Broccoli raab is a fairly hardy green and will keep for 3-5 days if kept unwashed and loosely wrapped in plastic. When you are ready to cook up some leafy-goodness, trim just an inch from the base of the stem and rinse leaves in cold water. The remaining stem can be cooked along with the leaves.
Broccoli raab is darker green in color and has thicker stems that resemble broccoli stems. If you look in the center of the stem you’ll likely see some small broccoli florets pushing up. Broccoli raab is in the brassica family and has a mild mustard flavor with a slight bitterness. We like to grow broccoli raab in the fall when the flavor is more mild and well-balanced.
You can eat nearly the entire bunch including the stems. Sometimes the lower portion of a thick stem can get a little tough so you may need to discard the bottom inch or so if you find this to be the case.
Broccoli raab is a popular Italian vegetable, but is also found in Asian cuisine as well. It is often used in pasta and pizza dishes paired with sweet Italian sausage, garlic and cheese. While you can eat broccoli raab raw, it is most often cooked. It’s tender enough that it doesn’t require a very long cooking time. It can be boiled, steamed or sautéed. In Italian cooking, you may find recipes that have longer cooking times to ensure the leaves and stem are very soft and tender. Many times this preparation is done with a lot of garlic and olive oil. I prefer the bright, light flavor of broccoli raab so usually just cook it long enough to wilt it and soften the leaves.
If you taste a bit of the leaf in its raw form and don’t care for the bitterness, try cooking it before you rule it out. When cooked, the flavor of broccoli raab mellows out. It also becomes more balanced if prepared with a splash of vinegar at the end.
Health & Nutrition: As it is with leafy greens, raab is a nutrient dense, powerhouse food! It is a good source of potassium, calcium, iron and vitamins A, C, and K. Broccoli raab has a slightly nutty flavor.