How to cut broccoli
Broccoli is one of those vegetables that can be used in so many dishes; fresh or cooked. It is great in salads, soups, incorporated in dishes, and even by itself as a side dish.
Not only is it delicious but also packed with lots of nutrients, vitamins, and a great source of fiber. We call them “little trees” aka florets in our house to get the kids to eat them.
When you are buying broccoli at the store you want to look at the stem and the heads. You are looking for a nice bright green “trunk” that isn’t dried out and, the florets should be dark green in color. These are good signs of a healthy head of broccoli.
Make sure there isn’t any mold on the florets or yellowing on the heads. Mold on broccoli will show up with white fuzzy spots. If there are one or two small spots, that is ok. You can cut those off and discard them.
If you are here, you must be wondering, how the heck do I cut this thing? It’s really easy and I am going to show you how to cut broccoli in a few steps below. Let’ jump into it.
How to Cut Broccoli Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli
Equipment
- chef knife
- pairing knife
- cutting board
How to cut broccoli
Broccoli florets are great on a vegetable platter with a little dipping sauce ( I love to use ranch) and adds a nice color to the platter as well.
You can choose to leave the stems a little longer or cut them short. Whichever your preference.
Cooked broccoli is great on its own and also as a side dish.
The doctors always say to “make sure you eat your greens”. Well, broccoli is a great option to get those greens in.
Throw it in your chicken dish, add it to your beef and rice or add a little butter, garlic, and salt and serve it as a side dish to your main course.
It is such a versatile vegetable to have on hand and great to eat so many different ways.
Ok so lets get into how to cut up this tree looking veggie.
1. Wash
You want to make sure to always wash your broccoli before you use it. Run it under cold water and make sure to rinse it upside down as well to rinse the florets also.
Give it a couple of good shakes over the sink to get some of the water out that might be trapped.
2. Cut into florets
Start by cutting all of the florets off by laying the broccoli head on your cutting board and simply cutting at the base of each floret where it is attached to the trunk.
The larger florets can be cut in half and if you want you can go ahead and cut the stems off if you want them shorter.
There are a lot of vitamins and minerals in the stems too, so I recommend leaving some of them so that none goes to waste.
Make sure that the florets are roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.
3. Cut up the stem (Optional)
You can use the stem as well. This part of the broccoli is great for making broccoli slaw! Cut off the irregularities and the bottom of the stump. Shred the rest of it as your base for your slaw.
You can also cut off four sides so that you end up with a rectangle. This makes it easier to cut into matchsticks which is great for stir-fry or maybe in a pasta dish or soup.
If you found this this how to easy then check out how to cut a bell pepper for your next stir-fry,
How to Cut broccoli (3 Simple Steps)
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli
Instructions
- Wash your head of broccoli under lukewarm to cold water. Make sure that you wash the underside as well so that you are rinsing in between the florets as well.Give it a few good shakes over the sink to get out all of the water and then pat it dry with a towel.If the florets are to thick you can wash them after you cut them.
- Cut the florets off by cutting at the base of each one where the stems meet the stalk. They will just fall off and leave you with just the bright green stalk.You can leave the stems long or cut them short depending on what you want for your dish. Some of the larger florets you will want to cut in half so that they cook evenly.
- If you plan to also you the stem "stalk" cut off about a 1/4 inch at the very bottom. Then cut four sides down the side, making it so that you have a rectangular-shaped stalk. You can shred this for making coleslaw, cut into matchsticks for a stirfry or dice it up and throw it in your fried rice.There are many different ways to use up the nutrient-packed stalk!
