Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli is a delicious and easy side dish that goes with pretty much everything. A little lemon for some fresh flavour, the tenderstem broccoli goes nice and crispy in the oven and is a tasty way to get some extra greens in your diet.
We love broccoli, but we love tenderstem broccoli even more. Not only does it just look a little bit fancier (sorry regular broccoli, no disrespect), but the texture is so much better. It's more, well, tender. Whilst we do love adding it to stir fries or pasta dishes, we love the crispiness you get from roasting it.
Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli is our new favourite side dish. It adds some vibrant green to any dish and can take a plain grilled chicken or salmon dinner up a level. You know what, we would happily just snack on this too. The crispiness would make it a delicious healthier alternative to crisps.
Looking for some other delicious ways to use broccoli? Why not try our Crispy Roasted Broccoli, Broccoli Pasta Bake, Air Fryer Broccoli, Microwave Broccoli, Broccoli Cheese or Quick Broccoli Pasta.
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Why You Will Love It
- A delicious side dish - We can never have too many side dish recipes and this is one of our favourites. It's so simple, with its light and fresh flavours, that is goes with almost everything.
- A new way to eat broccoli - We love broccoli, but we can get a little bored with having it the same way all the time. This is a good way to mix things up.
- Easy - This is such a simple side dish to make, as there is minimal prep involved. You just mix everything together and put it in the oven to get nice and crispy.
- Kids love it - If you struggle to get your kids to eat vegetables, then give this roasted tenderstem broccoli a try. The fact that you can hold it to eat it is part of the appeal, and I find that roasted vegetables always go down well with kids.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Tenderstem broccoli - The star of the dish. We usually find it in packets near the green beans in our supermarket, but it might be near the regular broccoli in your shop. It is sometimes called broccolini.
- Lemon - We thinks this adds a lovely freshness to the broccoli.
- Oil - We used a really good quality olive oil.
- Salt and pepper - This roasted tenderstem broccoli needs to be really well seasoned.
Variations
You can use this recipe as a base and then get creative with your favourite flavours. We love adding garlic to this and we would recommend using garlic powder rather than fresh garlic, as that can burn in the oven.
Cheese makes everything better, right? A few minutes before it is finished cooking, grate some parmesan over the top and then put it back in the oven to crisp up. If you are planning on making these just for snacking, then we would definitely recommend this step.
What a bit of a spicy twist? We love a mixture of cayenne and smoked paprika to give it a kick. You could also add a sprinkling of red chilli flakes before serving.
Step by Step
One: Put the tenderstem broccoli on the baking tray and drizzle with oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper and mix well.
Two: Put in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 12 minutes, or until tender.
Health Benefits of Broccoli
Superfood is a bit of a buzz food that is thrown around, but there is no denying that broccoli is nutrient dense. It's a great source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6 and K, as well as iron, zinc and fibre, which can support digestive health.
Did you know that broccoli is also a good source of protein, although an incomplete one?
What to Serve with Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
This is such a versatile side dish. Whether you are serving it with meat, fish, or just extra vegetables - it goes with almost everything. We love it as a roast dinner side, but here are some of our other favourite meal dishes to serve it with:
Extra Tips
- If you have some really thick stems of broccoli in the packet, we would recommend slicing them in half lengthways to ensure that they really are tender when roasted. Otherwise they might be a bit hard to bite through.
- If you want to make these look a little fancier when serving, then add a sprinkling of pine nuts for some added crunch.
- Add a kick of heat by finishing the dish off with a sprinkling or red chilli flakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
You have probably seen it in the supermarket, but always wondered what it is and how it differs from regular broccoli. Tenderstem broccoli is a hybrid of Chinese kale and broccoli which was first introduced in Japan in 1993. So, if you love kale and broccoli, then chances are this is for you! Although the majority of tenderstem broccoli was grown abroad, a large percentage is grown in the UK and it is in season from June to November.
Yes, this is a delicious and healthy side dish. We have listed the health benefits of broccoli above and this is a wonderful way to bulk our a meal with plenty of nutrients.
Yes, if you can't find tenderstem broccoli, then you can use a regular head of broccoli will work. Just make sure to leave as much of the stem on as possible and cut them thin lengthways so they still get tender in the oven.
We suggest always making this fresh and luckily it is so quick and easy to do. However, if you do have leftovers then they can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can either reheat them in the microwave (covered) for a minute, or put them in the oven for 5-10 minutes to heat through.
Yes, you can mix everything together and then keep it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it in the oven. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if it is coming straight out of the fridge.
More Side Dish Recipes
If you’ve tried this roasted tenderstem broccoli recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
Ingredients
- 320 g (11 oz) Tenderstem broccoli
- 1 Lemon
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6
- Put the tenderstem broccoli on the baking tray and drizzle with oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper and mix well.
- Put into the oven for 12 minutes, or until tender.
Recipe Tips
- If you have some really thick stems of broccoli in the packet, we would recommend slicing them in half lengthways to ensure that they really are tender when roasted. Otherwise they might be a bit hard to bite through.
- If you want to make these look a little fancier when serving, then add a sprinkling of pine nuts for some added crunch.
- Add a kick of heat by finishing the dish off with a sprinkling or red chilli flakes.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Toni says
This is so good! My kids love broccoli and this is really perfect! Thanks!
Heather Johnson says
never heard it called tenderstem - always just heard broccolini - it's hard to find but it's my favorite - i just made this with regular broccoli and it was just as delicious!!!!
Emily Flint says
This broccoli was so easy to make. I served this as a side and everyone ate it all up. You know it's a good recipe when your 5 year old likes it, LOL.
Alisa Infanti says
This is such a delicious side dish and goes well with so many things!
Louise Cayzer says
So yummy! I love broccoli and roasting in the oven gives it a whole new dimension of flavour!
Mindee Taylor says
I've never tried tenderstem broccoli before. This recipe turned out to be a delicious hit!
Beth says
This is one of our favorite side dishes! So delicious and flavorful. Perfect for to go with tonight’s dinner! Can’t wait to make this again!
Aimee Mars says
I've always struggled with preparing tender stem broccoli, but this recipe makes it so easy! I can't wait to try this out and it's going on next week's meal plan asap!
Katherine says
I love roasted tenderstem broccoli. Especially when the flowers get all lovely and crispy!
Anjali says
I love roasted broccoli and this recipe turned out to be the perfect side dish for our dinner tonight! We added some crushed red pepper flakes like you suggested (for some extra heat) and it tasted great!
Rachna says
Such an easy recipe. I love roasted veggies. Will be trying out this recipe soon.
Toni says
I really love how easy it is to make! Such an amazing side dish!
Tavo says
This is the perfect side dish! They call them here in Italy Broccolinis, they are so easy to make and super tasty!
Gina says
I buy broccoli every week and always love when this variety is in the store. The stems are my favorite part and roasting it like this is the perfect easy method!
Krissy Allori says
This has become our favorite dinner side dish. So easy to make!