Broccoli — season, tips, and recipes in Australia
Broccoli is a vegetables available in Queensland during April, May, June, July, August, September, peaking in June, July. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy broccoli, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Best grown through summer for winter harvest. Cooler temps make heads tighter and flavour sweeter.
How to pick a good one
Tight, dark green heads, no yellowing. Stalks are just as good: peel and slice them.
How to store it
Fridge in loose plastic bag, up to 5 days. Don't wash until cooking.
Goes well with
garlic: Garlic's glutamates amplify broccoli's mild savoury notes and add a flavour depth that makes plain broccoli taste complete. The most useful thing you can do to broccoli.
chilli: Chilli's heat makes broccoli's mild bitterness more interesting rather than just more bitter. A standard pairing in Chinese stir-frying for this reason.
anchovy: Anchovy's intense savoury intensity disappears into a broccoli dish while making everything taste more savoury. Used in pasta with broccoli and breadcrumbs across southern Italy.
lemon: Acid brightens broccoli's green flavour and makes the colour more vivid. A squeeze of lemon after cooking is the difference between broccoli that tastes steamed and broccoli that tastes finished.
parmesan: Parmesan's umami and salt amplify broccoli's mild savoury notes. The combination is used across pasta, grain dishes, and gratins because it consistently makes broccoli more palatable.
Recipes
Charred Broccoli with Chilli & Garlic
Not steamed. Not boring.
Ingredients: 1 head broccoli, 2 cloves garlic (sliced), 1 tbsp olive oil, pinch chilli flakes, squeeze lemon, salt
Method: Cut broccoli into florets (slice stalk too). Toss with oil. Cook in hot pan without stirring for 4 min until charred underneath. Add garlic, chilli. Cook 1 more min. Squeeze lemon.
Broccoli & Cheddar Soup
Comfort food. 20 minutes.
Ingredients: 1 head broccoli, 1 onion, 1 potato, 800ml stock, 100g cheddar, salt, pepper
Method: Sweat onion. Add chopped broccoli, potato, stock. Simmer 15 min. Blend. Stir in grated cheese. Season.
Sesame Broccoli
Side dish. 5 minutes.
Ingredients: 1 head broccoli, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sesame seeds, 1 clove garlic
Method: Steam or blanch broccoli 3 min until bright green. Toss with soy, sesame oil, minced garlic. Sprinkle sesame seeds.
Nutrition
One cup of cooked broccoli provides 135% of your daily vitamin C, 115% of your vitamin K, 15% of your folate, and 5g of fibre. Contains sulforaphane, a compound with the strongest evidence of any food-derived molecule for anti-cancer properties. About 55 calories per cup. Broccoli is arguably the single most nutritious common vegetable.