How to Roast Broccoli

Making perfect roasted broccoli couldn’t be easier! Here’s what you need to do:

• • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • While the oven warms, break a head of broccoli into evenly sized florets. Spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer.
  • Toss the broccoli florets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put them in the hot oven and bake for 15 to 22 minutes, until the florets are browned and crisp around the edges.

That’s it- so simple!  You can also roast lemon halves along with the broccoli. Right when they come out of the oven, squeeze the roasted lemon juice over the florets. Add a little more salt or seasonings you prefer. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Easy Roasted Broccoli Recipe Tips

• • Wash AND dry your veggies. After you wash your head of broccoli, make sure to dry it off before you toss it with the oil. A little moisture is ok, but if it’s too wet when it goes in the oven, it won’t get brown and crisp.
  • Use salt generously. No one likes bland broccoli, so salt yours generously. Sprinkle with sea salt before roasting and then add more, to taste, after it comes out of the oven.
  • Cut your florets to a similar size. Similar-sized pieces will cook at a similar rate, so make sure your florets are all about the same size. You don’t want little ones to burn before larger ones become tender!
  • Don’t let things get too crowded! If the florets are too close together on the sheet pan, they will steam in the oven, and they won’t get brown and crisp. Make sure to spread your florets in an even layer with a little space between each one.
  • Don’t toss the stalk! Chop it and roast it right along with the florets, save it to make soup.

Oven Roasted Broccoli Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to serve oven-roasted broccoli is with a big squeeze of lemon juice and parsley. But your options are only limited by your imagination. Here are a few more great ways to dress up this simple side dish:

• • Toss it with chopped fresh herbs like parsley, dill, or thyme.
  • Sprinkle it with lemon zest and toss it with a simple lemon vinaigrette.
  • Lightly coat with sesame oil and tamari or soy sauce and sprinkle it with toasted sesame seeds.
  • Sprinkle florets with grated Parmesan cheese and minced garlic in the final two minutes of baking. Bake for 2 more minutes or so, until the broccoli is crisp and the cheese is melted.
  • Make it a meal on its own! Add it to my easy pasta salad, or cherry tomato couscous, or beet green salad.
  • or pile it onto a DIY grain bowl with one of the sauces from above, a grain, and a protein.