Take your salad game to another level with this charred broccolini recipe that’s simply dressed with lemon and olive oil. All you need is a sheet pan to make this delicious and easy side dish in just 30 minutes!
This hearty charred broccolini salad also includes shishito peppers, cherry tomatoes and white beans for a little extra protein. The creamy burrata adds contrast in texture and delicious flavor. Salty nuttiness from freshly grated parmesan is the perfect way to finish this simple recipe.
While this is one of our favorite side dishes, it can certainly stand on its own as the main event. Here are a few more robust salads to check out!
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What is Broccolini?
If you're not already familiar with broccolini, it's that lanky veggie with smaller florets that may appear like baby broccoli. It's a hybrid vegetable as a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, which is leafier.
Compared to the flavor of regular broccoli, broccolini is milder and less bitter with more of a sweet, earthy taste.
Why You’ll Love this Broccolini Recipe
- Loaded with delicious flavor
- Healthy, complementary side dish
- Customizable
- Great for meal prep
- Quick and easy recipe!
Main Ingredients
Refer to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Broccolini
- Burrata
- Parmesan Cheese
- Shishito Peppers
- Cherry Tomatoes
- White Beans (cannellini or navy beans)
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Fresh Basil and Tarragon
Variations
- Add some crunch with chopped walnuts, cashews or pine nuts.
- Add other protein like cooked chicken breasts or steak if not concerned with keeping the recipe vegetarian.
- Substitute bell peppers for the shishitos or add sauteed mushrooms or onions to the dish.
Cooking Instructions
Place broccolini and peppers on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle minced garlic, a good pinch of salt and black pepper over. Add red pepper flakes for spicy broccolini.
Give the broccolini a good toss to coat evenly and spread in a single layer. Roast in a hot oven preheated to 425 degrees F for 20 minutes until tender and nicely charred.
Arrange cooked broccolini and peppers on a large serving dish. Then top with beans, burrata and cherry tomatoes. Garnish with fresh herbs, grate parmesan and lemon zest over top.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over, drizzle a little more olive oil and add extra lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper and serve!
Other Cooking Methods
Stovetop
You can always grab a large frying pan or cast iron pan to cook the broccolini. You don’t want to overcrowd the skillet so you may have to cook it in batches.
Heat olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook broccolini 3-4 minutes per side until tender and charred.
Grilling
Fire up the grill for extra smoky flavor in your chargrilled broccolini. Clean the grates and preheat the grill over medium heat. Make sure the lanky florets are well coated with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill 2-3 minutes per side until done.
Recipe Tips
- All parts of broccolini are edible, so you just need to trim about a half inch off the bottom of the stem. Removing its leaves are up to your personal preference.
- Whether you’re roasting broccolini in the oven, searing on the stovetop or grilling, keep them in a single layer for even cooking.
- When roasting, line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup. Keep in mind parchment begins to burn at 451 degrees, so it’s still ok to use for this recipe.
What to Serve Charred Broccolini with?
This salad is certainly hearty enough to stand on its own as an entrée but here are some main dishes it would complement perfectly.
Charred Broccolini FAQs
Store any leftover broccolini in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. You can turn it into a new recipe by making pesto which you can use as a sauce over pasta or any protein.
If you can’t find broccolini you can always use regular broccoli, broccoli rabe, green beans or asparagus. You’ll have to adjust the cooking time based on how thick the other vegetables are.
Broccolini wins over broccoli by having four times more vitamin A and slightly more phosphorous, manganese and calcium, which are important for bone health.
Related Posts
📋 Recipe
Charred Broccolini Salad with Burrata
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds broccolini, trimmed and thick stems halved lengthwise
- 4 ounces shishito peppers
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher or sea salt and black ground pepper
- 1 15-ounce can white beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons each fresh basil and tarragon, chopped
- 8 ounces burrata cheese
- 4 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 lemons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place broccolini and shishito peppers on sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil over and sprinkle with minced garlic, a good pinch of salt and black pepper. (Add red pepper flakes for spicy broccolini.)
- Give the broccolini a good toss to coat evenly and spread in a single layer. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes until tender and nicely charred, stirring halfway through.
- Arrange broccolini and peppers on a large serving platter. Spread the beans in the middle of the platter. Place burrata in center of the beans.
- Scatter the halved cherry tomatoes. Garnish with fresh herbs, grate parmesan and lemon zest from 1 lemon over top. Squeeze fresh lemon juice from one lemon over, drizzle a little more olive oil and add extra lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Ben | Havocinthekitchen says
What a gorgeous salad packed with some great flavours and textures (Not to mention the vibrant colours!) That's our kind of salad and not even a side - a perfect main dish especially if served with crusty bread!
Kim Peterson says
Couldn't agree more, Ben! Add crusty bread and call it a day!
Jo Thrasher • Jo Eats says
Lady, these photos are AMAZING. Also, burrata for life.
Ben|Havocinthekitchen says
What a beautiful salad, Kim! Basically, it's summer on the plate - so bright, fresh, delicious, and picturesque. Love all the textures and flavours going on, and especially the addition of tarragon. Nice!
Alexandra Shunk says
What a beautiful salad! You never think of grilling a salad but I love charred broccolini especially with burrata!!! This looks wonderful!
Haley Seymour says
This salad is almost too beautiful too eat!! I LOVE of burrata! Another great recipe!
Chelsey says
This is such a gorgeous salad! My husband and I adore broccolini so I’m sure this salad with be a big hit with us. Great idea adding cannellini beans, and that simple lemon EVOO dressing with parmesan is the perfect touch.
Jas @ All that's Jas says
This title rolls right of your tongue and I found myself repeating it [*with an Italian accent, lol] like a mantra: charred broccolini and cannellini salad with burrata, charred broccolini and cannellini...?
I adore burrata cheese and can't wait to give this delicious salad a try. Thanks for sharing!
Kim Peterson says
Lol!! Thanks so much Jas! It is quite a mouthful but I liked the sound of it too! Hope you give it a try! 🙂