Broccoli is a true power food that you can eat wonderfully raw. What “power” is in it and when should you not eat raw broccoli?

Eat broccoli raw – power food with lots of vitamins, minerals and glucosinolates

Raw broccoli contains many important vitamins and minerals that can break down during cooking. So in order to absorb as many nutrients as possible, you can eat broccoli raw. Organic broccoli is the healthiest for you and the environment.

Broccoli contains, among other things:
The minerals calcium, magnesium, sulfur and potassium,
Beta carotene – the precursor of vitamin A, as well
Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Vitamin B5.
As in other types of cabbage, glucosinolates (mustard oil glycosides) can be found in broccoli. These secondary plant substances have a positive effect on health. Anticarcinogenic and antibacterial properties are ascribed to them.

It is therefore worth trying the broccoli raw, whether in a smoothie or in a salad. Before eating, you should wash the broccoli thoroughly.
Note: For maximum vitamin and mineral retention, it is best to store broccoli in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. You should consume it promptly (one to two days) after purchase.

Raw broccoli can cause stomach pain and bloating

Because broccoli is a cabbage, some people with sensitive digestive tracts may experience abdominal pain and/or bloating when eating broccoli raw.

If you are prone to the above side effects, you can try the following:
Chew the broccoli very well.
only eat small amounts raw at first,
rather eat the florets as they are more digestible than the stalk.

If you don’t like the florets raw even after following these tips, you can blanch or steam the broccoli – possibly with the addition of a little caraway or fennel (depending on your taste). In this way, most of the valuable nutrients remain available and flatulence should be reduced.

Broccoli is very healthy thanks to its nutritional values. Here you can find out which nutrients cabbage contains and what they mean for your health.

Broccoli is very healthy – the vegetable is considered a local superfood. In addition to a particularly large amount of vitamin C and calcium, it also contains beta-carotene, minerals and mustard oil glycosides. Broccoli only contains about 30 kilocalories per 100 grams. It can therefore be easily integrated into a healthy diet.

Vitamin bomb: Broccoli is so healthy

Vitamins support almost all functions of your body. They are essential: that is, the body cannot produce them itself. That’s why you need to get enough from your diet.

Broccoli contains the following healthy vitamins:
94 mg/100g vitamin C: Vitamin C supports the metabolism, has an antioxidant effect and even helps with digestion. According to the DGE (German Society for Nutrition e.V.), the vitamin C requirement of adults is between 95 and 110 milligrams per day. 100 grams of (raw) broccoli are almost enough to cover your entire daily vitamin C requirement.
179 µg/100g Vitamin K : Vitamin K supports bone growth and blood clotting. If you cook a dish with broccoli, you can easily get 60-80 micrograms of vitamin K to meet your needs.
0.8 mg/100g beta-carotene: As a precursor of vitamin A, beta-carotene is important for many areas of the body: For example, it supports the function of the eyes and helps to build up the skin. According to the DGE, the daily requirement for beta-carotene is 0.8-1.0 milligrams per day.
1.29 mg/100g vitamin B5: Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid contributes significantly to the functioning of the energy metabolism in the body. The DGE recommends an intake of six milligrams per day.

Broccoli contains many healthy minerals, plant compounds and amino acids

Like vitamins, minerals are important for your body. You also have to get these nutrients through food – for example through broccoli.

Among other things, 100 grams of broccoli contain:
58 mg calcium: Calcium is probably the most important mineral for humans. Your body needs it to build bones, for example. In addition, the substance stabilizes the cell walls and is involved in digestion and the transmission of stimuli. The recommended daily amount is 1000 milligrams.
256 mg Potassium: Potassium keeps muscles working properly. A deficiency can cause muscle cramps. Adults should consume about 4000 milligrams of potassium per day to meet their needs.
18 mg magnesium: This nutrient also supports muscle function and strengthens bones. Magnesium is also important for human hearing. The DGE recommends an intake of 300 to 350 milligrams per day.
63 mg Phosphorus: Like calcium, phosphorus is important for your bones. The daily requirement for adults is 700 milligrams per day. Since phosphates are often found as additives in food, Germans usually consume more than enough phosphorus.
The daily requirement of minerals cannot be covered by broccoli alone. Other good sources of minerals are nuts or other green vegetables such as spinach or kale.

The healthy vegetables also contain the secondary plant substances glucosinolates (mustard oil glycosides). These have an antioxidant and immune-boosting effect. The substances are also attributed antibacterial and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Large amounts of different amino acids such as arginine or cysteine ​​also make broccoli so healthy. The essential amino acid tryptophan forms the precursors of vitamin B3 – it is therefore important for carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Amino acids take on many other functions in metabolic processes and serve as building blocks for proteins.

How to properly prepare broccoli

In order to preserve as many of the valuable ingredients as possible when cooking, you should follow the following tips:
Heat broccoli very briefly.
Blanch it, for example: You can do this by putting the broccoli in boiling salted water for a minute or two and then briefly shocking it in ice water.
You can also eat broccoli raw.
Note: In order to get all the ingredients, you should prepare the broccoli as freshly as possible. You can also store it in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for a day or two. You should process the vegetables at the latest when the broccoli florets begin to turn yellowish.

