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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Baby Broccoli with Hazelnut Butter

    Published: Dec 5, 2014 · Updated: Oct 6, 2022 by Tara Teaspoon · This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure

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    Baby Broccoli with Hazelnut Butter is a delicious and simple side to dinner. Toasted nuts with browned butter make this dish special enough for the holidays.


    Tender green veggies with a toasted butter and hazelnut sauce is so simple to make, and it's gorgeous on your holiday table.

    Baby Broccoli with Hazelnut Butter

    Baby broccoli, or broccolini, is in season fall and winter and the flavor is more mild than regular broccoli. It's a great vegetable side to go with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

    Holiday Dinner Comes Together

    Whether you have a traditional prime rib roast, meatballs, ham, turkey, fish, tamales or goose (hello Tiny Tim) for Christmas dinner, this gorgeous side will be pretty perfect. Or pretty and perfect. Depends on how you like to look at it.

    The perfection comes in the special little hazelnuts sizzled in butter that browns into a tasty golden sauce. It’s just fancy enough for a Christmas Eve, day or holiday dinner, but easy enough that you might just want it on a regular Wednesday.

    Serve it along with other sides at dinner, I like to load up on vegetable sides like these Roasted Vegetables or Brussels Sprouts. Make sure you have delicious rolls and even sweet potatoes if you like, and you have a complete holiday meal for the family.

    Baby Broccoli with Hazelnut Butter2

    What is Baby Broccoli?

    Baby broccoli, or Broccolini is dark green with tender long stems and tiny tree tops. If you can’t find it in your market, broccoli rabe is a great substitution. I like the mild flavor of baby broccoli though, so I suggest you ask your grocer to order it!
    Broccoli Rabe will have a stronger flavor, but is still delicious with the toasted nuts and butter.
    I personally love the stems of regular broccoli, so these lanky gems are my fave. If you'd like to use other nuts, they are equally as delicious with this side dish. Try pecans, even almonds if you'd like.

    📖 Recipe

    Baby Broccoli with Hazelnut Butter

    Baby Broccoli with Hazelnut Butter

    Tara Teaspoon
    Take advantage of a delicious seasonal vegetable for this beautiful side dish.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 13 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Servings 8 to 10

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • ½ cup (3 oz) skinned roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
    • 1 lb baby broccoli (trimmed)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • zest of 1 lemon

    Instructions
     

    • For hazelnut butter, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add nuts and cook until butter begins to brown and nuts just start to turn golden, about 3 min. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
    • In a large nonstick skillet, bring ¾ cup water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and cook, turning occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 min. Using tongs, transfer to a platter. Stir together nuts, butter, salt and zest; spoon over broccoli.

    Notes

    Tip: Baby broccoli is dark green with tender long stems and tiny tree tops. If you can’t find it in your market, broccoli rabe is a great substitution. I like the mild flavor of baby broccoli though, so I suggest you ask your grocer to order it!
     
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 90mgPotassium: 51mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1176IUVitamin C: 53mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
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    Baby Broccoli with Hazelnut butter side dish
    Holiday side dish Baby Broccoli with Hazelnuts

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    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe by Tara Bench Originally published in Ladies’ Home Journal Dec 2007. Photography Quentin Bacon. Food Styling Tara Bench. Prop Styling Bella Foster

    Comments

      5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Mary says

      July 19, 2018 at 6:54 pm

      This is a beautiful side dish! I love the hazelnut butter.

      Reply
    2. Marie says

      May 31, 2020 at 9:15 pm

      Hazelnut butter is just what this baby broccoli needed to dress it up and please a crowd! I loved the contrast of the tender broccoli, the crunchy hazelnut, and the pep from the zest. A perfect combination!

      Reply

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    More about me →

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