How to Boil Broccoli
This recipe will teach you how to get perfectly crunchy and fresh broccoli in under 15 minutes. You’ll never get overcooked broccoli again!
Servings 2
Equipment
- Knife
- strainer or salad spinner
- pot
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli
- water
- salt optional
- lemon optional
Instructions
- Cut about ½ inch above the bottom stem to remove the woody bottom.
- Cut just where the florets meet the stem to separate them. Make even cuts on the stem so they are about 1 inch or the same size. Peel the tough skin around each stem piece.
- Separate the florets by their stems and cut down larger florets so that each is the same size.
- Run all broccoli pieces underwater and then soak them for 5 minutes in a water bath.
- Add enough water to a pot to cook the broccoli. I add about 6 cups of water to my 3.5 quart pot. Bring the water to a boil then add the broccoli.
- Cook for about 3-5 minutes depending on the texture you want in your broccoli. To test the doneness, pierce with a fork. If it comes through the broccoli with a slight resistance, it’s done.
- Optional: run the broccoli under cold water to stop it from cooking further. You don’t have to do this part, but I like to stop the cooking immediately. You can avoid this once you gain experience with timing: you can pull the broccoli out before it reaches your desired doneness and let it finish cooking while resting on the counter.
- Season with salt and/or lemon and serve.