We’re pitting broccolini and broccoli rabe against one another in a head-to-head battle. Who will win this matchup? It is tough to tell,as these two veggies are well matched and quite similar in appearance. Both broccolini and broccoli rabe have been used in culinary abundance, scoring weighty wins in both the side dish, stir-fry, and pasta categories. Let’s see what these two vegetable heavy weights bring to the table.
Team Broccolini
Broccolini is a relative newcomer to the produce section. Japanese agricultural scientists developed broccolini in the mid-1990s by cross-breeding traditional broccoli with Chinese broccoli. Chinese broccoli, commonly referred to as gai lan or jie lan, is leafy with tender, waxy green stalks. Chinese broccoli is so leafy that there’s hardly a floret to be found. The flavor of Chinese broccoli is also more sweet than bitter, especially when compared to big, bulky, moderately-bitter broccoli. Broccolini has the best of both worlds. Broccolini is mildly bitter, slightly sweet, and exceptionally tender, yet crisp. As for broccolini’s appearance, you’ll notice small clusters of florets that sit atop long, thin stems with a light smattering of tiny leaves. One of the most appealing features of broccolini is its texture. The long stems have a pleasant crunch, unlike broccoli, which has a woody stem.
Team Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli rabe is not actually a “true” broccoli, nor is it a broccoli outcropping, immature broccoli plant, or a “baby” broccoli. Even though broccolini and broccoli rabe look almost identical, they are not the same. So what exactly is broccoli rabe? Both broccolini and broccoli rabe are members of genus Brassica, a big leafy green family that covers everything from horseradish to kale. Broccoli rabe belongs to the Brassicaceae rapa branch which includes vegetables like turnips and mizuna. This rapa branch is responsible for some of the stark differences between broccolini, broccoli rabe, and our standard-issue broccoli.
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.
When and How to Cook with Broccolini and Broccoli Rabe
The magic that is broccolini and broccoli rabe is their culinary versatility. These two veggies are quick-cooking and tender-crisp. Broccolini and broccoli rabe can both be grilled, sauteed, steamed, roasted, simmered, and stir-fried. Their biggest bout comes in the arena of flavor.
What Pairs Best with Broccoli Rabe?
Broccoli rabe comes in handy when you want to balance either sweet flavors or rich ingredients. Unctuous ingredients like roast pork, duck, steaks, cream, or butter can easily be balanced with a serving of bitter broccoli rabe. Sweeter sauces like reduced balsamic, BBQ, teriyaki, and honey glazes are also balanced by broccoli rabe’s bitterness. When experimenting with broccoli rabe in place of broccoli, look for dishes with sweet and/or rich attributes. Recipes such as Sesame Chicken, Teriyaki Steak, or Spaghetti Carbonara would work well with broccoli rabe. For a more traditional broccoli rabe approach, we recommend recipes such as Roast Pork Tenderloin with Broccoli Rabe or Seared Steak with Farro and Garlicky Broccoli Rabe.
Picky eaters rejoice! Broccolini’s sweet flavor comes in handy when crafting recipes that need a veggie boost (especially for folks who are not the biggest fans of vegetables). Like broccoli, broccolini can be paired with recipes that are either lacking in the texture department. Because broccolini is so neutral, it can easily be inserted into most recipes. Classic broccoli recipes like Beef and Broccoliand Broccoli Mac and Cheese are great examples of easy broccolini substitutions.
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.
With its small florets and long, slender stems, broccolini (Brassica oleracea var.botrytis) can be easily confused with broccoli rabe. But its flavor is sweeter, more refined and delicate. And its stem looks (even tastes) more like asparagus.
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.
It just isn't. 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.
Being cruciferous vegetables, both broccoli rabe and broccolini have plenty of nutrients to support overall good health, including vitamins C, E and K. Cruciferous vegetables contain fiber, carotenoids and glucosinolates, which may help protect our bodies from different types of cancers.
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.
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.
Because of its newness and because it provides less quantity in a stalk, broccolini is typically more expensive than broccoli. Substitutes for broccolini are traditional broccoli, Chinese broccoli, broccoli rabe, cauliflower, and asparagus (because broccolini's sweeter flavor is similar to asparagus' sweeter notes).
Broccoli and broccolini can be a safe low FODMAP option if you are eating for IBS, just be mindful of which parts of the vegetable you are eating. On top of their excess fructose content, remember that both are cruciferous vegetables that can be particularly bad for causing gas.
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.
After the central head of the Broccolini plant has been harvested, a continuous supply of Broccolini stems will soon start growing around the plant, harvest these stems regularly throughout the growing season.
It's closely related to cabbage and turnips, and treated more like a hearty green. Broccoli rabe has a more pungent, bitter flavor, too. As to where to find broccolini, it's available at many grocery stores. I have bought it at the Trader Joe's, Safeway and Wegmans locations near me.
How Do You Reduce the Bitter Taste of Broccoli Rabe? 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.
You can enjoy broccoli rabe either cooked or in its raw form, depending on your taste. Just keep in mind that the bitter taste may be more evident if you eat it raw. Broccoli rabe is widely used in Italian and Asian dishes and is typically either cooked or sauteed.
Broccoli rabe can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. Broccoli rabe has lutein, which works to protect the retinas from damaging free radicals.
Lastly, we have broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, which is not a broccoli derivative at all and is instead more closely related to the turnip. It's a bitter green, similar to a mustard green, with thin stalks, little buds, and lots and lots of leaves.
If you're focused on florets, broccoli and Broccolini can easily be used interchangeably. If you're cooking with the broccoli stalk, Chinese broccoli also has a thick stem and makes a good substitute. And if the leafy greens are what you're after, broccoli rabe and Chinese broccoli can be used for one another.
Rapini or broccoli rabe (/rɑːb/) is a green cruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble broccoli, but do not form a large head. Rapini is known for its bitter taste, and is particularly associated with Mediterranean cuisine.
In Puglia, it's called “cime di rapa.” In Tuscany, it's "rapini" and in Lazio, it's “friggitelli.” Yet the most common Italian name for this particular vegetable comes from Campania – “friarelli.” But in English, it's broccoli rabe.
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