This Vegetable Tastes Like a Delicious Cross Between Kale and Broccoli

If you enjoy the assertive, slightly bitter flavor (and the affiliated health benefits) of brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale, there’s another cruciferous vegetable that should be on your radar: broccoli rabe. Also known as rapini, this leafy brassica is a bit more bitter and nutty than broccoli. Texture wise, it’s mostly stems and leaves, with a few florets in the mix.

Here, I’ve taken advantage of its leafy composition and roasted it a high heat so that the stems go tender, while the leaves crisp up, like kale chips. Really, this complex vegetable is plenty tasty treated simply, tossed in olive oil and salt, but it’s even more appealing when dressed up with a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and some grated parmesan cheese, as the recipe reflects. This flavor profile is also great with roasted broccoli florets or broccolini; just adjust the cook time accordingly, as both are thicker-stemmed and will take longer to coax into tenderness.