The Winter Solstice Approaches

40+ of Our Best Broccoli Recipes

updated Sep 17, 2021

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Credit: Joe Lingeman

Broccoli and Cheese Risotto

Broccoli is a great vegetable to keep on hand. It’s hearty and delicious, and an easy way to round out a meal with something green. If you find yourself avoiding fresh broccoli in the store because you’re worried it will go bad before you can get to it, the frozen stuff is just as healthy, and there are easy ways to make it taste great. (In fact, frozen broccoli is great for bulking up a skillet meal, pairing with protein in a stir-fry, or adding to soup in a flash. Did you know you can even roast broccoli straight from the freezer ? You can, and it’s delicious.)

And while you can buy broccoli heads (essentially just the florets), I highly recommend saving money and buying broccoli with stems. Not only are the stems edible, but they’re also delicious. In fact, I’d argue that the broccoli stalks are the very best part of this vegetable. Here’s what I do with them .

But it’s easy to fall in the same old pattern with broccoli — steamed with a little butter and salt, perhaps? If you’re looking to break free of your broccoli rut, you can roast it or shave it into a crunchy salad , or you can make pesto with it too. Here are more than 40 more inspiring broccoli recipes to help you keep this family favorite in rotation without getting bored.

Read more: Everything You Want to Know About Broccoli

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Simple Broccoli Sides

Whether you steam it, roast it, grill it, or turn it into a simple crunchy salad, you’ve got a lot of totally tasty options when it comes to turning that head of broccoli into an easy side to round out dinner.

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Garlicky Butter Bath Broccoli and Cauliflower

An easy recipe for broccoli and cauliflower florets simmered in a garlicky buttery bath.

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2-Ingredient Broccoli Fritters

These quick and easy vegetables fritters are naturally free of gluten, dairy, and eggs thanks to protein-rich chickpea flour.

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Cacio e Pepe Broccoli

The beloved pasta meets roasted broccoli florets in this place, feel-good side dish.

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Garlicky Roasted Broccoli

Here's a classic recipe to keep in your back pocket. A little tangy rice vinegar balances out the earthy roasted flavors of this simple side.

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Light & Easy Broccoli Salad

This lightened-up version of a classic broccoli slaw dotted with slivered almonds and currants is a nice crunchy side dish to enjoy alongside meat or fish.

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Cheesy Grilled Parmesan Broccoli

Marinated broccoli gets tossed with Parmesan and grilled to tender, smoky perfection.

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Oven-Roasted Frozen Broccoli

PSA: You can roast broccoli straight from the freezer. We like to roast until it's caramelized, then finish with plenty of salty Parmesan cheese.

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Roasted Broccoli

Here's everything you need to know for perfect roasted broccoli every time.

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Easy 10-Minute Garlic Broccolini

An easy recipe for sautéed Broccolini with garlic and red pepper flakes that's the perfect weeknight side dish.

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Broccoli Pasta Recipes

When it’s pasta night and you want to get something green in there, broccoli is always there to answer the call.

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Rigatoni with Broccoli and Sausage

There are two cooking tricks in this recipe. First, tossing the florets into the pasta pot for the last couple of minutes of cooking: It’s efficient, but it also integrates the broccoli into the pasta sauce, as all the florets break up when you drain and toss the pasta. The second trick is shaping the sausage into patties instead of crumbling the sausage into the pan and browning it.

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Creamy Ricotta Pasta with Broccoli

Blending ricotta cheese with lemon juice and zest in the food processor creates an ultra-luxe, ultra-creamy sauce for this family-friendly pasta.

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Shrimp Lo Mein

This family-friendly combo of sweet shrimp, crisp-tender broccoli, and savory noodles comes together in just a little over half an hour.

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Broccoli and Feta Pasta Salad

You can thank salty feta and briny olives for bringing life to this pasta salad. Enjoy it cold, room-temp, or warmed.

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Broccoli & Spaghetti Frittata

This recipe is made for leftovers. Last night’s spaghetti and cooked broccoli come together to form a satisfying, brunch-worthy frittata.

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Broccoli & Feta Pasta Sauce

When you’re finally tired of crunching down on florets, blend steamed broccoli into a creamy pesto with plenty of parsley, garlic, and feta. While wonderful tossed with pasta, it’s also great as a sauce for chicken or fish, or even just swiped on crusty bread.

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Stovetop Tuna Orzo Casserole with Broccoli

This stovetop casserole comes together all in one pot, thanks to quick-cooking orzo and broccoli that stays a little crisp.

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Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

This simple recipes makes four freezable portions that you can pull out and take to work when you need a satisfying packed lunch.

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Chicken and Broccoli Penne

The secret ingredient in this dish is definitely cream cheese, which not only creates a creamy sauce for the pasta, but also adds a nice, gentle tang to it. If you roasted broccoli earlier in the week and have some stalks to use up, this is a great place to do it.

