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How to cook long-stem broccoli

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How to cook long-stem broccoli

Name: How to cook long-stem broccoli
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 400g long-stem broccoli; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or melted butter or more if you like

Lulu Grimes

Published: October 16, 2026 at 1:16 PM

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Serves 4

Easy

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 10 mins

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Learn how to prepare and cook long-stem broccoli with this simple recipe – we've focused on cooking in a pan but also included other methods below

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Long-stem broccoli varieties can all be cooked in similar ways. They are tender enough to be eaten raw in salads and benefit from being cooked quickly to keep their colour, texture and more delicate flavour (they are hybrids of broccoli and gai lan, or Chinese broccoli, so slightly sweeter than the standard type).

What is the best way to cook long-stem broccoli?

You shouldn’t have to do any more than trim the ends to prep this veg, then it can be cooked in any of the following ways:

Steam it in a steamer for 2-3 mins
Simmer in a small amount of water for 3-4 mins (don’t fiercely boil it as you may overcook it)
Pan-fry it in olive oil to add an extra burst of flavour
Stir-fry in a small amount of flavourless oil with garlic for 2 mins
Griddle on all sides to add char marks and a smoky flavour
Roast in the meat juices of a joint for the final 10 mins
Dip in tempura batter and deep-fry

Lulu's tip for prepping ahead

You can cook the broccoli ahead if you like – a batch will last three days in the fridge and can be used with dinner or added to a packed lunch. Reheat quickly in a pan with a little boiling water or microwave when you want to eat it.

Ingredients

400g long-stem broccoli
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or melted butter

or more if you like

Keep the screen awake with cook mode on the Good Food app.

Method

step 1

Trim the ends of the broccoli spears and cut any long ones into lengths. Put a little water into a pan and bring it to a boil.
step 2

Put the broccoli into the pan, cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 mins or until you can pierce the stem easily with a sharp knife. Drain well and steam dry in the pan for 30 secs. Add the olive oil or butter, toss together and tip onto a serving plate or serve onto plates of food.

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