Green vegetables are packed with nutrition and taste also good in many recipes. one such vegetable is broccoli rabe which is vastly used in many recipes as per the requirement of the people eating them. it is also called as rapini in many places across the world. it has leafy green florets on the top and is popular in USA and Italian region as you can find them in many dishes in these places. you can get it at cheap prices in your local supermarket.
It has bitter and bland taste and can be used in making stir fry with other veggies like green beans etc. you can roast and grill them also to enjoy with other grilled food items. if you don’t want to eat it or cant have it due to shortage in market then make use of substitute for broccoli rabe shared below to make tasty dishes even in its absence.
Broccoli rabe substitutes and alternatives
Turnip greens
Turnip greens has little bit spicy flavor in them which makes them a good alternative for broccoli rabe in its absence. you can feel the peppery flavor in your mouth when eating turnip greens. they are used in all kinds of recipes to replace broccoli rabe. you can add some seasonings to make the dish more tasty with turnip greens while food preparations.
If you are looking to reduce the bitterness of turnip greens then it can be done by rubbing little bit salt in the greens and you can also add some soy sauce in your recipes to reduce the bitterness taste in your greens for better taste in your overall dish.
mustard greens
mustard greens are a good alternative for broccoli rabe as they have little bit peppery and bitter taste. they belongs to cruciferous family. you can add mustard to all kinds of dishes ranging from pasta bowls to stir fried platters. they come with lot of health benefits and can used in most of the recipes which require broccoli rabe. people like to add it to salad bowls and cook with other veggies also as per their liking.
collard greens
collard greens are very popular leafy green vegetable that comes from cabbage family. you will find hard stem at the bottom of the leafy greens which can be removed if you don’t like. you can Sautee them with other veggies, add to salad bowls, in sandwiches, pasta or serve with non veg dishes as side after stir frying them and adding some spices and butter on it.
you can find them in your local grocery market at reasonable rates. they tend to have little bit bitter taste just like broccoli rabe making them a good potential alternative for it which can be used in many dishes if you like the taste. post cooking the collard greens you will find that bitterness from its leaves have reduced and it has become good to eat without any issues.
spinach
spinach is common and found everywhere in cheap rates. it serves as a good substitute for broccoli rabe. it is also packed with of nutrition which is good for our body. you can use spinach in all kinds of recipes and dishes ranging from salad bowls in raw condition to curries and spinach dips in cooked and blended condition for best taste.
the taste is bitter and bland which is similar to broccoli rabe. it becomes better post cooking. add to all recipes that demand broccoli rabe and you would be good to go.
Chinese broccoli
Chinese broccoli can also works as good candidate for using in your recipes when you don’t have broccoli rabe with you. the physical appearance of the Chinese broccoli is different from broccoli rabe as it has long thing leaves and long stalks.
It comes packed with lot of essential vitamins and minerals required by our body. the taste of the Chinese broccoli is also similar to broccoli rabe as you can taste little bit bitterness in its leaves which resembles normal broccoli rabe.
dandelion greens
dandelion greens are also a great alternative for broccoli rabe. you can use young dandelion greens with large leaves and small steps to get best taste from them. the taste is good and matches with broccoli rabe with little bitterness in flavor of dandelion greens. they are also nutrition packed green veggies. you can eat them as a side dish and cooked also in recipes as per your liking.
endives
endives are crispy and bitter in taste which makes them a good substitute for broccoli rabe in cooked and non cooked dishes in its absence. after cooking its taste becomes little sweet with less traces of bitterness in it. add them in salad bowls to eat raw of cook them in cookers or skillets to make a perfect recipe with them in the absence of broccoli rabe.
endives reduces the risk of anemia in your body as it helps to regenerate lot of RBC in body. it also boast body immunity and helps to keep you away from unwanted infections. people who are following weight loss diet can also include it in their
kale
kale is dark green leafy veggie that comes with cabbage family. the taste is bitter and resembles with broccoli rabe so it can work as an alternative for the same without any issue. it is packed with nutrition and can be used is all recipes where you need to add broccoli rabe. you can add kale in salad bowl, pasta, pies etc. as per your liking.
kale comes packed with lots of antioxidants and lutein’s which helps maintain good eye sight in long term. people who look into calories count and don’t want to gain weight can also eat it as it comes with low carbohydrates which wont add unwanted fat in your body rather would help to maintain good body metabolism and no wanted body fat which can put dent in your body fitness and overall health.
some people also have allergies by eating kale and have issues with its digestion and other stomach issues like Gerd, bloating etc. so eat less in starting and see if it suits your body else avoid it and eat some other green veggies like spinach etc. which also comes packed with lots of essential nutrients same as in kale.
escarole
escarole is leafy veggies similar to lettuce. it can work as a replacement for broccoli rabe and can be eaten cooked or raw as per your recipe requirement. to reduce the bitterness in the leaves of escarole i would advise that you cook and eat them. the inside leaves has less bitter taste and can be used in salad platters. they are packed with lot of nutrients so you can easily add them to all recipes where broccoli rabe can be added.
arugula
Arugula can be used as substitute for broccoli rabe due to similarity in taste. it has bitter and tangy flavor in it. you can add it to your salad platters. it comes with lot of essential nutrients for our body. it helps to improve our bone health. you can add it in recipes which require broccoli rabe.
It taste great in sandwich dressing, green soup recipes, lasagnas, pesto sauce and pasta dishes to enhance the flavor of the dish and add a punch to it. you can add to stir fry and veggies also with some herbs like rosemary, sage, cilantro, hoisin sauce, sriracha sauce, green chilies, pearl onion and many other tasty recipes to enjoy with your family and friends.
Broccolini
Broccolini can also be used as potential substitute for broccoli rabe. it comes with mild taste when compared to broccoli rabe. It take longer cook time when considering difference between broccoli rabe and this green veggie. you can check in between of cooking to see if its fits your requirement for being perfectly cooked to enjoy with your friends and family. you can use it in all kinds of savory recipes which demands green veggies for making the dish tasty and healthy.
Mainly it is a hybrid veggie having mixture of Chinese cabbage and along with broccoli. It is a great source of calcium and magnesium which makes it good for our healthy body. it comes packed with lot of essential oxidants which prevent unwanted cell damage and prevention from diseases like cancer etc.
When you cook the broccolini its florets turn tender and soft while stems become little bit chewy. so its whole body is edible and can be cooked or eaten raw in salad as per your taste preferences.
chicory
Chicory comes with long leaves and bitter taste which resembles the broccoli rabe. you can feel little bit spiciness in flavor of chicory also which can be reduced post its cooking. add it to your grilled food platter, salads etc. for best taste in absence of broccoli rabe.
Chicory leaves are great in salad bowls. it comes with little bitter taste but once cooked and stir fried the taste becomes mellow and subtle.
Frequently asked questions
From where can i buy broccoli rabe?
You can easily buy it in your local grocery market or in supermarket store in product section next to other green veggies like spinach, kale etc. you can also look for it in frozen veggies section as some times it may be found their also. it is also called as rappini in some places so don’t get confused if you see it labeled by this name in market. its comes fresh in supermarkets in august-October time frame as its the time of harvesting it in farms depending upon which country you are buying in, rest of the time you may get frozen in some places
what are broccoli rabe nutrition values?
broccoli rabe has high nutrition values shared below in simple chart below for your better understanding of broccoli rabe nutrition data.
Conclusion
Hope you like my collection of broccoli rabe alternatives to choose and use in your recipes to make them nutritious and tasteful with these substitutes for broccoli rabe. Let me know how do you prefer eating broccoli rabe and its alternative to get best taste form them in comments section below for our site readers.
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