When my son Michael was a little boy, I had to share the sad news about a neighbor’s dog passing away and assured Michael the dog was in heaven. I explained the cause of death being that the dog had eaten something bad for him. Michael instantly asked, “Was it BROCCOLI?”
That sums up the status of broccoli at our house, even though I raved about it being a superfood for your pet. It packs the biggest nutritional punch of any vegetable. But of course, to benefit from broccoli’s super powers, it has to be consumed. And in my case, in order to be consumed, it has to be really delicious.
Read on for three of my most favorite broccoli recipes: a salad, a soup, and roasted with garlic.
Fresh Broccoli Salad
(6 servings)
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. vinegar
Recipe
- Combine broccoli, red onion, bacon and cranberries in a large bowl.
- Mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl.
- Pour over the broccoli and toss.
- Chill several hours.
Serves 6.
Click here to download Fresh Broccoli Salad recipe.
Creamy Broccoli Soup
(6 servings)
Ingredients:
- ¾ lb. broccoli
- ¼ lb. leeks
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup peeled diced potatoes
- 5 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt and Pepper
Recipe:
- Separate the stalks from the broccoli tops. Chop.
- Wash the leeks and cut off the tops. Chop only the white part and discard the green part.
- Sauté the chopped broccoli stalks and chopped leeks in the butter for about 3 minutes. Add broccoli tops and cook another 3 minutes.
- Add potatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Cook 20 minutes.
- Cool slightly. Puree in blender and return to soup pot.
- Stir in heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper.
Click here to download Creamy Broccoli Soup recipe.
Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
(6 servings)
Ingredients:
- Two bunches of broccoli
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
Recipe:
- Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil. Cut broccoli into spears and spread in pan.
- Mince garlic cloves. Combine the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Drizzle over the broccoli.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
Click here to download Roasted Broccoli with Garlic recipe.
In addition to being delicious, keep in mind the powerful health benefits of broccoli.
- Broccoli has an unusually strong combination of both vitamin A and vitamin K which keep our vitamin D metabolism in balance
- Broccoli has a strong positive impact on our body’s detoxification system
- Broccoli has unique anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Broccoli is also a major source of folic acid, fiber and calcium
Tell Me: What’s your favorite way to eat this popular vegetable?
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