Broccoli doesn’t have to be boring – dress up your steamed broccoli with buttery lemon juice and sweet basil. Lemon Basil Broccoli is such a great side dish for so many entrees, so let’s mix it up a bit and take the boring out.
Steamed broccoli is a super common side dish in my house. It’s easy to cook, tastes great, and it’s healthy. Once in a while, though, it’s nice to mix up the flavors. Lemon Basil Broccoli does just that.
How to make steamed broccoli
Place a silver steaming basket into a pot with about an inch or so of water in it. Once the basket is in the pot, you should be able to see the water on the bottom of the basket. Turn the heat on under the pot and bring your water to a gentle boil. Meanwhile, wash your broccoli and cut into florets. On a side note, my mom use to call these “little trees,” probably so we’d be more likely to eat them. Anyway, add your florets to the basket and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low. All you want the water to do is gently boil, or simmer, so that the steam does all the work.
Turning it into Lemon Basil Broccoli
While your broccoli is steaming, melt your butter and pour it into the bottom of your serving bowl. Add the lemon juice and basil to the melted butter. Once the broccoli is done steaming, add the broccoli to the melted butter and gently stir to evenly coat all of your little trees.
How do you know when the broccoli is done?
Stick it with a fork; if it’s still hard, let it steam longer, but if your fork slides right through, it might be over-done. You want the fork to enter the broccoli stem, so that you can eat it off your plate using a fork, but you also want it soft enough to eat. This is called crisp-tender. Depending on the size of your florets, 10 minutes is a safe starting place.
Can I use fresh basil instead of dried?
Definitely, I love fresh herbs, but don’t always have them on hand. The rule of thumb with herbs is that dried herbs are more potent, so you need less of them than fresh. Basically, 1 tsp. of a dried herbs is equal to 1 Tbsp. of fresh, (or 3 times as much, since 3 tsp. = 1 Tbsp.). So, for this recipe, it calls for 1/2 tsp. of dried basil, or triple that for 1 1/2 tsp. of fresh basil.
Lemon Basil Broccoli
Materials
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Steam broccoli in steamer basket for approx. 10 minutes or until crisp-tender.
- Meanwhile, in serving bowl, mix melted butter with basil and lemon juice.
- Add cooked broccoli to bowl and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Nutrition
Try this Lemon Basil Broccoli with my Really Good Turkey Meatloaf for a delicious and healthy dinner. If you’re staying on the healthy and/or low-calories side, but still want dessert, try my Skinny Dark Chocolate Cake with only 187 calories per piece.
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