Spicy Quick Pickled Broccoli

This pickled broccoli recipe is quick, easy and bursting with sweet and spicy flavors. With just a handful of ingredients, this dish makes for a fantastic vegan side, appetizer “salad” or snack. I loved family dinner parties at my grandparents’ house.

My perception as a little girl, was that my grandparents were fancy.

No matter what the occasion, Christmas Eve or a typical weekend evening, the table was set much like that in the upstairs dining room in Downton Abbey. Everything was just so.Okay, so my grandparents didn’t use a ruler to place the silverware, and they set it without a butler in sight.

However, the china sparkled, the silver shined, and there were always too many forks for me to know which to use and when. My grandfather always sat at the head of the table and carved the meat — a ceremony in and of itself, which he loved.

My grandfather was also the master of Root Beer Floats, though not at the fancy dinner parties. Those were reserved for sleepovers.

Inspiration for Spicy Quick Pickled Broccoli

While he carved, my grandmother would place platters and bowls of beautifully arranged food strategically down the center of the table — each one prettier than the next.There were always many small dishes of sides. “Small plates,” if you will. (My grandmother was ahead of her time.) There were olives, mushrooms and my favorite, the pickled broccoli. Each one was always in a very pretty serving dish with an equally lovely serving utensil.

What’s in the Pickled Broccoli?

There are only a few ingredients in this recipe, and they all pack in a ton of flavor.

• rice vinegar
• sesame oil
• chili paste
• garlic
• touch of sugar
• broccoli

What does this Spicy Quickly Broccoli Taste like?

The pickled broccoli was delicious dish that was tangy, sweet and a bit spicy.

Though I wish it was, this isn’t my grandmother’s recipe. I don’t have it, so I did what I thought might be similar, and if my memory serves me well, this is pretty close.

I think once you learn how to pickle broccoli, it might just become your go-to vegetable side dish. 🙂 

My grandmother, would have of course, served hers in a lovely crystal bowl, with a shiny fork to match.

Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

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Spicy Quick Pickled Broccoli

Prep Time

1 hr 10 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

This pickled broccoli recipe is quick, easy and bursting with sweet and spicy flavors. With just a handful of ingredients, this dish makes for a fantastic vegan side, appetizer "salad" or snack.

*Please note that 1 hour of the prep time is inactive, marinating time.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: good vegetables to pickle, unique vegan sides

Servings: 4

Calories: 146 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh broccoli
• sprinkling of sea salt
• 3/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.

2. Cut the broccoli into uniform spears.  Rinse, drain, add them to a large bowl. Set aside.

3. Place a steamer rack into a pot with the water level just below it.  Over high heat, bring the water to a boil and then add the broccoli to the rack, sprinkle it with salt and cover.  Turn the heat to low and steam just until the broccoli is tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

4. Drain the broccoli and immediately add it to the bowl of ice water. Leave it for about 5 minutes, drain again, pat dry with a kitchen towel, and set aside. (The ice water "shocks" the broccoli, which stops the cooking process and helps keep the color bright.)

5. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the vinegar with the sesame oil, chili paste, garlic, and sugar. Pour this mixture into a heavy-duty zip-lock bag and add the broccoli. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible and place it in a bowl (in case it leaks), in the refrigerator.
6. Let the broccoli marinate for about 1 hour, drain and serve.

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