18 of the Best Broccoli Recipes for Any Meal, Any Time of Year
We're convinced that broccoli is the most delicious, versatile, and adaptable vegetable.
Want something with a hint of warmth and char? Make a roasted broccoli recipe. For a real belly warmer, find a broccoli casserole recipe or broccoli soup recipe. Want something raw and light? How about a broccoli salad recipe or a broccoli slaw recipe? If Asian’s on your mind, the familiar comfort of beef and broccoli can be clutch. Meanwhile, chicken and broccoli recipes span the globe. So go ahead and pick up a couple of aptly named crowns of broccoli. We have 18 ways to enjoy them with these broccoli recipes that really show off how it truly is the green that goes with everything.
Chicken and Lemon Broccoli Alfredo
You can take chicken and broccoli practically anywhere in the world and find that they’re comfortable together no matter where they land. Italian-influenced chicken and broccoli recipes prove this point deliciously, and a 20-minute prep time shows that flavorful doesn’t have to mean effort-full. Mix in some cooked pasta and you’re all set for a satisfying dinner.
Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
BHG / CARA CORMACK
It’s hard to think of broccoli recipes without thinking about stir-fry. This easy Asian-inspired chicken and broccoli recipe saves money by channeling takeout without having to step out.
Broccolini, Chicken Sausage, and Orzo Skillet
For yet a different way to eat chicken and broccoli together, try it in sausage form and with this more tender cousin to our conventional common broccoli. They’re long-stemmed, and in this case, that’s a desirable trait, since it’s tender and tasty. However, it is a bit more costly of an ingredient, so just know that this light dinner recipe works just as well with affordable florets, too.
Winter Greens and Broccolini Tart
If the last recipe convinced you that you can’t get enough of broccolini, wait until you get a load of this type of broccoli wrapped up as part of a buttery pastry tart! Sesame spices and a bit of prepared hummus gives this dish Mediterranean flair, and plenty of Tuscan kale that will brown with the broccolini adds even more warmth that—despite the tart’s name—is good year-round.
Herb Buttered Vegetable Blend
Keep delicious seasoned vegetables on hand and at the ready with this prep-and-freeze broccoli recipe! A quick blanch and freeze sequence is all it takes to keep a summer veggie medley at peak harvest quality, and including your own herbed butter compote means you can heat and eat gourmet seasoned broccoli (and friends) in minutes and for less than big brand packaged sides.
Skillet Browned Broccoli with Pan-Toasted Garlic
This foolproof faux-roasted broccoli recipe will fool anyone into thinking you’re a broccoli pro. The bite of garlic, hint of char, and toasted nuttiness really showcases the natural flavor of the vegetable. No one needs to know how easy it is to pull together.
Balsamic Roasted Broccoli
This roasted broccoli recipe only takes ten minutes to prep and another to cook, and technically only requires three ingredients. If that sounds too easy for you, don’t worry—it also offers suggestions on how to amp up the flavor with cheese, dried fruit, or pine nuts, all of which are natural accompaniments to sweet, rich balsamic vinegar.
Spicy Broccoli Rabe and Chickpea Skillet
Broccoli rabe may look similar to broccolini, but this bitter broccoli relative is the irascible rake to the family’s sweet mild characteristics. This bold dish grounds the sharp accents of wine and lemon with lightly browned, creamy, protein-rich chickpeas, making this just as good of a main course option as it is a side.
Gingered Beef and Broccoli Salad Bowl
Who says a beef and broccoli needs to be served piping hot? Certainly not this delicious broccoli salad recipe that loads up plenty of good greens: lots of lettuce and no shortage of stir-fried broccoli. Mix up the warm ingredients—the beef and the broccoli—to wilt the leaves or let them cool off and wait until meal time to toss. Store-bought ginger vinaigrette dressing keeps the effort low.
Broccoli-Cheese Soup
As much of a match made in heaven beef and broccoli is, it meets its other match with cheese. Broccoli cheddar soup is the classic combination, but this one uses smooth, silky American cheese for a broccoli soup recipe that’s creamy and mild. The bread bowl makes it a more than filling meal, and an indulgent, comforting way to get your broccoli fix.
Cauliflower and Broccoli in Swiss Cheese Sauce
Bright green broccoli gets a winter-ready makeover with snowy cauliflower florets and a white Alfredo and Swiss cheese sauce in this slow cooker broccoli casserole recipe. Using jarred sauce means most of the work has already been done—no need to make a béchamel! Fresh onion and herbs add depth and dimension to an otherwise mild-tasting dish.
Vegetable Lasagna
If broccoli was eligible for an elementary school report card, its comments section would read “plays well with others.” This recipe for a gorgeous white sauce lasagna featuring several types of vegetables and four kinds of cheese puts this principle into practice. Mushrooms add meaty bulk while no-boil noodles subtract a step.
Make It Mine Thai Curry
A good curry recipe is like broccoli: endlessly adaptable. This Thai curry recipe is a perfect example of that that trait offering cooks their choice not only of curry paste type but also assorted vegetables that can—and should!—include broccoli. Simmer your veggies until they’re just tender and the coconut milk-rich sauce has thickened for a custom curry you’ll make again and again.
Spicy Broccoli Slaw
Make this awesome ingredient “slawsome” with a spicy broccoli slaw recipe that gets extra oomph from a fresh jalapeno and a dash of hot pepper sauce. Complementing the crunch of the vegetables for yet another pop of flavor as well as color.
Broccoli and Tempeh Quinoa Salad
Grain bowls are a fantastic way to fill up on whole grains and greens, and this recipe boosts its nutritional value even more with crisp broccoli and protein-packed tempeh. Colorful watermelon radish, chopped peanuts, and red quinoa contribute exciting color as well as crunch and pop to this broccoli salad, but the umami can be credited to the simple dressing based on miso paste and sesame oil.
Pesto Penne with Deli Roasted Chicken
Pasta meets broccoli in this delicious, deceptively easy pasta and broccoli salad recipe that’s hearty and bold-flavored enough to be a lunch or dinner entrée. Using prepared basil pesto, roasted red peppers, and pulled, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken brings prep time down to 20 minutes, but this combination of ingredients only gets better as the flavors merge and soak in, making it perfect for meal prep.
Greek Isles Supper Salad
Pasta and broccoli salad recipes are incredibly versatile; with just a few ingredient swaps, you can be transported to a whole other culinary region! This one channels the warm, sunny flavors of the Greek Isles by way of fresh tomatoes, briny olives, artichoke hearts, creamy feta cheese, and the ever-adaptable broccoli.
Omelet for One
In the U.S., omelets are often considered strictly breakfast fare. But in France, they also make excellent dinners. But no matter the time of day you’re enjoying one, there are few thriftier ways to use up your vegetables than with a good omelet. Get rid of those last broccoli florets by adding them to eggs with any other refrigerator stragglers, from mushrooms to peppers to onions to that last bit of cheese.
