Dear broccoli, let’s be friends.

Make nice with this cruciferous gem if you haven’t or don’t regularly.  Your body will thank you!  So first things first: a disclaimer of which I’m not proud.  I don’t like the taste of broccoli.  Gasp!  But I don’t!  I find it to be overly strong in flavor that I don’t much like, and I don’t enjoy munching on the leaves of this little tree.  I’m not a “texture person” but it’s a texture thing I guess.  In case you’re like me, this blog is for YOU!  I have a simple and tasty recipe that may just make you a convert.  First let’s get aligned on WHY YOU SHOULD EAT IT often.

Key nutritional benefits include:

Vitamin C to aid iron absorption, prevent cataracts, and fight cold symptoms

Vitamins A and K in such a combination as to help keep our vitamin D metabolism in balance, critical given how many of us are vitamin D deficient!

Folic acid to sustain normal tissue growth, especially in pregnant mammas

Calcium (stock up, dairy-free friends!) 

Both soluble and insoluble fiber to strengthen that GI tract that serves you every day

More importantly, broccoli has big time cancer prevention and cancer fighting ability.  Like its cruciferous counterparts, broccoli contains an active phytochemical called sulforaphane.  Technically, broccoli contains a phytochemical (isothiocyanate) from which another can be isolated (sulforaphane), and it’s the latter that increases the activity of enzymes that trample cancer-causing stuff in our bodies. I think.  The doctors out there might correct me.  But anyway, it’s a good thing!  

Some sources for those of you interested in reading more are here.  Note that there are more than 300 studies out there linking broccoli to cancer.  It is thought to interrupt cell division and produce cell death (a good thing if we're talking about cancer cells), in addition to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and detoxification properties.  If you’re interested in learning more about the science, click here or here for some articles.  Click here for a study from Oregon State or here for one from Johns Hopkins to see just a quick sample of what’s out there on broccoli and cancer. 

As if the above isn’t plenty of reason to partake regularly in these small green trees, it may also have beneficial impacts on cardiovascular disease and aging.  What a show off this little vegetable is.

One last important note before I get to the recipes: overcooking broccoli will kill the sulforaphane (the good stuff you don't want to kill).  A rule of thumb we use is to steam or sauté it for no longer than 4 minutes.  Don’t boil it unless you’re going to drink the water.  If you can stomach it, go raw.  But for some, the high amount of cellulose and insoluble fiber makes it harder to digest, in which case, give it a little warmth, just not too much!

Broccoli spinach pureed soup

We adapted this one from Whole Living Magazine 

Makes 2 big servings

½ Tbsp canola oil

½ leek, white parts, sliced thinly

2 gloves garlic, minced

2 c. vegetable broth

½ bunch broccoli (3 cups), chopped

3 oz fresh baby spinach

1 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste, you can find it in most grocery stores)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add leek and garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.  Add broth, bring to a boil.
2. Add broccoli and cook, covered, 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in spinach and tahini, and let cool slightly.
3. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. 
4. Pour back into the pan, add a dash of salt and pepper to taste if you prefer, and stir until it's combined.  

Remember, we're looking to avoid overcooking the broccoli, so this is NOT the soup to let simmer on the stove for an hour.  Mushy broccoli = not so beneficial.

Enjoy!