An easy recipe for tender-crisp steamed broccoli, dressed with a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.
Ready in just 15 minutes, it's the perfect side dish that literally goes with anything!
Broccoli is one of the vegetables I make regularly for my family. It's an easy choice because it's quite delicious, and everyone likes it (or at least tolerates it) - including The Picky Eater.
There are all kinds of fancy ways to prepare this vegetable, such as roasting and stir-frying. Caramelized roasted broccoli is delicious, and it's so convenient that you can even roast broccoli from frozen. But I often find that my favorite way to cook this vegetable is simply to steam it, as long as it remains tender-crisp.
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make steamed broccoli. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Fresh broccoli: When I want to make my life super easy, I buy a bag of pre-washed broccoli florets.
Fresh lemon juice: It's better than bottled. Fresher-tasting and more flavorful.
Olive oil: I love drizzling this tasty oil on top pf the broccoli. Extra-virgin tastes best.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount you use.
Garlic powder: Make sure it's fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
Steaming broccoli is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
You start by placing the florets in a steamer basket. Steam them until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, quickly prepare the dressing by whisking together the remaining ingredients.
The final step is to toss the cooked broccoli florets with the dressing and serve.
Timing this dish when it's part of a complete meal can be challenging. Sometimes I find that the broccoli is ready, but the rest of the meal isn't.
It's tempting to keep it warm by keeping it in the steaming basket, covered. But I think that's a mistake. It's better to enjoy crisp broccoli at room temperature than to suffer through mushy, limp, warm broccoli!
So as soon as the broccoli is ready, remove it onto a platter. Dress it with the olive oil-lemon dressing, loosely cover with foil, and serve when the rest of the meal is ready.
Unless you prefer broccoli with cheese sauce, in which case the broccoli should be the last thing you make. You want the cheese sauce warm and gooey.
It only takes 5 minutes. The key is to cook it until tender-crisp and bright green. So minimal cooking is the secret. You want your broccoli to be a beautiful bright green, not an olive green, which means it's overcooked.
How do you make broccoli taste better?The secret is to not overcook it. Limp broccoli? Not so good. But tender-crisp broccoli that remains bright-green, simply dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, is wonderful.
How do you season broccoli?Simple is best, in my opinion. I season this dish with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. That's it! As long as the broccoli is nice and crisp, it's going to be delicious even with just a sprinkle of salt.
You can also use a little melted butter instead of olive oil. I've tried both versions and both are excellent.
The easiest way is to use your microwave and make microwave broccoli.
Another option is to place the broccoli directly in one inch of boiling water. It's not ideal, because the parts that are submerged in the water will actually boil. But it's probably better than completely submerging it in water.
This is such a versatile side dish. It goes with anything, really. I often serve it with pork roast, with baked chicken breast, or with baked salmon. It's also good with a couple of fried eggs for a tasty and filling meatless dinner.
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave on 50% power. They won't be as good as when served fresh, though. Sometimes I just add them cold to a salad.
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