To prepare steamed broccoli, maintain a tender crispness with bright green color. Use a vegetable steamer or a deep pot with low water level. Steam for 5-7 minutes, checking every couple of minutes. Add toppings like butter, salt, pepper, cheese sauce, lemon juice, or slivered almonds.
The most important thing to remember when preparing steamed broccoli is to maintain a tender crispness in the cooked vegetables. The color should be bright green and the texture tender, but with a crisp crispness. A soggy texture and dull avocado green color is unappealing in broccoli, and both should be avoided when steaming this vegetable. Broccoli can be made in a pot with a lid and a vegetable steamer can be used inside the pot.
Broccoli florets and sliced stems should be placed inside the steamer if using. Water should be added to the pot until it just reaches beyond the base of the steamer. If a steamer is not being used, the fresh broccoli chunks should be added directly to the pot. Any water that reaches less than half of the broccoli pieces should be poured into the pot. The best pot to use when preparing steamed broccoli is a deep one to allow the steam to build up between the top of the vegetable and the underside of the lid.
It’s important not to use too much water when steaming broccoli. If too much water is used in the pot, the result becomes a boiled rather than steamed vegetable. Because the water level needs to be so low, it’s crucial not to leave the steamed broccoli unattended. The water should be brought to a boil over high heat, with the stove burner then turned down to medium so that the water from the broccoli simmers slowly. The lid can be lifted from time to time to check the water level to prevent the dry pot from boiling, which may cause a fire.
To promote even steaming, the broccoli florets and stem pieces should be the same size. The stems of broccoli can be delicious when steamed, but they need to be cut thin enough so they can cook at the same time as the florets. How long the steamed broccoli takes will depend on the size of the vegetable pieces. Typically, the time will be between five and seven minutes, but the broccoli should be checked every couple of minutes. A great way to check for tender freshness, as well as seeing a bright green color, is to try piercing a few stems and flower pieces with a fork to see if the tines get into the broccoli without much resistance.
While some people like steamed broccoli without adding anything, others prefer to add butter, salt and pepper. Many people, including children who might otherwise not want to eat vegetables, like to add steamed vegetables with a cheesy sauce. Lemon juice and slivered almonds are other toppings to consider after steaming broccoli.
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