Yes, you can have restaurant-quality, perfectly bright greened steamed broccoli at home and impress your family or guests. This easy recipe is fast, and foolproof!
This simple, healthy side dish of steamed broccoli goes great with ALL the main dishes! Topped with just a hint of butter and sea salt, it's naturally fresh flavor brings any lunch or dinner to life with awesome nutrition and crunch.
I love serving this broccoli side with fish, steak or chicken such as this simple walnut and herb crusted chicken recipe. And if you'd like a little more punch to this side, try topping with this lively lemon garlic aioli sauce; it's so good!
🌿 Ingredients
Broccoli is obviously the star player in this side, and the fresher the better!
- large head broccoli
- unsalted butter or olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
First, wash the broccoli and cut it into florets that are sized to your liking. I prefer mine on the smaller size so that you can easily pick up each one with a fork, but feel free to chop larger pieces if you'd like. The cooking time will be the same either way.
How to steam broccoli
To steam, fill a medium pot with an inch of water and place the broccoli florets into a steamer insert inside the pot. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Then, steam the broccoli for about 4-5 minutes or until it just turns bright green (don't over steam!)
Pro tip: If you don't have a steamer insert, add the broccoli directly to the water, cover and boil for about 5 minutes or until bright green, and then drain.
Microwave steamed broccoli
To make steamed broccoli in the microwave, place the broccoli and a couple tablespoons of water in a covered, microwave-safe dish and cook on high for 2-4 minutes depending on the power of your microwave. Be careful when removing the dish and cover after steaming as they will both be hot!
Lastly, place the broccoli into a large mixing bowl, add a little butter (or oil) and salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
📋 Substitutions
As written this recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian. Feel free to substitute olive oil for butter to make it vegan and dairy-free.
📖 Variations
Here are a few quick variations you can try, or feel free to add your favorite seasonings!
- Spicy - sprinkle with a dash of red chili pepper flakes
- Garlicky - mix some garlic powder in along with the salt and pepper
- Buttery - add extra butter to taste
- Vegan - substitute olive oil for butter
🔪 Equipment
Here is the equipment you'll need to make steamed broccoli:
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- medium pot
- steamer insert (optional, but recommended)
🍱 Storage
Steamed broccoli will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or up to 2 months in the freezer.
🎉 Top tip
Steaming broccoli is a super fast process, so make sure you stand by watchfully as your broccoli steams so that you can remove it just as it turns bright green. That way, you'll retain as much of the fantastic crunch, nutrition and color as possible. 🙂
Enjoy!
🍳 Recipe
Perfect Steamed Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter or olive oil for vegan/dairy-free
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep: Wash the broccoli and cut into florets.
- Steam: Fill a medium pot with an inch of water and place the broccoli florets into a steamer insert inside the pot. Cover, bring to a boil and steam for about 4-5 minutes or until the broccoli just turns bright green. If you don't have a steamer insert, add the broccoli directly to the water, cover and boil for about 5 minutes or until bright green, and then drain. See notes for microwave option.
- Mix: Place the broccoli in a large mixing bowl, add the butter (or oil) and salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately, and enjoy! Leftover steamed broccoli will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Mark
Thanks for your blog, nice to read.