Broccoli is often used in every kitchen. There are some other varieties of broccoli available in the market. One of them is known are Broccoli Rabe or Rapini. Broccoli Rabe is mostly used in Italian cuisines. When it comes to its availability, you can easily find it in U.S supermarkets.
Broccoli Rabe can be a perfect side dish. Broccoli Rabe is very easy to cook. What if you don’t have Rabe or your broccoli rabe is rotten or you forgot to buy it? If you are in a similar situation, you don’t need to worry first. Every ingredient has its substitutes. Likewise, We have a huge list of Broccoli Rabe substitutes that you can use in a recipe without ruining the taste of the whole recipe. Before going ahead to know its substitute, make sure to quickly read about its nutrients and health benefits.
Table of Contents
What is Broccoli Rabe?
Broccoli Rabe is basically a part of the broccoli plant. It is also known as Rapini. It has nutty, bitter leaves and broccoli buds that are edible. They are easy to cook and often sauteed and roasted in Italian dishes. Broccoli Rabe is rich in nutrients as you can see in the list below. It also has some health benefits that you should know before knowing its substitutes.
Nutrient Profile of Broccoli Rabe:
- Calories: 42
- Carbs: 5 grams
- Fiber: 4.8 grams
- Protein: 7 grams
- Fat: 1 gram
- Vitamin C: 70% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Folate: 30% of the DV
- Vitamin A: 43% of the DV
- Iron: 12% of the DV
- Calcium: 15% of the DV
- Zinc: 8% of the DV
Health Benefits of Broccoli Rabe:
- Broccoli Rabe is rich in antioxidants and has some cancer-fighting properties.
- It may improve heart health.
- Broccoli Rabe may help with blood sugar control.
- It enhances your endocrine function.
- Broccoli Rabe may help to prevent birth defects.
What can I Substitute for Broccoli Rabe?
As we know that it sucks when you run out of the main ingredient or your veggies are rotten. This type of situation changes the whole game of recipe-making. There is always a solution to the problem. You can use any substitute to save your recipe without dealing with different tastes. If you are looking for a Broccoli Rabe substitute, here we have a huge list for you.
1. Kale:
Kale belongs to the cabbage family. It’s a dark green color leafy vegetable. You won’t miss the bitterness of Broccoli Rabe, so don’t worry about the flavor. If you are preparing salad and pasta, you can use kale in place of Broccoli Rabe. Kale leaves are crunchy and have lots of nutrients that are beneficial for your body.
2. Bok Choy:
Bok Choy is basically a Chinese cabbage. You can easily use this broccoli rabe replacement in any recipe. When it comes to flavor, bok choy is milder as well as tender than Broccoli Rabe. You should cut off the bok choy leaves before cooking because they are not edible.
3. Radicchio:
Radicchio is also a leafy green vegetable that is mostly used in salad recipes. The deep red color of radicchio makes it unique from other leafy veggies. Make sure to choose crispy leaves of radicchio for a better flavor. The taste of radicchio is slightly peppery that making it more capable to use in a recipe that calls for Broccoli Rabe.
4. Brussels Sprouts:
Brussels Sprouts are not normal sprouts, but they are miniature cabbage that has a similar taste to broccoli. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be boiled, steamed, pan-fried, or roasted. Brussels Sprouts also works well with meats, vegetables, and pasta.
5. Lettuce:
When it comes to the leafy green Broccoli Rabe alternative. Romaine Lettuce and Iceberg Lettuce are not bad choices. If you are looking for something that is more close to Broccoli Rabe, you should not miss the arugula or watercress.
6. Endives:
Endives are also leafy vegetables. They can be water raw or cooked. When eaten raw, you get a bitter and crispy taste just similar to the Broccoli Rabe. Don’t worry about its bitter taste. It loses its bitter taste when cooked. The overall texture of endives resembles rabe. You can use it in any recipe that required Broccoli Rabe except for salads.
7. Turnip Green:
Both turnip green and Broccoli Rabe belong to the same family and have a similar flavor profile. In the Southern United States, you may see them as a side dish. Turnip Greens’ flavor depends on their age. The younger version of the turnip green is milder and bitter in taste whereas the matured version of this plant is peppery in taste. So, it’s better to choose younger turnip greens to get the same flavor as Broccoli Rabe.
When it comes to appearance, turnip greens are totally different from Broccoli Rabe. This can be your pizza topping and the main ingredient in a pasta recipe.
