Incredibly simple and deliciously satisfying sautéed broccoli is great to make as a healthy side or main. My easy recipe is vegetarian and vegan-friendly, and perfect for adding hearty potatoes or other extras to enjoy as an even more filling dish.
About This Recipe
Simple and delicious sautéed broccoli is one of my favorite healthy side dishes. It’s so easy to make with just a few ingredients, and is loaded with healthful nutrients like fiber and vitamins.
Plus, broccoli is great to cook with hearty extras – I include chopped potatoes in this sautéed broccoli recipe for an even more filling and tasty dish. It is satisfying enough to enjoy alone for a vegetarian lunch or dinner, or pairs great with nearly any main dish.
Follow my step-by-step instructions with photos to make sautéed broccoli with potatoes tonight, and I’m sure it will be one of your most loved go-to veggie recipes, too!
Step-by-Step Guide
How to Make Sautéed Broccoli
Prep the Fresh Broccoli, Potatoes, and Garlic
1. Remove and chop the broccoli florets from the head. Rinse them in water for a minute or so, and drain. Then peel, rinse and chop the potatoes into ½ to 1 inch cubes. Peel and mince the garlic finely.
2. Now this step is optional. I usually blanch fresh broccoli by plunging in a pot of hot water for about 2 minutes, and the placing in a cold ice bath for a minute to stop the cooking process.
This helps the broccoli to keep its bright color and crisper texture once sautéed. However, you can skip this step if you prefer.
3. Once the broccoli is blanched, strain and set aside.
4. Next, heat a shallow frying pan or skillet on medium heat on the stovetop. Add extra virgin olive oil, reducing the heat so it doesn’t burn. Then add the chopped garlic, and stir.
Sauté the Potatoes and Broccoli
5. Add the cubed potatoes to the pan.
6. Mix and sauté until potatoes are about half done, not yet fork-tender. Be sure to stir regularly while sautéing the potatoes so that they become lightly crisp but don’t burn.
7. Add the broccoli florets.
8. Now add herbs, salt and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly.
9. Optionally add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to deglaze and loosen the potato bits and garlic stuck to the pan.
10. Cover and cook on a low heat until the broccoli are tender but still firm to bite about 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook and make them mushy.
Keep a check after and if the veggies start to stick to the pan, add a few splashes of water and deglaze. Cover the pan and continue to cook.
11. If there is any moisture in the pan, remove the lid and sauté for another minute until the water is cooked out once the broccoli is done. Serve the sautéed broccoli hot or warm.
What goes well with roasted broccoli?
You can enjoy plain or garnish with some fresh or dried herbs like parsley, basil or cilantro, if you like.
You can serve this as a side with nearly any main dish, such as baked or fried tofu steaks, pasta dishes, curries, or other hearty vegetarian dinner favorites.
Enjoy vegetarian sautéed broccoli as the star of the meal with a side of warm toasted bread.
It pairs particularly well with Italian breads – like Ciabatta and Focaccia – and Indian Breads like Roti or Parathas or even your everyday White Bread.
Tips
Helpful Tips
- Pan: Use a thick bottomed pan so that the potatoes do not stick to the pan.
- Tangy Flavors: You can drizzle some lemon juice on before serving for a bright pop of acidity.
- Only with broccoli: Skip potatoes and just use broccoli, if you prefer. Use ½ to 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs if making the recipe with only broccoli.
- Overdone potatoes: Don’t worry if some of the potato cubes get slightly overdone and become mushy – they still taste delicious. Simply scrape the bottom of the pan to get the bits of potatoes unstuck and mix in with the rest of the dish. They add a great bit of tasty crunch to the sautéed broccoli and potatoes
FAQs
While I prefer to use chopped white potatoes, feel free to swap with baby potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or even sweet potatoes. Or, you can leave the starch out entirely for an even lighter dish.
Sautéed broccoli with potatoes tastes best when prepared and enjoyed right away. Leftovers will keep well in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days, but reheated cooked broccoli tends to get mushy.
Yes of course. Simply rinse the broccoli, drain the water, chop into medium-sized florets and add them.
More Healthy Recipes For You!
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By Dassana Amit
Incredibly simple and deliciously satisfying sautéed broccoli is great to make as a healthy side or main. My easy recipe is vegetarian and vegan-friendly, and perfect for adding hearty potatoes or other extras to enjoy as an even more filling dish.
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 2
Preparation
Remove and chop the broccoli florets from the head. Using a colander or strainer rinse them in very well in water. Drain the excess water.
Blanch in hot water for 2 minutes and place in a cold ice bath for a minute to stop the cooking process. Blanching is an optional step. Strain and set aside.
Finely chop garlic and cut potato in ½ to 1 inch cubes.
Sautéing
Use a heavy bottomed pan or skillet. Heat olive oil in it. Keep the heat to low.
Add garlic and stir.
Then add the potato cubes.
Mix and sauté until potatoes are about half done, not yet fork-tender. Be sure to stir regularly while sautéing the potatoes so that they become lightly crisp but don’t burn.
Add the broccoli, herbs, salt and pepper.
Mix gently but thoroughly.
If needed, add 2 to 3 tablespoons water to deglaze the pan and loosen the potato bits and garlic stuck to the pan.
Cover and cook on a low heat until the broccoli are tender but still firm to bite about 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook and make them mushy.
Keep a check after and if the veggies start to stick to the pan, add a few splashes of water and deglaze. Cover the pan and continue to cook.
This is a dry dish so if there is any moisture or water in the pan then remove the lid and sauté until the moisture or water evaporated once the broccoli are done.
Serve sautéed broccoli hot or warm.
Serving suggestions
You can enjoy plain or garnish with some fresh or dried herbs like parsley, basil or cilantro, if you like. You can serve this as a side with nearly any main dish, such as baked or fried tofu steaks, pasta dishes, curries, or other hearty vegetarian dinner favorites.
Enjoy vegetarian sautéed broccoli as the star of the meal with a side of warm toasted bread.
It pairs particularly well with Italian breads – like Ciabatta and Focaccia – and Indian Breads like Roti or Parathas or even your everyday White Bread.
- Pan: Use a thick bottomed pan so that the potatoes do not stick to the pan.
- Tangy Flavors: You can drizzle some lemon juice on before serving for a bright pop of acidity.
- Only with broccoli: Skip potatoes and just use broccoli, if you prefer. Use ½ to 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs if making the recipe with only broccoli.
- Overdone potatoes: Don’t worry if some of the potato cubes get slightly overdone and become mushy – they still taste delicious. Simply scrape the bottom of the pan to get the bits of potatoes unstuck and mix in with the rest of the dish. They add a great bit of tasty crunch to the sautéed broccoli and potatoes.
Nutrition Facts
Sauteed Broccoli
Amount Per Serving
Calories 132 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 311mg14%
Potassium 24mg1%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 40IU1%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Vitamin E 2mg13%
Vitamin K 26µg25%
Calcium 37mg4%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 3µg1%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 7mg2%
Phosphorus 7mg1%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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This sautéed broccoli recipe from the blog archives (April 2010) has been republished and updated on 31 January 2021.
