Here's How Long To Boil Broccoli For An Al Dente Bite

That childhood stereotype of hating to eat your veggies usually comes from a history of improper cooking. When I think of America's favorite vegetable, I think of endless possibilities to turn it into a delicious meal: roasting it in the oven until the tips get charred and crispy; cutting it up into a broccoli salad with cranberries, sunflower seeds, and creamy dressing; or even just steaming it and simply tossing it with garlic, oil, and lemon.

This is the total opposite of my old, immature opinions on broccoli, which would connote thoughts of squishy stalks, boiled until the green almost turned a dull gray, with a pungently sulfuric (Read: farty) smell.

The cooking time for properly stored fresh broccoli is a fine line that makes all the difference in the final taste, which is why you should only boil broccoli for about five minutes for the perfect al dente bite. Although boiling broccoli might not seem like the most exciting way to prepare the cruciferous vegetable, it can be delicious when prepared correctly. This will leave you with crisp-tender florets that glow with a vibrant green, and have a mild flavor that can be utilized in dozens of different dishes.

To start, bring a large pot of water up to a boil while you prepare your broccoli. Taking the head of broccoli, start cutting off florets by turning the head upside down so the green tufted top is on the cutting board — and use a paring knife to cut through the stalks connecting to the root stem in the middle. This will avoid cutting through the tops and leaving you with a mess of broccoli buds on the countertop.

Once your florets are prepped and your water is up to a boil, you are ready to cook. Season the water with a good amount of salt — as if you were seasoning pasta water — and drop the broccoli in the pot. You should only cook your broccoli for around five minutes depending on the size of your florets, taking off a minute or two for smaller cuts and adding a minute for big ones. I like to start checking my broccoli once the green color turns bright and vibrant by sticking a fork or a pointed steak knife into one of the thicker stalk pieces. You should be able to pierce the broccoli with a little resistance, but it should fall off your utensil easily.

From here you can serve your perfectly al dente broccoli as is (or add it to a broccoli quiche), but if you are cooking your broccoli for later use you can plunge the hot broccoli into an ice bath to stop the cooking and keep the color. If I am preparing broccoli alongside pasta, I like to take a shortcut and simply put the broccoli in the same pot as the spaghetti and fish it out with a slotted spoon when cooked.