For a flavorful side dish, you can sauté broccoli. We will show you how to do this and how you can use the vegetables afterwards.

You probably know broccoli as an ingredient for soups, casseroles or as a vegetable side dish. Broccoli is pre-cooked for many dishes, but that’s not the only way to prepare the vegetable. The broccoli remains particularly crisp and al dente when roasted. At the end of this post you will find many ideas on how to vary and use fried broccoli.

Since you can also eat broccoli raw, you don’t have to worry about it not cooking through properly. If you fancy trying raw broccoli, check out our related post. There you will find out what speaks for and against eating broccoli raw.

We recommend that you buy broccoli regionally and seasonally and pay attention to organic quality. The organic seals from Demeter, Bioland or Naturland stand for sustainable agriculture without chemical-synthetic pesticides. With seasonal vegetables from the region, you can also avoid long transport routes. Broccoli is in season in Germany from June to October. Are you interested in when you can get other types of fruit and vegetables from your region? Our seasonal calendar gives you a comprehensive overview.

Alternatively, you can cultivate and harvest broccoli in your own garden. More about this here: Planting broccoli: How to sow, cultivate and harvest broccoli.

Roast broccoli: Here’s how

Ingredients:

1broccoli
1 tbsp oil

Directions:

Divide the broccoli into individual florets that are as small as possible. Put them in a sieve and wash them thoroughly with water. Drain the broccoli briefly before frying.
Heat the oil in a pan. Sauté the broccoli in it for 5 to 8 minutes, turning it regularly to keep it from burning.

You can also use the stalk of broccoli. To do this, peel it and remove woody parts if necessary. Then, thinly slice or grate the stalk. Then you can fry it together with the remaining broccoli.

Fry broccoli: This is how you can use it afterward

You can serve and combine fried broccoli in many different ways:

as a simple vegetable side dish with salt and pepper
with garlic, nutmeg, ginger or chili
with herbs like parsley or thyme
drizzled with lemon juice
drizzled with olive or sesame oil
with roasted sunflower seeds or sesame
as an accompaniment to rice and pasta dishes
hearty with fried onions and smoked tofu
with yoghurt sauce (also vegan possible)
as part of casseroles, soups, stir-fries or salads

Broccoli stalks often end up in organic waste – not only are they edible, they are also very tasty. You can use the stalk in various dishes. We give you some suggestions.

In most broccoli recipes, the small florets play the main role – the broccoli stalk, on the other hand, is usually not intended for use. However, if you peel it and remove any woody parts, you can prepare it just like the florets, for example by boiling, steaming or frying it. Compared to the florets, the broccoli stalk has a particularly fine and mild aroma.

You can therefore add the stalk to many dishes that contain broccoli, simply peeled and cut into small pieces – for example Asian vegetable pans, pasta dishes or vegetable casseroles. If you are preparing a broccoli soup, you can cook and puree the stalk as well.

By the way: It doesn’t matter which recipe you use the broccoli stem for – it’s best to buy your vegetables in organic quality. So you can be sure that it comes from organic farming and contains no chemical-synthetic pesticides. In order to avoid long and CO2-intensive transport routes, it is also worth buying vegetables that are regional and seasonal whenever possible. You can get fresh broccoli from German cultivation, for example, from June to November. You can read about the seasons of many other types of fruit and vegetables in our seasonal calendar.

Broccoli mashed potatoes with broccoli stalk

Ingredients:

150 g potatoes
1 clove(s) garlic
250 g broccoli stalk
100 ml vegetable cream (e.g. oat cream)
1 tablespoon vegan margarine
salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash the potatoes, peel them and cut them into small cubes. Peel the garlic clove.
Wash and peel the broccoli stalk, removing any woody parts. Then cut it into pieces.
Bring the diced potatoes to a boil in the vegetable cream. Add the chopped broccoli stalk and the whole clove of garlic and let all the ingredients cook together for 20 minutes.
Finally add the margarine and let it melt. Mash everything until you get a homogeneous consistency and season with salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can also use a hand blender, but then the consistency will be a bit more liquid. Tip: The broccoli stalk puree tastes good with patties, oven-roasted vegetables or fried tofu, for example.

Crunchy vegetable salad with broccoli stalk

Ingredients:

1broccoli stalk
1carrot
1 small kohlrabi
1 small onion
1half apple
1 handful of peanuts
1 tbsp oil (e.g. sunflower oil)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 pinch(s) of salt
1 pinch(s) of pepper
1 pinch(s) of sugar

Directions:

wash the vegetables Peel the broccoli stem and remove any woody parts.
Peel the carrot, kohlrabi and onion.
Core the apple half.
Finely dice the onion and apple. Chop the peanuts.
Roughly grate the broccoli stalk, carrot and kohlrabi.
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the shredded broccoli stalk, carrot, and kohlrabi and sauté over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. They shouldn’t turn brown.
Then add the diced onions and the chopped peanuts and fry them briefly until the onions start to become translucent.
Then remove the vegetables from the pan and let them cool.
Add the vinegar and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Then let the salad soak for at least half an hour.

