Let’s Steam Fresh Broccoli
Broccoli is almost always available in our fridges, and we know that sometimes it can have the tendency to linger in the crisper drawer for a little too long. So before that happens to you, we are here to encourage you to turn those broccoli florets into an easy to prepare part of your next meal. With this basic steamed broccoli recipe, you’ll get perfectly cooked, vibrant green florets every single time! It’s our favorite way to eat broccoli, because the texture is crispy yet tender (no soggy broccoli here!) and it helps retain broccoli’s nutrient dense offerings. Broccoli has tons of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, potassium and more protein than most veggies. So let’s do five minutes of prep and five minutes of cooking to get this green goddess ready for serving!
One Million Ways To Eat Steamed Broccoli
Broccoli pairs perfectly with lots of our favorite main dishes as a nutritious green treat. You can go classic Italian contorno and serve it alongside our Easy Bolognese or Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Rigatoni, or any dish that features our homemade Alfredo Sauce. Steamed broccoli and chicken are a perfect match, and Lemon Chicken, Chicken Piccata, or Chicken Paillard would all make a great meal. Steamed broccoli also makes a great addition in these bowls: Buddha Bowl, Green Curry Buddha Bowl, and of course Broccoli Beef Soba Bowl. If you’re craving broccoli on its own, you can dress it up by tossing it with our Orange Vinaigrette, or just dip it in a side of Homemade Ranch Dressing, Easy Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce or Romesco Sauce! And we love the simplicity of the old standby: just melt some cheese on it!
How To Steam Broccoli
There are few things in the kitchen that you can count on to turn out the same way every time you make them, but steamed broccoli is like Old Faithful. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps:
Cut broccoli florets from the stem.
Set up the steam bath: Fill a medium saucepan with about an inch of water. Place the steaming basket in a saucepan and bring water to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the broccoli florets to the steamer basket.
Steam the broccoli for about five minutes. They should be tender, but still have a little crispy crunch.
Remove the broccoli from the steamer basket with a slotted spoon and season with salt.
Tools You’ll Need
Since steamed broccoli requires so little effort, one of our tips for steaming perfect broccoli is to have a few basic tools available. While a steaming basket isn’t always necessary, we think it is the best way to steam broccoli. Here’s a few of the things that will help you get the perfect steamed broccoli every time:
Let’s Move The Vegetables to The Center of The Plate
Starting with the perfectly prepared vegetable makes planning the rest of your meal super easy. Here’s a few veg forward recipes to get things started:
Doctor McDreamy? More Like Broccoli McSteamy!
We’d love to see how you use steamed broccoli, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
