Steamed, baked, boiled and even air-fryered: how to cook broccoli properly?

Coming from the large cabbage family, broccoli delights us with its mild flavor and slightly crunchy texture. Bonus, it is full of nutritional benefits. To fully enjoy its delicate flavor, you still need to know how to cook it correctly. In water, steam, in the oven or in the Air Fryer, here are four cooking methods that will make you love broccoli!

This is probably the simplest method, and the one that produces a very tender vegetable. Bring a large quantity of water to the boil in a saucepan, add salt, then add the previously rinsed broccoli florets. Let it boil again, then cook for about ten minutes (beyond that, your broccoli may take on an unappetizing brown color and be really too soft). Little tip: add a pinch of bicarbonate to the water, to improve their digestibility and keep their beautiful green color. Drain, then lightly fry them in butter, turn them into a puree or prepare them as a gratin, with a white sauce or a tomato sauce.

Steaming is recommended because it preserves the flavor and nutrients of vegetables. Real nutritional treasures, they provide many vitamins (B and K in particular), as well as minerals and trace elements, including calcium, potassium or magnesium. Once the broccoli is washed, place it in the basket of your steamer and cook for about 15 minutes. This “gentle steam” cooking is ideal for preserving all the flavors and nutrients of the broccoli. If you use a pressure cooker (or a Cookeo), cooking will only take 4 to 5 minutes.

Somewhat unknown, this cooking method nevertheless has many advantages and gives excellent results. Rinse the broccoli florets then place them in a salad bowl. Season with salt, pepper, spices and herbs (chili, paprika, cumin, curry, thyme, etc. the choice is vast!). Drizzle with oil and mix everything well. Spread the broccoli on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 180 °C for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with grated parmesan or pecronio. These roasted broccoli will be a hit!

This cooking method allows the broccoli to remain a little crunchy and to preserve its nutritional benefits. Wash the broccoli and cut it into florets. Don’t throw away the stems! Simply remove the hardest part and cut them into strips. Proceed as for cooking in the oven: season and drizzle with olive oil, then mix well and place the vegetables in the Air Fryer basket. All you have to do is cook for 10 minutes at 160°C. Shake the basket and continue cooking for another 8 to 10 minutes, this time at 180°C. Check the cooking (stick the tip of a knife into the broccoli). If they are tender, they are ready!