Grilled Broccoli Steaks with Bagna Cauda

These broccoli steaks turn beautifully charred, tender and crispy on the grill and become even tastier when topped with savory bagna cauda!

A new favorite broccoli recipe here: grilled broccoli steaks with bagna cauda! These broccoli steaks turn beautifully charred, tender and crispy on the grill and become even tastier when topped with savory bagna cauda. If you haven't had bagna cauda before, it's a warm sauce made with olive oil, garlic and anchovies and is typically served with veggies. If you’re unsure of whether you’ll like anchovies in the bagna cauda, think again! The anchovies add a salty, umami-flavor that doesn't taste fishy. Bagna Cauda bursts with flavor and is absolutely delicious!

Broccoli "steaks" are basically large slices of broccoli head that include the center core, similar to cauliflower steaks. Broccoli steaks are easy to grill, too. We typically grill each broccoli steak for about 4 minutes per side and they're done. The warm bagna cauda is made over the stovetop and takes about 5 minutes to make. It's a very easy veggie side dish for the summer!

Plus, this side dish is low in carbs and super nutritious. Anchovies are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help improve heart health by reducing blood pressure and the buildup of plaque in arteries (as reported by WebMD). Each serving of the broccoli steak with bagna cauda is just 2.5 net carbs.

What is Bagna Cauda

Bagna càuda originates from the Piedmont area of northwestern Italy and is typically served as a warm dipping sauce for raw or cooked vegetables (banga cauda translates to "hot bath" in Italian). The main ingredients of bagna cauda include olive oil, garlic and anchovies — although there are different variations of it. It's usually served with crusty bread to soak up the dip drippings.

How to Cut Broccoli Steaks

Slicing broccoli into "steaks" is similar to the process for slicing cauliflower steaks, if you've ever done it. For this recipe, we use two medium heads of broccoli. From those heads, you may be able to cut 2 or 3 steaks per head. This recipe calls for 4 steaks, but you may use more if you like (or you can save the leftovers for future use).

To start, you’ll rinse and dry the outside of the broccoli heads. If the stems of the broccoli are long, you may trim them a little, but it’s important to keep the base in tact. We keep a few inches of stem below the broccoli head. Next, you’ll use a large chef’s knife to cut the broccoli head down the middle. Then, from the center, you’ll cut ½ to ¾-inch thick steaks that include the broccoli’s core. When you’ve run out of core, then you’re finished cutting steaks. Any remaining broccoli florets are yours to save for another use — as long as you put these little gems to good use!

Here is a good video to watch for slicing broccoli steaks. Also, instead of grilling, you could roast the broccoli steaks in an oven. To do so, you'll heat the oven to 450 degrees and roast the broccoli steaks for about 15 minutes. Be sure to drizzle olive oil over the steaks before roasting. For this recipe, you do not need to salt the broccoli before roasting, as the bagna cauda adds enough salty flavor to the broccoli.

How to Make Bagna Cauda

Our recipe for bagna caude comes from Williams Sonoma. We cut the recipe in half for this grilled broccoli recipe — however, the proportions and ingredients remain the same.

To make the bagna cauda, you'll mince 4 anchovies and 3 garlic cloves. After, you'll heat ¼ cup of olive oil over low heat in a small saucepan. Then, you'll add the minced anchovies and garlic. You'll heat the sauce for about 4 or 5 minutes, while stirring and continuing to break the anchovies down with a spoon.

Then, you'll remove from the pan from the heat and add two tablespoons of butter and stir until melted. After, pour the bagna cauda over the grilled broccoli steaks and serve immediately.

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