Don't leave the store without brassicas this spring! Use these cooking tips to enjoy crucifers in all their nutrient-dense glory.
Broccoli
Italian for “cabbage sprout,” this staple green vegetable offers ample vitamin C, riboflavin, and calcium.
How to cook: Though the florets are delicious when lightly steamed, don’t forget to eat the stalks, which have a mild flavor and succulent texture. First peel the tough outer layer, thinly slice, and bake or sauté until tender. If you grow broccoli in your garden, you can also eat the leaves; simply cook like collard greens.
Broccoli raab
Also called rapini, rabe, or broccoletti di rape, this pungent brassica contains tiny, broccoli-like buds scattered throughout thin, leafy stalks; every part is edible. Plus, just ½ cup provides liberal doses of vitamin A, C, K, and folate.
How to cook: Incorporate chopped, sautéed broccoli raab into your favorite pasta dish; it also pairs beautifully with sun-dried tomatoes and caramelized onions.
Cauliflower
It’s hard to believe that 1 cup of this knobby white vegetable contains 77 percent of your daily vitamin C requirements and 20 percent of your daily blood-supporting vitamin K needs.
How to cook: Terrific when roasted in your home oven, cauliflower now also appears as the prime, unexpected ingredient in gluten-free, grain-free pizza crust.
Try: Absolutely Gluten Free Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Kale
This trendy leafy green is famous for an exceptionally high ANDI score, which measures nutrient density; it’s packed with folic acid, calcium, iron, and vitamin A.
How to cook: Temper kale’s bitter cabbage flavor by lightly sautéing in olive oil, slivered garlic, and lemon juice for an elegant side dish. To enjoy it raw, finely chop or slice leaves and massage with toasted sesame oil. Or eat it as chips!
Try: Brad’s Raw Leafy Kale: Nacho
