Roasted Broccoli | Creme De La Crumb

Roasted Broccoli is a great way to eat this common vegetable in an entirely new way! Easy to prepare with just a few pantry staples and the addition of garlic, cheese, and lemon if you like! Cooks in just 20 minutes and will be devoured in a flash! 

For more deliciously easy vegetable recipes, try my Roasted Asparagus, my Crispy Parmesan Green Beans, or my Best Easy Italian Green Salad. 

Broccoli is another one of those vegetables that I didn’t exactly love growing up. I guess it was the way it was prepared. Now, you all know I believe my mom to be an amazing cook and baker, and she always made all of us the most wonderful dishes growing up. We were pretty spoiled by all accounts. 

There were just certain preparations that were “on trend” for lots of foods throughout the years and that’s just how everyone made that certain dish. (Take a look at a cookbook from the 60s or 70s and you’ll know what I’m talking about.) So lots of vegetables were either served raw or boiled. Not so much many other ways. So that might account for my distaste for broccoli, because I just didn’t like how it was prepared. Or, I was just a picky little kid who would have liked the veggie had I given it a chance. It could go either way. 

Then, I discovered that you could roast and grill vegetables and my whole outlook for lots of vegetables changed. Roasting broccoli brings out its sweeter, more earthy taste. It’s less bitter and if you cook it right, won’t be soggy or overcooked but tender and the tops can even get a little crispy. And now I’m a roasted vegetable convert, and I this recipe will convince you, too! 

HOW DO YOU ROAST BROCCOLI? 

If you can boil or steam broccoli, you can roast broccoli.

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, then cut the broccoli into florets. You can use or discard the stalks, that always seems to be a personal preference (more on that later). 

Add the broccoli to the sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, then toss the broccoli in the olive oil right in the pan to coat it, leaving the broccoli in a single layer on the pan. Next, season it with salt and pepper. Here’s also where you can add on the extra ingredients if you choose (though the simple salt and pepper preparation is super delicious all on its own). Once, its seasoned to your liking, pop the pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until it’s fork-tender with crisp edges. Serve right away while it’s still warm for optimum flavor.

HOW DO YOU CUT FRESH BROCCOLI?

First, I give the broccoli a good rinse and pat dry. Then I cut. Frankly, there’s really no right or wrong way to cut your broccoli, except that I recommend that you cut it into similar-sized pieces for even roasting. 

But, here’s how I go about cutting broccoli. After rinsing and drying, I pick off any leaves that may still be attached. Then, I cut off the tops of all the broccoli florets from the stems. Then, I cut in between all the little stems to free up all the florets. From there, I cut each floret down to the size I prefer, and make them all as similar as possible. 

If you don’t mind the stemmy parts (which I don’t), I recommend cutting those down too. I’ll take each stem, and cut about the bottom two inches off and discard. Those parts of the stems are going to be too tough to eat. As for the rest of the stem, I cut those into about 1- or 2-inch rings and then slice the outer skin off each ring. The inside of the stem is nice and tender and perfectly edible in this or any easy roasted broccoli recipe. 

DO I NEED TO WASH BROCCOLI BEFORE ROASTING?

I do like to at least give broccoli a rinse in the sink. But if you want to take it a step further, you can wash it in vinegar and water and rinse it clean before cutting it and making this easy broccoli recipe. Just make sure you do this in advance so that the broccoli has time to dry. You can pop it in the oven while it’s still damp, but it will roast best and get the nicest crispy exterior if it it dry before you proceed with the recipe. 

IS ROASTED BROCCOLI HEALTHY?

Yes, roasted broccoli is healthy (and luckily tasty too!). It’s low in calories, has zero fat, and is high in fiber. It also contains B vitamins, vitamins E and C, potassium, zinc, riboflavin, folate, and iron. Broccoli is also healthy in that it has very low sugar and carbs. It even contains calcium (almost as much as a serving of dairy)!