Broccoli Rabe Steamed and Sauteed

Broccoli Rabe Steamed and Sauteed (+Video) is a healthy green vegetable, also known as rapini that has a nutty taste to it.  But when you saute broccoli rabe with 4 ingredients, it becomes delicious!  There’s a secret to minimizing the bitter taste of broccoli rabe, and it’s simple. A perfect side dish to serve with dinner.

What is Broccoli Rabe?

• Broccoli rabe or rapini is a bright green cruciferous vegetable with edible leaves, buds, and stems.
• Its appearance is similar to broccoli, broccolini, and Chinese broccoli, but it has a bitter taste to it.
• And you can find it in the produce section of the supermarket.

We love making vegetable side dishes all year long, especially broccoli rabe!

Whether you steam or sauté broccoli rabe it will have a mild bitter taste to it and that’s not very appealing to a lot of people. 

With that said, we will show you how to make broccoli rabe the easy way and very flavorful.

But we find that our brother Danny makes it most delicious, cooking it to a perfect dark green color and crunchy texture.  He makes it BEST!

How to Get Rid of the Bitterness in Broccoli Rabe?

There are two ways to get rid of bitterness when cooking broccoli rabe.

• One way is cooking it with fresh lemon juice, and the other way is cooking it with our 4 ingredients.

• So, to make it even better and tastier, it’s best to saute it with good-quality olive oil, fresh garlic, and crushed red pepper. Then finish it off, with a splash of chicken broth.

• Yep, that’s the secret tip!  But I like to use vegetable broth instead.

• First, our brother lightly sautés the broccoli rabe in garlic and olive oil, then steams it with a bit of chicken broth, reducing and minimizing the bitterness of the broccoli, making it very tasty!

Broccoli Rabe Steamed and Sauteed happen to be a staple dish in our family. 

• It’s a vegetable with great health benefits, providing a high source of Vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium, and iron.
• As a side dish, it compliments any meat and potatoes entree.
• Our favorite is simply eating it all alone on a slice of crunchy toasted bread, for lunch or dinner with a glass of wine.

What could be better?

Just another great tip from our brother Danny who said to us “if we keep adding his recipes on our blog, then we should change the name to “2 sisters and 1 brother recipes”! … LOL…;

He is a funny guy!

 ENJOY!

How To Make Broccoli Rabe?

*Follow along with our step-by-step directions, or jump down to the bottom for the full recipe card. 

Ingredients Needed for Broccoli Rabe Steamed and Sauteed:

• 2 bunches (Andy Boy) Broccoli Rabe
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 7 garlic cloves, sliced in half
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 cup of low-sodium vegetable broth, or chicken stock
• Optional: 1 lemon cut into quarters, to garnish

Directions to Make Broccoli Rabe:  (step-by-step) 

1.  Unwrap the broccoli rabe bunch and place it onto a cutting board.

2.  If the stems at the end are thick and extra-long, cut off the bottom stems of the Broccoli rabe, about 2 to 3 inches from the bottom, and discard.

 

3.  Take the remaining broccoli and slice across into three equal parts beginning from the top to the bottom of the stems. Then place the chopped broccoli into a colander.

 

4.  Repeat the same with the second bunch of broccoli rabe.   Then wash and rinse the broccoli under cold water.  Allowing it to drain.

5.  Meantime, in a large sauté pan, sauté garlic in oil until garlic is golden color.

6.  Turn the stove onto a high setting, for high heat.

7.  Add broccoli, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Cover with the lid to steam for 3 to 5 minutes, and gently toss broccoli occasionally.

8.  Add chicken stock. Cover once again for an additional 2 minutes.

 

9.  Uncover and saute broccoli for 3 more minutes, tossing occasionally.  Taste the broccoli.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Broccoli should be done when it’s tender to the bite.

10.  Remove from pan and transfer onto a serving platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve!

Serves 6 to 8

ENJOY THE VIDEO!

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What to Serve with Broccoli Rabe…

• Beef Tenderloin Roast Recipe
• London Broil Steak Grilled to Perfection!
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken Cutlets (+Video)
• Grilled Flank Steak with Olive Oil & Garlic
• Lamb Chops Grilled To Perfection!

 

 

Finally, More Tasty VEGETABLE SIDE Dishes!!

• Sauteed Spinach with Tomatoes.
• Easy Sauteed Broccolini.
• Sauteed Green Beans with Onions.
• Sauteed Spinach with Garlic-Ginger & Peppers.
• Moms’ Sauteed Escarole.
• Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Olive Oil.
• Also, here’s a post on Blanching and Steaming Vegetables (How To)

This post was originally posted in 2011. The recipe and all the content remain the same, only some of the photos have been updated.