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Sous Vide Broccoli is the best way to prepare your broccoli! If you’ve ever struggled with overcooked and mushy broccoli, you’ll want to try cooking it in a sous vide!
It’s tender, vibrant and packed with nutrients. Like these sous vide carrots we're also in love with.
Don’t get me wrong! I still love broccoli prepared in other ways. This Instant Pot broccoli has a lemon butter sauce that’s just incredible, and this roasted frozen broccoli makes a perfect last minute side dish, as well as this ultra easy air fryer broccoli.
But when it comes to this sous vide recipe, I love how it locks in broccoli’s nutrients. Since it cooks in a sealed bag, there’s nowhere for the nutrients to escape, making this broccoli one healthy side dish!
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Try these other sous vide vegetables!
And ultra, ultra easy to make, which is also a plus!
You should also try this sous vide asparagus - it's basically poached in butter and just delicious!
What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.
Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.
To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."
What is the Water Displacement Method?
The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).
Use a clip (I use sous vide magnets) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.
Tools Used
You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!
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Other sous vide recipes to try
Why this recipe works
- The sous vide cooking method allows you to cook food in a water bath with a controlled temperature, so you don’t have to worry about overcooking your broccoli. The days of limp and mushy broccoli are over!
- It’s a super easy side dish for busy weeknights. The broccoli requires just five ingredients and very little prep time. You can even cook it in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer.
- The sous vide method actually locks in the nutrients of the broccoli, so it maintains its vibrant green color and nutritional benefits!
Ingredients
You’ll need 12 ounces of fresh broccoli for this recipe. I used pre-cut broccoli florets because it's super convenient, but you can also buy a head of broccoli and chop it into florets. Whatever you choose, make sure the broccoli is deep green in color and doesn’t have any brown or yellow spots on it.
The broccoli is tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon zest before getting sealed up in the vacuum seal bag. For the best flavor, make sure you’re using a good quality olive oil. You can also substitute butter for some extra richness.
We love to serve this broccoli with freshly squeezed lemon juice. I don’t recommend the bottled juice as it just doesn’t have the same flavor.
Besides, you’re using lemon zest for the broccoli, so you might as well juice the lemon to reduce any waste!
Step by step instructions
Place the broccoli in a bowl with the olive oil, pepper, lemon zest and salt and toss to coat the broccoli.
Place it in a vacuum seal bag and vacuum seal to remove the air. (Or use the water displacement method referenced above).
Heat a water bath to 185F degrees and cook the broccoli for 45 minutes.
Remove the bag from the water and place immediately in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
Remove the broccoli from the bag and serve with fresh lemon juice and additional salt to taste, if necessary.
Expert tips
- If the bag fills with air before the broccoli is cooked, just cut open the bag and reseal it with the vacuum sealer.
- If the bag floats, weigh it down with something heavy or drape a wet towel over the top.
- For the best results, use a good quality olive oil for the broccoli. You can also substitute butter, if you prefer.
- To ensure even cooking, try to arrange the broccoli in a single layer, as much as possible, in the vacuum sealed bag.
Common questions
For the best results, set your water bath to 185F degrees.
In a 185F degree water bath, broccoli will be ready in 45 minutes. If you prefer your broccoli firmer, you may wish to reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes.
If you cook the broccoli for longer than 45 minutes, it may start to get mushy. The same could happen if you set your water bath to a higher temperature without reducing the cooking time.
It’s not completely necessary, but I prefer to do it to stop the cooking process. This helps keep broccoli’s bright green color and tender texture.
Absolutely! We love a simple seasoning of salt, pepper and lemon, but you can also add garlic powder, which pairs nicely with lemon. Or for some heat, you can add some crushed red pepper flakes. For an extra tangy flavor, you can also top the broccoli with crumbled feta or goat cheese just before serving.
Make ahead and freezing instructions
You can make sous vide broccoli in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer. This makes it perfect for meal prep!
To do this, follow the recipe instructions up to the ice bath and let the broccoli fully cool in the bath. Place the bag of broccoli in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, place the bag of broccoli in a 150F degree water bath for 5 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat in the microwave, but just use 20 seconds at a time to avoid overcooking.
Make it a meal
Sous vide broccoli is a versatile side dish. Here are a few recipes we love to pair it with:
- Pan Roasted Grapefruit Chicken Thighs
- Buttery Roasted Turkey Thighs
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Instant Pot Wild Rice
- Spicy Braised Green Beans
If you love this recipe, leave a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Sous Vide Broccoli
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli fresh
- 1 tablespoon olive oil good quality
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- fresh lemon juice for serving
Instructions
- Place the broccoli in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon zest and toss to coat the broccoli.
- Place a in vacuum seal bag and vacuum seal to remove the air (or use the water displacement method).
- Heat a water bath to 185F degrees and cook the broccoli for 45 minutes.
- Remove the bag from the water and place immediately in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Remove the broccoli from the bag and serve with fresh lemon juice and additional salt to taste, if necessary.
Expert Tips:
- If the bag fills with air before the broccoli is cooked, just cut open the bag and reseal it with the vacuum sealer.
- If the bag floats, weigh it down with something heavy or drape a wet towel over the top.
- For the best results, use a good quality olive oil for the broccoli. You can also substitute butter, if you prefer.
- To ensure even cooking, try to arrange the broccoli in a single layer, as much as possible, in the vacuum sealed bag.
- The broccoli can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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To reheat the broccoli, place it in a 150F degree water bath for 5 minutes. You can also reheat it in the microwave, but just use 20 seconds at a time to avoid overcooking.
Nutrition
Henry
When you give the broccoli an ice bath, does that also mean it gets cold and needs to be reheated before serving?
Danielle
If you leave it in the whole time, it will cool it all the way down. If you're going to eat it right away, you can actually skip the ice bath and serve straight from the bag.
Henry
Thank you.
Helen
Wow - love the sous vide but would not have thought to use it for veggies like this. Thanks for the recipe!
Danielle
You're welcome!
Katherine
This is the perfect recipe to get started with sous vide cooking. Thanks for the detailed explanations!
Danielle
You're welcome Kate!
Mandy
Wow! I consider myself still to be very new to cooking and I was excited to try making broccoli after hard boiling some eggs and making cold brew coffee successfully with sous vide. Am I ever impressed! I didn't have any lemon on hand, and the olive oil I used was a "spicy calabrian pesto infused olive oil". I also added a pad of butter and salt and pepper as suggested... Thank you so much for making this really easy for me, I've fallen in love with broccoli again. I can't wait to try other recipes that you've published.
Danielle
I'm so glad you liked it! We love how easy it is and how perfect the broccoli comes out 🙂
Pam Greer
I had no idea you could sous vide broccoli!! Now I can make my side dish, while I'm making the main dish!
Danielle
Totally!
Gina
My usual go to for broccoli is roasting it but this sous vide approach definitely comes out amazing! Love the fresh lemon zest for brightness!
Danielle
The lemon makes it so nice and fresh 🙂
Anaiah
Ok, you weren't lying.. this is definitely the best way to cook broccoli! It still had a crunch to it and was seasoned so perfectly, even my little picky eater enjoyed it.
Danielle
That's awesome!