20 Broccoli Rabe Recipes to Make While The Veggie Is in Season (2024)

FAQs

Is broccoli rabe a seasonal vegetable? ›

Seasonality. Rapini generally has two seasons — late fall and winter, for varieties planted in the late summer/early fall; and late spring/early summer, for varieties planted in the early spring. Cool weather, especially after a first frost, just makes it more delicious.

How Do You Reduce the Bitter Taste of Broccoli Rabe? The easiest way to rid broccoli rabe of some of its bitter flavor is by blanching it first. Just a quick dip in boiling water extracts enough of the bitterness and jumpstarts the cooking.

Don't chop too much: simply remove the bottom stem!

Chopping the broccoli rabe can cause the plant to become event more bitter. So remove just the very tough bottom stem only. Don't chop the leaves or florets!

The deliciously bitter stems, leaves, and nutty, broccoli-esque buds are all edible, easy to cook, and often sautéed, braised, and roasted in Italian dishes. Recipes like Cavatelli with Roasted Broccoli Rabe and Harissa and Broccoli Rabe Burgers show the vegetable's versatility.

Rapini or broccoli rabe (/rɑːb/) is a green cruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble broccoli, but do not form a large head. Rapini is known for its bitter taste, and is particularly associated with Mediterranean cuisine.

Arugula. Also known as rocket, roquette, and rucola, arugula is a tender, green leafy vegetable. It possesses the same peppery, spicy, nutty, and bitter flavor as broccoli rabe.

Trim ½ inch off the ends of the broccoli rabe. Prepare a large pot of salted boiling water and a large bowl of ice water. Drop the broccoli rabe into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes.

This green vegetable is highly nutritious; it's rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C, folate and potassium, and is a good source of dietary fiber. Look for broccoli rabe at your local farmers market or grocery co-op and bring home a new vegetable to try!

How to Freeze Broccoli Rabe. Place broccoli rabe into boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Then, plunge into ice water for 2 minutes. Pack dried broccoli rabe into Freezer Zipper bags.

Lastly, we have broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, which is not a broccoli derivative at all and is instead more closely related to the turnip. It's a bitter green, similar to a mustard green, with thin stalks, little buds, and lots and lots of leaves.

Can you eat the whole broccoli rabe plant? ›

Broccoli rabe can be cooked & eaten whole. stems from the leaves. Chop them into 2-inch bite-size pieces. The stems take longer to cook.

Store broccoli rabe in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Trim away the ends of the stems and any wilted leaves. If any of the stems are particularly thick or tough, they can be peeled with a vegetable peeler.

You can enjoy broccoli rabe either cooked or in its raw form, depending on your taste. Just keep in mind that the bitter taste may be more evident if you eat it raw. Broccoli rabe is widely used in Italian and Asian dishes and is typically either cooked or sauteed.

As with broccoli, the florets turn yellow as it ages, so yellow flowers are a sign that your bunch of broccoli rabe is past its prime. For extra insurance, give your stems the sniff test, and pass on any with an unpleasant smell (think off-putting cabbage aroma).

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook, uncovered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes depending on the size of the florets. Drain into a colander, transfer to a plate, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges.

Broccoli – Broccoli thrives in cooler weather and is frost tolerant, making it a wonderful winter garden option. It does require full sun and fertile, rich and moist soil. In general, broccoli can survive temperatures as low as 40°F, and some established plants may even be able to go as low as 25°F.

In the US, broccolini is grown in California during Summer and Arizona during Winter.

Broccoli rabe originated in the Mediterranean and China and today is grown throughout the world.

Broccoli is grown year-round in the coastal valleys, with a slight dip in December in both planting and harvest. In the San Joaquin Valley broccoli planting begins in mid- July and continues through December; however, most planting ends in October.