The Lowdown on Broccoli Raab (aka Spring Rapini)

Early spring is too often overlooked in the gardening scene. People get distracted with what’s to come when it gets warmer and forget about the huge collection of veggies that can be grown before summertime.

Lettuces, peas, snow peas, snap peas, fava beans, cabbages, radishes, beets, and more—they can all be grown before the cukes, tomatoes, and yellow squashes of summer. There are also loads of plants to forage in spring.

But, today we are going to dive into broccoli raab, also known as spring rapini. This vegetable is much easier to grow successfully than broccoli, and it provides harvest much more quickly. It’s much more of a spring green.

What Exactly Is Broccoli Raab?

Though its name insinuates that broccoli raab is something akin to broccoli, it is more closely related to turnips. The “broccoli” nomenclature is an ode to the small florets that broccoli raab forms as it matures.

However, the greens are the bulk of what’s there to eat, and the entire plant is edible, including stalks. It tends to be a touch bitter and is often blanched to take out some of the bitterness.

Broccoli raab is the evolution of a wild Italian plant, and it is used commonly as rapini in Mediterranean cuisine. The Italian name for is cime di rape, or “turnip tops”, which is more reflective of what the plant tastes like.

Tips for Growing Broccoli Raab

Like most brassicas, spring rapini can be planted quite early in the springtime, as soon as the soil is workable. The soil temperature is best between 40 F and 75 F, and the seeds will take one to three weeks to germinate depending on how those temperatures work. It takes less than two months to start harvesting sprouts from the plant.

Seeds can be sown directly in the soil (or planted in pots indoors for an even earlier start) and should be spaced every four inches or so. As they grow, the plants should be thinned to about a foot apart, but be sure to enjoy the baby broccoli raab that gets thinned.

Other tips for growing broccoli raab include

• giving the plants full sun so that they grow more vigorously,
• harvesting them before they bolt (flower) so that they won’t be as bitter,
• and mixing the garden soil with plenty of quality compost. Greens tend to be nutrient-hungry and thirsty plants.

Luckily, they grow much more quickly than broccoli, so they are usually out of the ground when it’s still cool enough that pests and diseases are much of a problem.

How to Cook Broccoli Raab

For some, broccoli raab in the raw is too bitter, but that doesn’t mean that the vegetable can’t be enjoyed. Blanching it quickly in boiling water will zap away that initial strong bitterness. However, purists view blanching as taking out an important essence of the vegetable.

A classic rapini dish in Italy is simply sautéing it in garlic-infused olive oil, typically with some red pepper flakes. It’s also popular in a traditional pasta dish with sausage.

Grilled broccoli raab is another favorite. Toss a bunch of broccoli raab in a tablespoon of olive oil with a pinch or two of salt. Let it stand for five or ten minutes before putting it on the grill in a grill basket. Allow the stalks to char a little and pull it off. Toss that in a bit more EVOO and some lemon juice. Add some pepper flakes if you like it spicy.

Getting to Know Rapini

As with all dark, leafy greens, spring rapini adds a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals to a meal, so it’s worthwhile to become more familiar with it.

Related Content:

• Easy Way To Grow Your Own Broccoli Sprouts [Video]
• Cabbage, Turnip, Broccoli, Radish, and More: The Easiest Brassicas to Grow at Home
• Broccoli Sprouts: A Genuine Superfood You Can Grow In Your Kitchen
• 12 Plant-Based Cheesy Broccoli Recipes
• 8 Tips for Growing and Using Your Own Greens

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