8. Chicory:
Chicory is usually eaten raw in salads. The large leaf of chicory makes it different from Broccoli Rabe. When it comes to the flavor profile, it has the same bitterness as Broccoli Rabe. The spiciness of chicory mellows when cooked. You can substitute Broccoli Rabe in a salad, grilled, and side dishes.
When shopping for chicory, look for heads that are crisp and fresh and make sure there is no brown spot.
9. Cabbage:
Cabbage is cheaper and easy to available alternative to Broccoli Rabe. However, cabbage has large leaves as compared to the Rabe. When it comes to texture and flavor, are far more similar to the Rabe. You can use cabbage in all the recipes that require Broccoli Rabe.
10. Watercress:
Having the same bitter taste and peppery flavor, watercress comes to my mind when I don’t find Broccoli Rabe in the supermarket. Watercress contains lots of healthy nutrients such as vitamins A & C.
11. Collard Greens:
Collard Greens belong to the cabbage family. It has a bitter, earthy taste like Rabe that mellows when cooked. They are perfect greens for salad, pasta, meat, and sauteed dishes. Make sure to remove its stems because they are too tough to eat. Due to its high magnesium content, keeps your cholesterol level maintain. These dark green healthy leaves are tastier in cold months.
12. Swiss Chard:
Swiss Chard comes from a different plant family named Beets. The green leaves of chard are highly nutritious. It has many flavors in its leaves such as earthy, sweet, and somewhat bitter. The bitter taste is reduced once it’s cooked. Usually, the stem of swiss chard is cut and prepared separately. You can serve them raw in the salad to hold on to a similar flavor to the Rabe.
13. Arugula:
Arugula is suitable for recipes that require Broccoli Rabe. Arugula is famous for its peppery, tart, and bitter flavor which is far more similar to the arugula. Arugula contains lots of vitamins and minerals. It keeps you hydrated and keeps your bones strong.
14. Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan):
Chinese Broccoli is thick-stem broccoli that can replace Rabe easily. The leaves of this broccoli are different from the Rabe but give a slightly bitter flavor. The color of the leaves is kind of bluish-green and milder in taste. This broccoli is ideal for salads and can be eaten raw or cooked. You can also use it as an ingredient in vegetable stir-fries and meat stir-fries.
15. Mustard Greens:
Mustard Greens belong to the cruciferous family. The taste of mustard greens is nutty, bitter, earthy, and peppery. It provides the same nutrient benefit. Kale is far more bitter than mustard greens. You can make healthy vegan pasta with mustard greens, blend with soup, make sandwiches, and add it to a salad recipe.
16. Dandelion Greens:
Dandelion Greens belong to the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family. Dandelion Greens have an earthy bitter flavor that makes them perfect and suitable for a recipe that requires Broccoli Rabe. They are very healthy and can be eaten raw or cooked. They are rich in antioxidants and help to reduce blood pressure and inflammation.
The bitter taste of Dandelion Greens makes it similar to Rabe. They are a good source of vitamins A, C & K. Not only vitamins but also good sources of minerals such as magnesium, and calcium. iron and potassium.
17. Spinach:
Spinach belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family. The leaves of spinach are tender and mild. Spinach has similar health benefits to Rabe. The nutty and bitter flavor makes them similar to Broccoli Rabe. You can use it as a good Broccoli Rabe alternative in a recipe that calls for Broccoli Rabe, but spinach is not suitable for stir-fries due to having tender leaves.
18. Escarole:
Escarole is far more similar to lettuce. It belongs to the chicory family and is popular in Italian cuisines. Escarole has two layers of leaves. The inner layers are mild and slightly bitter whereas the outer or matured layers have a very sharp bitterness. The outer ones are the Broccoli Rabe substitute. If you can’t handle the bitterness of Escarole, choose the inner layer leaves as a substitute.
FAQ:
How can you reduce the bitterness of Broccoli Rabe?
The bitter taste of Broccoli Rabe can be reduced by cooking it for a longer time or by adding some lemon juice to it. You can't get a rid of the whole bitterness.
How do you clean Broccoli Rabe?
You just have to soak them in water for about 10 mins then wash it like any other leafy green veggie to remove extra dirt, rinse thrice, then leave it to dry.
Now, you know the best Broccoli Rabe Substitute. You can choose according to what you have in the kitchen or you can also purchase from Amazon. Please! comment down below your questions, and let us know how much informative is this article for you.
