Sauteed Broccolini

An easy recipe for healthy sauteed broccolini. Saute until crisp, add water to the pan, cover and briefly steam, just until stems are tender-crisp.

Sauteed broccolini is one of my favorite vegetables to make and serve to my family. It’s tasty, healthy, and very easy to make.

What’s the difference between broccoli and broccolini?

Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has small florets and long, thin stalks. The entire vegetable is edible, so you don’t need to remove the leaves before cooking. It is sweeter and milder than broccoli, and it cooks faster.

When making broccoli, it’s best to cook the florets and the stems separately, because the stems are tough and need a longer time to cook. Here’s a good recipe for roasted broccoli stalks. It’s actually easier to saute broccolini, because you can cook the entire vegetable at once.

Should I blanch the broccolini before cooking?

Many recipes for sautéed broccolini will tell you to blanch the broccolini first (cook briefly in salted water, then quickly rinse in cold water or dip in ice water).

But I like to sauté it until browned and crispy. Then I add a bit of water to the hot pan, cover and briefly steam, just until the stems are tender-crisp.

What to serve with sauteed broccolini?

Anything, really. It’s a great side dish to practically any meat or seafood. I often serve it with baked pork chops, with Parmesan chicken tenders, or with reverse-seared steak. You can also serve it alongside fried or poached eggs for a healthy meatless dinner.

What to do with leftover sauteed broccolini?

I actually don’t like to keep the leftovers. They tend to become limp in the fridge and lose their wonderful crispiness. So I try to make just as much as we can eat.

But if you do have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I sometimes chop them up and add them cold to a salad the next day for my lunch, or mix them into an omelet the next morning.

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4.96 from 42 votes

Sautéed Broccolini

An easy recipe for healthy sauteed broccolini. Saute until crisp, add water to the pan, cover and briefly steam, just until stems are tender-crisp.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccolini

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 82

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

• 2 bunches fresh broccolini
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat a very large, 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and swirl to coat. 
• Add the broccolini, the salt and pepper. Sauté 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until the broccolini has absorbed all the butter and parts of the broccolini are beginning to brown.
  
• Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the skillet. Cover and steam for about 2 minutes, until the stems are tender-crisp. Serve immediately. 

NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Please read the disclaimers in our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Please verify they are before using.

Nutrition Facts

Sautéed Broccolini

Amount Per Serving

Calories 82 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Sodium 163mg7%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 3g6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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