the calorie count, but not enough to actually matter in a real sense.
Broccoli has a high insoluble fibre content and requires more time to digest. The best time to consume broccoli is around breakfast or lunch so that your body has time to absorb it. You should eat it often as it is a green vegetable with various nutritious benefits. One can eat broccoli 2-3 times a week to lose weight.
That's why steaming is one of the best ways to maximize nutrients. It turns out that's especially true for broccoli. When in doubt, microwave. That's because microwaving uses little to no water, and can heat the vegetable quickly, thus preserving nutrients such as vitamin C that break down when heated.
It's best to start with as much boiling water as you can. Restaurants serve amazingly green and crunchy Chinese broccoli because they use huge amounts of boiling water.
The simple answer to why roasted vegetables from a restaurant taste so good: lots of fat and salt and high heat. Refer to the list below and watch Ethan Chlebowski's useful instructional video for the full answer. Why are a restaurant's vegetables so much better than homemade ones?
You can prevent this by boiling the greens, in salted water. Use a large amount of water, then add salt. The recipe calls for one ounce for every four cups of water. The salt provides a "barrier" against the carbon dioxide, and keeps the chlorophyll green.
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