Serve this Marinated Broccoli with your next dinner and you will love how delicious it is! A simple mixture of fresh or dried herbs and spices, olive oil, fresh lemon juice and vinegar transforms this simple, basic vegetable into a very flavorful side dish.
We eat tons of vegetables at our house. Because I try to eat mostly lower carb, I tend to avoid rice, pasta and potatoes. This means I add in more veggies for my recipes.
But I admit, sometimes they are boring. Using a flavorful marinade is a great way to add so much flavor to the ordinary vegetable. It is the best way to vary the flavors and want to eat more veggies. I will also make them into a main dish by adding some grilled chicken, pork or beef.
I've shared a few recipes that highlight marinated vegetables. Try my marinated asparagus, eggplant, mushrooms and mushroom salad, asparagus and carrots and grilled beets. They are all delicious and I'm sure you will love them!
Why this recipe is just so good....
- You can add so many different flavors to broccoli. Some favorite herbs that go well are garlic, ginger, cilantro, mint, oregano, parsley, thyme and tarragon.
- If you like a bit of crunch on your vegetables, sprinkle on some sunflower seeds or sesame seeds.
- It is a quick cooking vegetable with quick and easy prep time.
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this delicious Marinated Broccoli:
- lemon juice
- vinegar
- olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- red pepper flakes
- garlic powder
- fresh thyme and oregano sprigs (optional, not shown)
- fresh head of broccoli, cut into broccoli florets
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Broccoli - Choose organic broccoli from the grocery store if you can. Make sure the heads are dark green and pretty tightly closed. If they are yellowed or opening like a flower, choose another one. Also, look at the bottom of the stalk and see if it looks very dry and cracked or for any mold. Even though you may not use the stalk, freshness is important for the best flavor and texture.
Vinegar - you can use white vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar. If you use white or red, add an extra pinch of sugar in the marinade since the wine vinegar is a bit sweeter.
Red pepper flakes - I found using just a pinch in the marinated broccoli was more than enough extra spicy flavor. If you lean towards liking spicier foods, add an extra ¼ teaspoon.
How to make Marinated Broccoli
Stir together the marinade ingredients in a cup or small bowl.
Rinse and drain the broccoli and cut into approximately 2 inch florets. Place them in storage bag or large bowl.
Pour the remaining ingredients over the broccoli and keep refrigerated at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour.
Drain the broccoli mixture. Discard leftover marinade. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, adding 1 tablespoon oil. Spread the broccoli out in the pan in a single layer.
Stir fry the broccoli for 3-4 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water and cook another 3 minutes or so, depending on how crisp or tender you like to eat it.
Recipe Tips
- Taste the marinade before pouring over broccoli. You may like it a bit sweeter, add a teaspoon or two of sugar. If you want it spicier or prefer other seasonings, adjust as needed.
- For softer broccoli, add a bit more water and cover the frying pan for last 3 minutes or so. If you like it crisper, don't cover the pan.
- While we love the caramelized flavor from the seared and browned broccoli, not everyone does. Turn the flame to low heat if you prefer for the broccoli not to brown at all.
What to do with leftover broccoli
Leftover broccoli should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it in a skillet for a minutes or two over medium heat. You can also reheat in the microwave or on a baking tray in the oven.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat as above, no need to defrost. You will have to reheat a few minutes longer since there will be more liquid from being frozen.
Or you can use it for a marinated broccoli salad. Combine the broccoli with some sliced red onion and sliced red bell peppers. Add a bit of tangy dressing or a few squeezes of lemon juice from lemon wedges Serve it as a side salad or add some grilled chicken or fish as a main meal.
FAQ
The raw broccoli stalks are pretty tough and fibrous but they are edible and very healthy. The trick is to make sure they are sliced or chopped in small pieces so they aren't tough to eat.
Use a vegetable peeler and shave off some of the outer part of the stalk. Then there are so many ways to use it.Add finely chopped broccoli stalks in soups and vegetable slaw.
You can use very thinly sliced stalks in a stir fry or a salad. You can see how I use broccoli slaw with Kung Pao Pork.
Also cut off about ¼ inch of the bottom stalk. And then you can thinly slice the bottom into round "coin-like" shapes and roast in the oven.
I don't recommend marinating broccoli more than an hour, at the most. Any more than that and the broccoli tips will get soggy.
We eat broccoli at least once or twice a week and like to serve it with meats we have grilled. Some favorites are lemon pepper chicken, pork chops, and chicken Chesapeake, Buffalo chicken thighs or General Tso Meatballs.
If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!
MORE vegetable side dishes to try:
Marinated Broccoli
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Serve this marinated broccoli with your next dinner and you will love how delicious it is! A simple mixture of fresh or dried herbs and spices, olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar transforms this simple, basic vegetable into a very flavorful side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds broccoli, cut in 2 inch pieces (about 5 cups broccoli florets)
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil (5 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, finely minced or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3-4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a cup or bowl.
- Rinse and drain the broccoli. Cut into 2 inch florets, discarding the tougher stalk, if not using. *
- Place in a large plastic storage bag or medium bowl. Pour marinade over broccoli.
- Put in refrigerator and let the broccoli marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- When ready to cook, drain the marinade.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add one more tablespoon of oil and swirl in pan.
- Place broccoli in fry pan and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add some water and stir, cooking broccoli for another 3 minutes or so. If you don't like the broccoli to be browned, turn the flame down to low-medium.
- Use a fork and test broccoli for doneness. It should be crisp tender after a total cook time of 6 minutes or so. If you like it softer, cook 1-2 minutes longer.
- Serve with extra lemon wedges if you'd like.
Notes
*If you like vegetables to have a bit more spicy flavor, you can add an extra pinch of red pepper flakes.
*The stalks of broccoli can be used in many ways. I don't use them with the broccoli florets because they won't be done at the same time since they are tougher. Check out the broccoli stalk suggestions in my post above.
*You can also sprinkle some shaved parmesan over cooked broccoli.
*FYI - the nutrition information was calculated using only 2 tablespoons oil. Most of the marinad was leftover when it drained from the broccoli.
Leave a Reply