Why yes you can make just about anything into a Korean banchan, including good ol' steamed broccoli. Just a few small upgrades and you get big, garlicky, toasty flavor in this easy Sesame Broccoli. Shall we?
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This was meant to be a simple weeknight steamed broccoli recipe — broccoli florets tossed into a pot of boiling water with some salt. But somehow we ended up throwing in garlic and sesame.
And guess what? After having this lightly crunchy broccoli that has that kind of umami that comes from sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds, we will never go back to basic broccoli. And honestly, if adding garlic and sesame to broccoli gets my nephews to eat more of the healthy stuff, I'm happy to make broccoli this way every time.
How to Make Sesame Broccoli
This recipe is so easy. This is a high-level how-to:
- Cut broccoli into florets first, then wash.
- Wash the florets. Like I always say about prepping vegetables, wash thoroughly, and in the case of broccoli, use a produce wash that helps remove some of the natural waxiness. This organic vege wash is my fav that I've been using for almost 10 years.
- Wash the florets. Oh did I mention "washing" twice? It's so important, I meant to.
- Blanch florets. Blanch the florets for no more than 1 minute for a satisfying crunch. Boil for longer if you really want the broccoli softer. Not me, but you do you.
- Toss with garlic, sesame oil, and crushed toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!
How Much Broccoli is 1 Pound?
Broccoli. There are a few different varieties of broccoli, and they're all delicious. The broccoli that we're most accustomed to seeing, big fluffy crown on a sturdy stalk, is what I usually use. Broccolini or baby broccoli, which have small crowns on longer, thinner stems usually sold bunched together, works great and doesn't event need to be cut or broken into florets. The one type I would make a special note of is "broccoli raab" or rapini, which is generally bitter (on purpose) and while you will love it, other people and kids may need some time to get used to the flavor!
Additional Ingredients Notes and Resources
- Sesame Oil. Use toasted, not regular, sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil is dark brown and is used as a finishing oil, not as a cooking oil. This is the Japanese brand that everyone and their mothers' have been using for years. You can usually find organic like this one in natural and higher end grocery stores.
- Sesame seeds. You can buy sesame seeds plain or toasted. Make sure the seeds are toasted. If they are not toasted, toss them in a hot, dry skillet over medium heat for about 90 seconds or until they are fragrant.
- Garlic and all other fresh herbs and produce from either the Santa Monica Farmers' Market on Wednesday, Mar Vista Farmers Market on Sunday, or Whole Foods Market when I can't find what I need at the farmers' market.
Cooking Tips and Tricks
- Crush the sesame seeds. Roasted sesame seeds are pretty great as is, but crushing them releases more of the toasty flavor. Use a mortar and pestle if you have one, otherwise a small blender does great work.
- Can you eat the broccoli stems? Yes! Don't be afraid to leave more of the broccoli stem on the florets than you're used to. The stem of the broccoli has almost the same nutritional value as the florets, so it's a waste not to eat it!
- Can you eat the broccoli stalk? Yes! In fact, you should even eat the thick center broccoli stalk! If you don't want to use the stalk with this recipe, peel and steam/blanch it right along with the florets then: finely dice it into broccoli "rice," puree it into soup, or blend it with garlic, lemon, olive oil, walnuts to make a super power pesto.
Tools and Equipment
- Chef's Knife—the only kitchen tool I will sell my soul for is a high-quality, extraordinarily sharp chef's knife, and this one is one of the the BEST. It's definitely on the pricier side, but I've had it for more than 10 years, so it earned its price!
- Extra Large Cutting Board
- Stainless Steel Pot with a long handle to make it easy to drain out
- Strainer
- Garlic press to make quick and easy work of mincing garlic
- Vegetable Wash—to really get down deep into those nooks and crannies. Even if your broccoli is organic!
- Mortar and Pestle. This white marble one is similar to the Magnus Lundstrom one I have, so pretty you have to keep it out on the counter to show it off!
- Mini Cordless Blender
Best Easy Vegetable Banchan Recipes
Sesame Broccoli Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli — about 5 cups of florets
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds crushed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt to a boil.
- Drop broccoli florets into boiling water and blanch for 1 minute.
- Drain broccoli. There is no need to shock in ice cold water since the cooking time is so short.
- Immediately toss the hot broccoli with minced garlic and ½ teaspoon salt so the heat from the broccoli takes a little bit of the edge off raw garlic.
- Drizzle broccoli with sesame oil and half the sesame seeds and toss until evenly coated.
- Transfer Sesame Broccoli to serving bowl. Garnish with remaining sesame seeds.
h says
divine. my whole body wants that food to come right out of the picture.
glutster says
dayum...must try to come here before its over.
Sarah J. Gim says
fell in love with the lavender almonds and then...
and then...
and then THIS RECIPE shows up on TasteSpotting!
lavender + love = destiny
Minister says
divine. my whole body wants that food to come right out of the picture.
+1
Sir Mix-A-Lot says
Not to hate here... but that dessert was STA-RATE ILL. Would've scored some real points if it actually HAD BEEN bacon.
KA ta def!
Diana says
Moo.
yasmin says
i am jealous! looks like an exceptional meal--and all veg...how rare. hope i can get myself there one day.
catty says
That strawberry is freakin' me out!! Otherwise everything else looks amazing. And awesome photos too - s90?!
djjewelz says
your food pr0n crotch shots are amazing.
marla {family fresh cooking} says
What an interesting menu. The lavender marconas look great as does most of these dishes. I too would have been icked by the muted strawberries. Red is their charm, beige is not.
Marchis says
Yeah, it's good, very useful, thanks :)
Anonymous says
1
Anonymous says
is that a ranking, like #1 best! or a review like 1/5 stars