Kristen Bell Just Taught Me the Most Brilliant Trick for Making Broccoli Taste Amazing
Broccoli can get a bit controversial. While some people love it — in creamy chowders or on cheesy pizzas — others can’t even bear to look at a head of the cruciferous vegetable. Over the years home cooks have come up with plenty of creative ways to sneak it into meals, like hiding it in tater tots and blending it into mac and cheese. To add to this Rolodex of ideas, Kristen Bell entered the chat and raised some eyebrows around her tips for making broccoli more interesting.
“Can I tell you a major secret to get people to eat broccoli?” Bell said in her Instagram story. “Steam your broccoli, right? That’s pretty normal.” Then she shares her hack for upgrading the vegetable: “Add salt, a little bit of crushed pretzels, and a little bit of Parmesan cheese. Game over; everyone will eat it. It’s delicious.”
Bell also offered another alternative: Adding nutritional yeast to broccoli if you prefer a plant-based topping that mimics the nutty and savory flavor of Parmesan.
Some folks don’t care for broccoli’s texture and flavor. Bell recommends improving its taste by adding a salty topping. If pretzels don’t sound appealing, you can also try crumbling croutons, potato chips, or buttery crackers on top for a similar effect.
The Nobody Wants This actress has long had an infatuation with the green vegetable. In a 2016 Grubstreet interview, she waxed poetically about how she grows her own at home. “I’ll often cut it up and sauté it with olive oil or coconut oil, Maldon sea salt, and a sprinkle of Parmesan,” she shared. “I’ve recently been into learning how to use the entire vegetable. Our broccoli plants flower, and the flowers are quite sweet. It makes everyone feel like a princess when they’re eating flowers.”
If you’ve been avoiding broccoli, now’s the time to give it another shot by experimenting with different add-ins to enhance its flavor. And if you’re stuck in a rut and still need a little push, here’s a list of 50 broccoli recipes to help you get started.
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