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Lemony Broccoli Pasta

The real beauty of this recipe is that it’s both sophisticated, due to the bright and flavorful lemon, olive oil, and Parmesan sauce, and is totally accessible to kids (thanks, spaghetti!).

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Vegetarian Broccoli Recipes

From salads and soups to casseroles and sandwiches, it feels like there’s an endless variety of ways to make this brassica the star of the plate.

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Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

Broccoli and long grain and wild rice enrobed in delicious cheese sauce and covered in crispy breadcrumbs. Yes, please!

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Broccoli and Kale Caesar Salad

This twist on Caesar salad is outrageously satisfying, thanks to roasted broccoli and kale, golden croutons, white beans, and the best vegan Caesar dressing you’ve tried.

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Broccoli Reuben Sandwich

Who says meatless sandwiches have to be boring? This one is anything but, thanks to a tangy Sriracha mayo, melted Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut.

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Grilled Broccoli and Radish Salad with Garlicky Miso Dressing

If you don’t want to bother turning on your grill, this satisfying salad can also be made by roasting the vegetables in the oven.

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Egg Muffins

Here’s to starting your day with a high-protein, veggie-packed breakfast. Made in advance, this portable breakfast is just as satisfying straight from the fridge as it is warm. Each one is packed with a double dose of cheese and vegetables for good measure.

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Tofu and Broccoli Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing

If you have yet to get to know bagged broccoli slaw, prepare to fall in love. This grocery store convenience makes for a salad that maintains its crispness for days and is a snap to prepare. You can also make your own slaw by saving and slicing up the stems!

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Roasted Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

Roasting the broccoli before adding it to this classic soup pot makes for a version that has far more depth. Extra-sharp cheddar lends flavor, and potato makes it extra thick and creamy, without going overboard on the dairy.

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Quinoa Kimchi Bowl with Miso Mushrooms and Crispy Broccoli

This colorful grain bowl is packed with flavor, thanks to spicy gochujang-spiked broccoli, the miso-flavored shiitake mushrooms, and a heap of tangy kimchi.

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Weeknight General Tso's Tofu

Another take on take-out, we recommend pan-frying the tofu before adding the other ingredients. That keeps the cubes firm and crisp when tossed together with the tender broccoli and sweet, spicy sauce.

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Rainbow Pizza

Get the kids involved when assembling this cheesy, veggie-packed pizza. They’ll love that it’s loaded with every color of the rainbow. (And they may even be talked into trying each color!) Bringing the green is broccoli, of course. It’s our favorite way to eat our veggies and have pizza too.

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Garlicky Broccoli Subs

Each bite is a delightful combination of savory and sweet flavors, creaminess from the feta, and the fiery tang of pickled Peppadew peppers. Plus, one sandwich easily feeds four people.

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Broccoli Steaks with Walnut-Raisin Salsa

Broccoli moves to the center of the plate in this simple yet show-stopping vegetarian main dish.

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Broccoli and Cheese Risotto

This simple recipe takes the well-loved broccoli-cheese combo and transforms it into a creamy risotto that remains firmly in the family-friendly zone.

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Tofu & Broccoli Green Curry

This simple weeknight curry leans on a bag of frozen broccoli to minimize prep and speed up cooking.

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Easy Dinners with Broccoli

Because fresh broccoli has such a firm, hearty texture, it’s great option when bulking up sheet pan suppers, skillet dinners, and casseroles.

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Beef and Broccoli

Oyster sauce is the not-so-secret ingredient to the umami-rich flavor of many of your favorite Chinese takeout dishes, and it’s just as important here.

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Easy Sheet Pan Chili Garlic Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli

This easy sheet pan supper is flavored with a combination of soy sauce and ginger and amped up with just one simple addition: chili garlic sauce.

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Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

This is serious comfort food — potatoes, cheese, and bacon all loaded into one rich casserole. Luckily, the broccoli florets make it just virtuous enough to call dinner.

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Pork and Broccoli Rice Bowls

This easy take-out inspired meal comes together faster than the delivery guy can get to your door, thanks to quick-cooking pork loin cutlets — and it tastes much fresher!

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5 / 8

One-Skillet Chicken with Garlicky Broccoli and Croutons

Chicken and broccoli are long-time companions. Here they are brought together with toasty croutons that soak up all the flavor of the dish and make it even more of a crowd-pleaser.

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Slow-Cooker Peanut Chicken and Broccoli

A bunch of fresh broccoli florets are added for the last 45 minutes of cooking. Swap in frozen florets to speed things up.

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Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Broccoli Bowls

The superstar slow cooker strikes again with this tasty combination of brown rice, white beans, chicken, and broccoli florets.

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Beef and Broccoli Fried Rice

Stir-fried beef and broccoli meets fried rice in this easy dinner that totally beats take-out.

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Sheela Prakash

Senior Contributing Food Editor

Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food . She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.

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Source : food