If you freeze broccoli, you can still enjoy the summer vegetable in the fall and winter. We’ll show you how it’s done – and tell you the best way to defrost the florets again.

Broccoli is a relative of cauliflower, grown in Europe mainly in Italy. From June to October he is also in season in Germany. The vegetable with the dark green florets is very healthy: broccoli is rich in minerals such as potassium, iron and zinc. It also contains various B vitamins and lots of vitamin C.

Freezing broccoli: How to cook it

It is best to buy the broccoli at the market during the season, where you can get it unpackaged. The florets should look fresh and green and still be connected. Avoid broccoli that is already bruised or discolored.
At home, wash the broccoli thoroughly, removing the leaves and the woody end of the stalk. Cut the florets into 1-1/2 inch pieces and the stem into 1/4 inch slices.
If you like, you can now put the broccoli pieces in a bowl with water and some lemon juice for five minutes. This is how the broccoli keeps its green color.
Tip: If you buy organic broccoli, you avoid chemical-synthetic pesticides.

Also: If you want to eat the broccoli right away, don’t worry about bruises when you go shopping – they are quickly removed and the vegetables taste just as good.

Blanch the broccoli before freezing

Before freezing, you should blanch the broccoli briefly. Otherwise it will get mushy later when defrosting. Boil a few liters of water in a large saucepan. Place the chopped broccoli in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, then scoop out the pieces with a slotted spoon. Now let the broccoli cool in a colander.

How to freeze broccoli

To freeze the broccoli, fill a freezer container, such as a glass one, and place it in the freezer. The broccoli can be kept for up to a year.

If you later want to thaw the broccoli pieces individually, you should prefreeze them before freezing. Place the broccoli florets a little apart on a board or tray and place in the freezer for half an hour. This will prevent the broccoli pieces from sticking together when you freeze them. You can then freeze them as described above.

Thaw frozen broccoli

There are several ways you can defrost the broccoli:

You can thaw the broccoli at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Depending on the ambient temperature, this can take a few hours.
Broccoli can be thawed much faster in a large pot: Bring water to a boil and blanch the frozen broccoli in it for a maximum of 90 seconds. This also keeps the vegetables nice and crunchy. Attention: For this method you need a large pot with a lot of water so that the liquid does not cool down too much due to the cold broccoli. Caution: Consider whether you can still use the broccoli water after cooking. If not, another method might be more water-efficient.
In the oven, you can defrost and roast the broccoli at the same time. To do this, place the broccoli pieces in a mold, drizzle them with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Then place the mold in the 200 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Broccoli is a very healthy and tasty cabbage that is given to babies as a complementary food and is called the “product of the 21st century.” Here are some interesting facts about this bright and beautiful cabbage.

1. Broccoli is one of the oldest vegetables on earth. It did not exist in the wild: scientists found out that this variety of cabbage was bred in the 6-5 centuries BC. In the 1st century BC, the ancient Roman scientist Pliny wrote a description of broccoli, where he called it “a blessed plant.”
2. Despite the fact that in ancient Rome broccoli was very popular, the rest of the world did not even know about its existence. After Rome, broccoli was recognized in ancient Greece – more than 2,000 years ago. Then, centuries later, broccoli came to Byzantium (modern Turkey), and from there it spread throughout the world.
3. The name “broccoli” was popular only in Rome. In the rest of the world, it was called “Italian asparagus” – everywhere except in Germany. There they called the cabbage “Brown Copf” – brown head.
4. Since then, more than 200 varieties of broccoli have been developed. Despite such a large number of species, only 6 varieties are mainly grown. And recently, scientists have created another variety, Beneforte – this broccoli contains three times more beneficial anti-cancer substances than ordinary cabbage.
5. Broccoli is considered a negative calorie food. This is the name of foods, the digestion of which the body spends more calories than they contain. By the way, the calorie content of broccoli is very low: only 34 kcal per 100 grams.
6. And that’s why broccoli is used for weight loss. It is a part of many diets. For example, recently broccoli has become very popular in America: more than 76,000 tons of this cabbage are eaten there a year!
7. Moreover, this cabbage is very useful and contains almost all the substances the body needs. It is considered a superfood: broccoli contains a large amount of antioxidants, vitamins A, E, and C, PP and B group, many minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates.
8. By the way, the proteins that are part of broccoli are compared with proteins of animal origin. In terms of their nutritional properties, they are practically equivalent, but they are much easier to digest.
9. In order for the beneficial properties of broccoli not to be destroyed, it must be cooked correctly: it is best to steam the cabbage, lightly fry or bake it, eat it raw. You should not overcook broccoli: it should be damp, and tastier, and healthier.