Burning vegetables carries some drama—it seems like something you might only do to linger on the word to impress guests (“yes, burnt!”). But the deep vegetal sweetness of broccoli lends itself perfectly to the technique. The contrast of sweet and crunchy, just-cooked florets and the slightly smoky, pleasantly bitter charred exterior turns the everyday vegetable into something excitingly dynamic. Here we give you chargrilled flavor minus the grill; deeply browning the broccoli in a cast-iron skillet instead. Briny and buttery Castelvetrano olives add a pop of salty acidity, and the light, creamy tang of goat cheese rounds out the high notes. Serve as a side to fill out your dinner table (it makes an impressively simple last-minute addition to any potluck spread) or as a satisfying vegetarian lunch—it may even be better as leftovers the next day.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Break 1 large head of broccoli (about 1 lb.) into large florets (you should have about 4 cups; save stalks for another use if desired). Slice florets in half and arrange, cut side down, in a dry large cast-iron skillet. Place over medium-high heat and cook, undisturbed, until charred underneath, 10–12 minutes.
Step 2
Remove skillet from heat. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over, then sprinkle with ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Toss and let broccoli cook in pan’s residual heat until bright green and crisp-tender, 6–8 minutes.
Step 3
Arrange broccoli in a single layer on a large plate and drizzle remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over. Crumble 2 oz. fresh goat cheese into quarter-size pieces over, then top with ½ cup Castelvetrano olives, crushed, pits removed. Finely grate zest from a quarter of 1 lemon over salad; slice lemon into wedges and serve with salad for squeezing over.
Recipe notes
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