An easy recipe for tender-crisp steamed broccoli, dressed with a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. 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.
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Ingredients
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.
Instructions
How to steam broccoli? It's easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the 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.
Expert tip: timing your meal
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.
Frequently asked questions
Steaming, a moist-heat cooking method, is an especially gentle one, certainly when compared to boiling in water. So I prefer steaming to boiling.
It only takes 5 minutes. The key is to steam 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.
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.
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.
Recommended main dishes
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.
Storing leftovers
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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Recipe card
Steamed Broccoli with Lemon Juice and Olive Oil
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. fresh broccoli
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add 1 inch of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Rinse the broccoli. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the stalks.
- Cut the broccoli into bite-size florets and pieces, and place ina steamer basket.
- Steam until tender-crisp. Start checking after 5 minutes. As soon as a fork can pierce the stalks, the broccoli is done. Even if the rest of the meal is not ready yet, remove the broccoli from the steamer onto a plate. Crisp steamed broccoli is delicious even at room temperature. Warm limp broccoli is not.
- While the broccoli is steaming, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place the steamed broccoli in a bowl. Pour the dressing on top and gently mix. Serve immediately.
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NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 