For Broccoli With Better Flavor, Just Add A Splash Of One Pantry Staple

Broccoli is finally getting its moment in the sun, and not a moment too soon. Long lumped in with other widely disliked veggies, such as Brussels sprouts and asparagus, recipe blogs and cookbooks have recently been bursting with creatively delicious ways to season and roast your broccoli to give it unforgettable flavor, and instructions for producing the perfect, bright green steamed florets. One of the best ways to cook it is deceptively simple: roasting your broccoli with a splash of soy sauce.

The easiest way to make these two ingredients sing together is to toss your broccoli in a drizzle of soy sauce and cooking oil, then oven-roast until the florets are crisp on the outside and tender inside. This hands-off method is best because it allows the soy sauce to become concentrated and cling to the broccoli as both ingredients become lightly caramelized. Both ingredients also develop a deeply nutty, slight sweetness that creates a bridge between soy sauce's salty umami and broccoli's strangely pleasant bitterness. You could also drizzle the soy sauce on after roasting the broccoli, but the flavors won't be nearly as developed.

While this pairing isn't exactly innovative (unless you're trying a 5-spice beef and broccoli recipe), it's undeniably delicious, and it doesn't need to be reserved for meals focused on Asian cuisine. Although soy sauce is one of the most recognizable Asian flavors out there, its sharp deliciousness, combined with the light earthiness of broccoli, is also appropriate for pairing with seared steak, roasted salmon, or even mac and cheese.

While broccoli and soy sauce alone are delicious together, both of them also marry beautifully with a host of other craveable flavors, such as sesame (seeds or oil), garlic, ginger, and good old-fashioned hot sauce. It's very easy to use these flavors in a personalized seasoning blend to coat your roasted broccoli. Simply whisk soy sauce with garlic paste, grated ginger, a few drops of hot sauce, and deep ingredients like mirin, rice vinegar, or white miso paste.

Of course, there are some things you need to watch out for, such as using too much soy sauce. It's easy to overdo it because soy sauce is so intense, so start with about 1 tablespoon of soy sauce per pound of broccoli florets, and increase it by just a few drops at a time until it's to your liking. Additionally, soy sauce is salty enough that you don't need to salt the broccoli when roasting it this way. Feel free to add black pepper (or white pepper, or mace), but adding salt to this mix would be overkill.

Adding a touch of honey or pure maple syrup to this blend would also work well. However, it's best to whisk this together with a little melted butter and sesame seeds to drizzle on after roasting because the sugars and sesame seeds may burn in the oven. Soy and broccoli both take on a gorgeous richness when mingled with sweet and savory flavors alike.