Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that broccoli is a superfood.

As a cruciferous vegetable, broccoli is high in fibre, vitamin C, iron, potassium, and vitamin K. But it’s not always easy to enjoy things that we know are good for us.

How it’s prepared can make all the difference to its taste, and mushy and overcooked can be easily avoided.

These three easy ways to cook broccoli each provide a completely different taste experience!

What are the benefits of broccoli?

When you purchase your broccoli it should be an even deep green in colour with no brown spots.

With all its long list of nutrients and minerals, its high level of fibre can help you feel fuller for longer and also support blood sugar levels to help keep your energy levels up.

It’s also been shown that naturally occurring compounds in broccoli act like detoxifiers, to help clear out the toxins from our body.

What’s not to love about this beautiful mini tree-shaped vegetable!

3 Ways to cook broccoli

You can change the taste of broccoli with the seasoning and the style of cooking. Cooking it as little as possible has been recommended to be the best way to eat it to prevent the loss of nutrients. Here are three easy ways you can cook broccoli.

Sauteing

Pop the florets into a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Leave to soak for a few minutes to take the rawness out. Then pop on a griddle to sauté with a bit of seasoning (we’ll often add some chilli flakes) for around 5 minutes. Makes for a great side dish or addition to salads.

Roasting

Put the florets on a baking tray with a little bit of olive oil and seasoning of choice and roast in the oven at 180 degrees for around 20 minutes (until browning slightly).

Boiled broccoli (blanching)

Popping the florets into rapidly boiling water for a few minutes can take out that raw crunch but keeps them firm. Boiling them for too long can cause the florets to be mushy and you’ll lose some of the essential nutrients.

If you love a smoothie, adding broccoli can be another great way to include this amazing superfood into your diet.