Sesame broccoli is a kid-friendly and super easy side dish that is ready in under 10 minutes! You may find this commonly served as a complimentary appetizer in Korean restaurants.
The broccoli is steamed, but the side dish itself can be served warm or cold.
Steaming Broccoli
If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can just fill your pot with about 1 inch of water and place the broccoli right into the pan. Use a strainer once it’s done cooking.
Toasted Sesame Oil vs Regular Sesame Oil
If you’re not familiar with sesame oil, there are indeed different types! Toasted sesame oil makes a good finishing oil than for cooking. Regular sesame oil, on the other hand, can be used for cooking with its higher smoke point.
Toasted sesame oil has a stronger depth of flavor, with a more intense nuttiness to it. It is made from toasted sesame seeds, whereas regular sesame oil are made from raw sesame seeds.
If you can’t find toasted sesame oil, regular sesame oil will do, but you won’t get the same deep, nutty flavor that only toasted sesame oil can bring.
Ways to Enjoy Sesame Broccoli
- Enjoy as a simple vegetarian meal along with with rice, nori, and kimchi
- Enjoy as a side dish along with salmon, chicken/beef, tofu, or your preferred side dish
- Add your sesame broccoli to a buddha bowl along with rice, edamame, tofu, and your favorite vegetables
- Here’s how I made my buddha bowl with my Air Fryer Tofu recipe!
Sesame Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli cut into small florets (about 3-4 cups)
- 1.5 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste depending on the size of the broccoli head)
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Fill a pot with up to about an inch of water and place the chopped broccoli into a steamer basket. Steam broccoli for about 5-6 minutes or until broccoli is bright green and crisp (broccoli should still be firm and not mushy).
- Turn off the heat and discard the water from the pot. Add the steamed broccoli back into the pot and toss with the remaining 3 ingredients. Mix until all the broccoli is evenly coated.
- Enjoy as a side along with rice and salmon, chicken/beef or other entree of choice.
