How to Eat Broccoli

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 2, 2020 References Tested

Broccoli is a nutritious and delicious vegetable that can be eaten many different ways. Eat it raw, with a dip or in a salad, to get the most nutrients out of it. Roast, steam, or pan-fry it for a healthy and tasty side dish or snack, or add it into recipes like pasta, stir fry, and soup. There really isn’t any wrong way to eat broccoli, so start experimenting with it to add nutrition, flavor, and texture to all kinds of dishes!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Eating Broccoli Raw

1
Eat broccoli raw to get the most nutrients out of it. Broccoli contains a compound called sulforaphane, which has been shown to help prevent cancer and promotes detoxification in the body. Your body absorbs more sulforaphane from raw broccoli than from cooked broccoli because cooking it locks some of the compound in.^{[1]
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- Broccoli is also high in fiber, potassium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B-6, and vitamin A. It contains more protein than other vegetables as well.
Tip: If you're going to cook broccoli, steam it for about 4-5 minutes to cook it in a way that provides the most nutrients.
2
Wash broccoli and separate the florets before eating it raw. Rinse the whole head of broccoli under cool running water to clean it. Pick off any leaves and use a knife to cut the large stem away from the head. Pull apart the individual florets or cut them apart where they connect at the bases.^{[2]
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- You can also eat the stem by cutting off the very bottom part, shaving the outside layer off with a paring knife or vegetable peeler, then cutting the stem into bite-sized medallions.
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3
Eat raw broccoli plain or with a dip for a healthy and tasty snack. Prepare a head of broccoli by washing it and separating it into bite-sized florets. Eat them plain, or dip them in your favorite vegetable dip or salad dressing.^{[3]
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- You could try making a homemade ranch dressing to dip the broccoli in for a tasty snack.
- Broccoli also goes very well with Mediterranean dips like tzatziki or hummus.
4
Make a broccoli salad for a side dish. Traditional broccoli salad has a creamy dressing and often bacon bits for added flavor and texture. It goes well with any meal as a side dish, or tastes great on its own!^{[4]
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- Try adding broccoli into any other salad recipe you like. The possibilities are endless! You could even use it to make coleslaw by using shredded broccoli stalks instead of cabbage.
5
Puree raw broccoli with cottage cheese to make a dip. Put 1 part broccoli florets with 1 part cottage cheese and salt to taste in a blender or food processor. Blend it until it is smooth and serve it with your favorite crackers or chips.^{[5]
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- Pita chips go really well with this dip recipe!
- You can add other spices and ingredients to create variations of this recipe to suit your tastes. For example, paprika or cayenne pepper to make it a bit spicy.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cooking with Broccoli

1
Cook with broccoli to enhance the flavor and add nutrients to other dishes. Prepare it as you would for eating it raw: by washing it under cool running water and then separating the florets into bite-sized pieces. There are many different ways to cook broccoli to eat on its own or in other dishes to add texture, flavor, and nutrition.
- If you want to eat broccoli strictly for the nutrients that it contains, you should eat it raw since it will provide your body with the most nutrients that way. Cooking broccoli will make it lose at least 10% of its vitamins.
2
Roast broccoli in the oven for a crispy broccoli recipe. Place bite-sized broccoli florets on a pan and season them with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and anything else you want to try. Roast the broccoli at 450 °F (232 °C) for 25-35 minutes.^{[6]
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- Try serving roasted broccoli with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top for extra deliciousness!
- Use about 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of olive oil, 1 chopped clove of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste for 1 head of broccoli.
3
Steam broccoli in a steamer basket or in a microwave. Use a steamer basket to steam bite-sized florets of broccoli in a pot on the stove for 5-6 minutes. Cut broccoli florets smaller than bite-sized and put them into a ceramic dish with 2–3 US tbsp (30–44 mL) of water. Cover the dish and microwave them on high for 3-4 minutes as an alternative to steaming broccoli on the stove.^{[7]
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- Steamed broccoli can be eaten as a side dish plain or seasoned with anything you want. Try seasoning steamed broccoli with salt, vinegar, and olive oil for a simple and tasty seasoning mix.
- Use 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of olive oil and vinegar, and salt to taste for 1 head of broccoli.
Tip: Steaming broccoli is the cooking method that preserves the most nutrients of the broccoli compared with other cooking methods. Stir frying broccoli is the method that makes it lose the most nutrients.
4
Cook broccoli in a pan for a quick and easy cooking method. Heat up oil in a pan on medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add broccoli florets, sprinkle them with salt, and cook them for 5 minutes.
- You can add any other seasonings you want, such as diced garlic or spicy red pepper flakes. Use red pepper flakes to taste, depending on your spice tolerance, and about 1 chopped clove of garlic per head of broccoli.
5
Add broccoli to pasta for more texture and taste. Broccoli makes a great ingredient in any vegetarian pasta. It’s also a tasty addition to something like a creamy chicken alfredo pasta.^{[8]
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- You can cook the broccoli first and toss it in with everything later, or cook it right in the pasta sauce for 5-10 minutes.
6
Use broccoli in stir fry recipes as the main vegetable. Broccoli is a common ingredient in many Asian-style stir fry recipes such as broccoli beef. Toss some broccoli into any stir fry recipe for a crunchy and healthy vegetable ingredient.^{[9]
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- If you aren’t sure how to stir fry, start by making a stir fry sauce. Then, just fry any combination of vegetables and proteins in a wok or frying pan with the sauce!
7
Make a creamy broccoli soup for a comforting vegetable soup. Cook broccoli, onions, and potatoes in chicken or vegetable stock until they are soft, then puree them in a blender or food processor. Add heavy cream to create the creamy, comforting texture.
- Try adding grated cheddar cheese to make broccoli-cheese soup!