A dozen recipes that do more than just boil the brilliant brassica.
Broccoli is such a faithful fridge staple that it can get taken for granted.
Reached for weekly, if not daily, to bulk out a recipe or provide an extra dose of nutritional sustenance, the workhorse veg is
It soaks up flavour, which is why it gets utilised in a wide swathe of culinary styles and is enjoyed in households all around the world and each month of the year, but here in NZ it’s time is now. It eats best and generally costs the least in autumn – look for deep green heads with tight florets and a firm, taut stalk.
In the below recipes fun preparations, zingy flavour pairings and canny techniques ensure the virtuous and versatile veg gets its long-deserved moment in the spotlight.
Cook this flavoursome fried rice in a wok and you’ll be rewarded with a sensationally smoky, spicy side dish. Add a fried egg on top and it becomes a meal in itself.
Blanching the broccoli for this supreme salad adds a lovely fresh crunch that counteracts the creamy blue cheese dressing.
The culinary equivalent of quiet luxury, effortless but satisfying meals are Nigel Slater’s calling card. This eight-ingredient chicken and rice dish, cooked in an addictively moreish yuzu-sesame sauce, is a prime example of how he does a lot with a little.
With butter beans, broccolini, mushrooms and a shower of parmesan, this vegetable-laden salad is as easy to make as it is to devour.
Double down on the greens with these crispy broccoli chips dunked into a tasty fresh pea dip.
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Crunchy, mellow and almost juicy when cooked, this stir-fry proves not only that broccoli stalks are packed full of flavour, but they can be put to use as the star of a dish. Herb stalks can and should be used too.
Stirred through a tangle of pak choi, fennel, broccoli, avocado, leafy greens and your pick of herbs, buckwheat udon noodles provide some nutty bite to your market haul.
On days when you want hearty comfort as well as vitality in the form of vegetables, reach for a brothy bowl such as these beef and broccoli noodles balanced out with a gingery and lemony broth.
Made from higher protein durum wheat, large, pearled couscous has a texture more similar to pasta. The addition of rough chopped broccoli, smoked salmon and feta ensure this quick, tasty and satiating recipe is a weeknight go-to in the making.
In the same way that vodka enhances the flavour in a creamy tomato pasta sauce, a dose of gin adds a subtle, glossy edge to this aromatic stir-fry.
Think of this one-tray meal like a mess-free version of broccoli cheese. It’s savvy too – using the stems of the veg as well as the heads.
Speaking of savvy, this clever meat and veg dish utilises slices of leftover roast lamb making it perfect for an easy Monday night dinner. Recipe developer Angela Casley has used a bunch each of asparagus and broccolini, but double up on tender stem when you can’t source asparagus.
