Incredibly simple and deliciously satisfying Sautéed Broccoli recipe is great to make as a healthy side or main. My easy recipe is vegetarian and vegan-friendly, and perfect for adding hearty potatoes or other extras to enjoy as an even more filling dish.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Italian, World
Ingredients
- 3.5 to 4 cups broccoli (- chopped, 250 grams)
- 3 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (- extra virgin)
- 2 teaspoon garlic (- finely chopped)
- ⅔ to ¾ cup chopped potatoes (- 150 grams or 1 large potato)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried herbs (- I added half teaspoon each of dried parsley, thyme, basil and oregano)
- salt (as required)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water (- optional)
Method
Preparation
- Remove and chop the broccoli florets from the head. Using a colander or strainer rinse them in very well in water. Drain the excess water.
- Blanch broccoli florets in hot water for 2 minutes and place in a cold ice bath for a minute to stop the cooking process. Blanching is an optional step. Strain and set aside.
- Finely chop garlic and cut potato in ½ to 1 inch cubes.
Making Sautéed Broccoli
- Use a heavy bottomed pan or skillet. Heat olive oil in it. Keep the heat to low.
- Add garlic and stir.
- Then add the potato cubes.
- Mix and sauté until potatoes are about half done, not yet fork-tender. Be sure to stir regularly while sautéing the potatoes so that they become lightly crisp but don’t burn.
- Add the broccoli, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Mix gently but thoroughly.
- If needed, add 2 to 3 tablespoons water to deglaze the pan and loosen the potato bits and garlic stuck to the pan.
- Cover and cook on a low heat until the broccoli are tender but still firm to bite about 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook broccoli and make them mushy.
- Keep a check and if the veggies start to stick to the pan, add a few splashes of water and deglaze. Cover the pan and continue to cook.
- This is a dry dish so if there is any moisture or water in the pan then remove the lid and sauté until the moisture or water evaporated once the broccoli are done.
- Serve sautéed broccoli hot or warm.
Serving Suggestions
- You can enjoy plain or garnish with some fresh or dried herbs like parsley, basil or cilantro, if you like. You can serve this as a side with nearly any main dish, such as baked or fried tofu steaks, pasta dishes, curries, or other hearty vegetarian dinner favorites.
- Enjoy vegetarian sautéed broccoli as the star of the meal with a side of warm toasted bread.
- It pairs particularly well with Italian breads – like Ciabatta and Focaccia – and Indian Breads like Roti or Parathas or even your everyday White Bread.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.