Have you eyed-up these green leaf beauties in the store.
Chances are you have seen these florets in all their green and yellow beauty but may not know what to do with them.
Fear not, I will show you how to clean Rapini, also known as Broccoli Rabe and my guess is it will become a staple in your produce picks for your home.
I live in Pittsburgh and I have to shop around to find Rapini, at least GOOD Rapini.
Often a trip to the Strip District is in order to find the other possible healthy rapini.
Unfortunately, unlike some cities and states that have Rapini readily available, our stores do not always carry it.
When I find great heads of it, I buy it in bulk.
I prep it then freezes for later!
Vegetarianism is easy when you have the right foods available and Rapini is one of those foods!
Rapini is a staple in my dishes. Daily.
I have become a pro on how to clean rapini.
There’s a lot of ‘dirt’ in this veggie, so you have to know how to clean it before you eat it and crunch on what you don’t want to crunch on.
I don’t like sand or dirt in my food. My guess is neither do you!
For those new to this veggie, my quick tutorial of how to clean rapini is a must!
How To Clean Rapini
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It does matter if the leaves are not green.
You don’t want yellow leaves, that means it is old.
I have seen our local food market produce guys, cutting the stems a bit and cleaning it off, after taking it off the shelf.
Absolutely do not purchase it, if you see this happening because it will taste like mold!
Use The Video For Instructions
Gather the following items so you can work along with my easy-to-follow video.
You will need:
One Empty Bowl filled with salted water or One side of a freshly sanitized sink with a drain stopper in it loaded with fresh salted water.
Additional Pan or Colander for draining
Now that you have the tools of the trade let’s take a look at how to clean this vegetable.
What Can I Eat This With?
It is in a fact that easy and the resulting foods that you can add this vegetable to are amazing.
Additionally, the vegetable is great as a stand-alone.
Remember, this offers a bitter taste when you are plating it.
Therefore, when you cook it, make sure to add salt to the ‘cook down’ method you use to get the leaves and florets tender.
Cook’s Notes About Rapini
The parts of this cruciferous vegetable that are edible are: the (buds) and stems
If you find a bunch of this and it has many yellow leaves, do not buy it because it is probably spoiled.
The more buds in the bunch you purchase the better, think of these as the ‘meat’ part of the Arugula Avocado Salad .
Rapini can be boiled, broiled, baked, microwaved, steamed, grilled, etc.
Rapini raw tastes gross IMO.
Rapini/Broccoli rabe may be purchased by the pound or by the bunch it depends on each store.
The best season for Rapini is Christmas and Easter, some places are able to offer it year-round.
At least that’s the best time of year for ME to find it in great old Pittsburgh.
Look for it by the Escaroles and lettuce in bunches, though it is not lettuce.
Disclosure ~ If a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!