Broccolini vs. Broccoli vs. Broccoli Rabe: What's the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Broccolini vs. Broccoli vs. Broccoli Rabe: What's the Difference? ›

Broccoli rabe is leafier, thinner, and less floral than broccoli. The stems are long and tender and bush out in leafy clusters with small flowering heads, like broccolini. But, where broccolini is sweet and mild, broccoli rabe is bold and bitter. The flavor is almost like that of mustard greens mixed with horseradish.

Taste: Broccoli has a slightly bittersweet flavor and thick, meaty stems. Broccolini is milder and sweeter than broccoli, with firm, crunchy stems, and leafy florets. Broccoli rabe has a strong, bitter taste throughout, from its stems to its leaves.

The verdict. Broccolini – by a hair's breadth! Nutritionally, the two brassicas are very similar. But the excellent vitamin A content of broccolini, together with the fact that it needs less prep and there's no waste, gives it the edge over broccoli for us.

Broccoli Rabe

A nutrition superstar, rapini satisfies more than 50% of your daily recommended value of vitamins C and A. It also delivers iron and vitamin K, which is important for bone strength. It's also just one step beneath regular broccoli (but in line with spinach) for protein content.

Broccolini, Aspabroc, baby broccoli or tenderstem broccoli, is a green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks. It is a hybrid of broccoli and gai lan (which is sometimes referred to as "Chinese kale" or "Chinese broccoli"), both cultivar groups of Brassica oleracea.

The easiest way to rid broccoli rabe of some of its bitter flavor is by blanching it first. Just a quick dip in boiling water extracts enough of the bitterness and jumpstarts the cooking.

"Specialty" broccoli varieties include Sprouting Broccoli, Broccolini, and the wonderfully fractal 'Romanesco' broccoli, an Italian heirloom that looks like a broccoli-cauliflower cross.

It is also quite simple to cook. The best way to experience the health benefits of broccolini is to eat it raw. The stems, leaves, and florets are all edible. You can also choose to steam your broccolini and serve it as a side to complete a tasty, nutritious meal.

Broccolini will also have longer stems and smaller heads in comparison to broccoli. Broccolini is still a fairly new cruciferous vegetable, as it was invented in 1993 in Japan. Because of its newness and because it provides less quantity in a stalk, broccolini is typically more expensive than broccoli.

Broccolini is full of sulfur-containing compounds like sulforaphane, which is largely responsible for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This veggie may also support heart health and blood sugar control.

Do you eat the stems of broccoli rabe? ›

Broccoli rabe tastes slightly bitter and nutty and is very similar in appearance to other cruciferous vegetables, with florets like broccoli and leaves like kale. All the parts of this vegetable — the stems, leaves, and florets — are edible, and it's easy to cook.

Prevents Cancer

The antioxidants in broccoli rabe can lower the likelihood of cancer. Broccoli rabe can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.

Very generally speaking, cooked starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, pack about 15 grams of carbs and 80 calories per 1/2 cup (70–90 grams), whereas non-starchy types like broccoli contain about 5 grams of carbs and 25 calories in an equivalent portion (1, 2).

Broccolini is actually a cross-breed of broccoli and Chinese broccoli, a leafy vegetable commonly referred to as gai lan in Cantonese or jie lan in Mandarin. You get the florets found in broccoli and the longer stems and leaves found in Chinese broccoli.

Broccolini tastes milder and sweeter than broccoli. Because its stalks are thinner, broccolini require less prep work than broccoli (which tend to have woodier stalks). Broccolini lends itself to roasting, grilling, sauteing and steaming.

In general, the price of broccoli is lower than that of broccolini. A bunch of broccoli can cost anywhere from $1.30 to $4, while a bunch of broccolini does not typically fall below $3 and can go up to $6. Recommendation: Go with broccoli if budget is one of your main concerns when choosing food ingredients.

Yes! However, it's not quite the same, as broccolini is known to be sweeter, less bitter, and more tender than broccoli rabe. However, it still has the same small broccoli florets, leaves, and long stems as broccoli rabe.

The stalks, leaves, and blossoms of the plant are all edible—you'll just want to trim off the base of the stem, as it can be woody. If you end up with thick-stemmed broccoli rabe despite your best efforts otherwise, simply shave or peel a bit of the stem like you would with beefy asparagus stalks.

What Does Broccoli Rabe Taste Like? When properly prepared, broccoli rabe tastes slightly bitter at the stem, while the leaves and buds are nutty and pungent but not as bitter as the stems. The buds taste similar to broccoli heads. Some describe broccoli rabe overall taste as similar to bitter greens such as mustard.

Broccolini will also have longer stems and smaller heads in comparison to broccoli. Broccolini is still a fairly new cruciferous vegetable, as it was invented in 1993 in Japan. Because of its newness and because it provides less quantity in a stalk, broccolini is typically more expensive than broccoli.