Broccoli microgreens are young broccoli plants harvested shortly after their first leaves develop. They have a fresh, mild, slightly earthy flavor that makes them easy to add to salads, sandwiches, smoothies, bowls, and cooked meals.
Like mature broccoli, broccoli microgreens belong to the cruciferous vegetable family. This family also includes cabbage, mustard greens, arugula, radishes, kale, and cauliflower.
Broccoli microgreens are especially known for a naturally occurring plant compound called glucoraphanin—the precursor the plant uses to form sulforaphane.
What Nutrients Are Found in Broccoli Microgreens?
Broccoli microgreens can provide a combination of vitamins, pigments, and plant compounds, including:
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Vitamin C
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Vitamin K
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Carotenoids
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Chlorophyll
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Glucosinolates
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Glucoraphanin
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Phenolic compounds
The exact amount of each nutrient or compound varies according to the broccoli variety, growing conditions, harvest stage, storage, preparation, and serving size.
Laboratory testing is required to determine the specific nutrient and sulforaphane content of a finished CCFF product.
What Is Sulforaphane?
Sulforaphane is a plant compound formed from glucoraphanin.
Broccoli microgreens do not simply store all their glucoraphanin as ready-made sulforaphane. When the plant is chopped or chewed, an enzyme called myrosinase helps convert glucoraphanin into sulforaphane and other breakdown products.
The amount ultimately formed and absorbed can vary based on:
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The broccoli variety
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Growing and harvest conditions
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How the microgreens are processed
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Storage time and temperature
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Exposure to heat
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Myrosinase activity
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Individual digestion and gut bacteria
A small human feeding study found that sulforaphane was bioavailable after participants ate fresh broccoli microgreens. However, research is still developing, and findings from one preparation should not be treated as proof that every broccoli microgreen product delivers the same amount or produces the same effects.
What Are the Potential Benefits of Broccoli Microgreens?
Supports Normal Immune Function
Broccoli microgreens can contribute vitamin C. The body uses vitamin C to support normal immune function and produce collagen, an important structural protein.
Contributes to Antioxidant Protection
Vitamin C and carotenoids participate in the body’s normal antioxidant systems. These systems help protect cells from oxidative stress created during normal metabolism and environmental exposure.
Supports Normal Blood Clotting and Bone Health
Broccoli microgreens may also provide vitamin K. The body needs vitamin K to produce proteins involved in normal blood clotting and bone metabolism.
Provides Cruciferous Plant Compounds
Glucoraphanin and other glucosinolates are characteristic compounds found in broccoli and related cruciferous vegetables.
Researchers are studying sulforaphane’s interaction with cellular antioxidant-response and protective-enzyme pathways. This research is promising, but it does not establish broccoli microgreens as a treatment, cure, or preventive therapy for any disease.
Broccoli Microgreens vs. Broccoli Sprouts
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, broccoli sprouts and broccoli microgreens are not exactly the same.
Broccoli Sprouts
Broccoli sprouts are harvested very early, usually only a few days after germination. The entire young plant—including the seed, stem, and developing root—is commonly eaten.
Broccoli Microgreens
Broccoli microgreens grow longer and are harvested after their seed leaves have opened and the first true leaves may begin to appear. They are typically cut above the growing surface, so the roots and seed are not included.
Both can contain glucoraphanin and other plant compounds, but their composition is not automatically identical. Research performed on broccoli sprouts should not be used to assign an exact nutrient or sulforaphane value to broccoli microgreens.
Fresh vs. Freeze-Dried Broccoli Microgreens
Chris & Camille’s Family Farm offers broccoli microgreens in fresh and freeze-dried forms.
Fresh Broccoli Microgreens
Fresh microgreens provide crisp texture and mild flavor. They work well as a vegetable, topping, or finishing ingredient.
Fresh microgreens can be chopped or chewed as part of normal eating, allowing the plant’s glucoraphanin and myrosinase to interact.
Freeze-Dried Broccoli Microgreens
Freeze-drying removes moisture at a low temperature and creates a lightweight, shelf-stable product. It can make broccoli microgreens easier to add to foods and drinks when fresh greens are not convenient.
However, freeze-drying does not automatically prove that every nutrient is concentrated by a particular amount. The finished powder must be tested before making claims about its precise vitamin, glucoraphanin, sulforaphane, or antioxidant content.
What Do Broccoli Microgreens Taste Like?
Broccoli microgreens generally have a mild, fresh, slightly earthy flavor. They are typically less bitter than mature broccoli and less spicy than mustard or radish microgreens.
Their approachable flavor makes them a good starting point for people who are new to microgreens.
Easy Ways to Use Fresh Broccoli Microgreens
Try fresh broccoli microgreens in any of these ways:
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Add them to salads and grain bowls.
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Layer them onto sandwiches, burgers, and wraps.
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Use them as a topping for eggs or avocado toast.
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Add them to tacos just before serving.
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Blend a small handful into a smoothie.
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Place them on soups after cooking.
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Use them as a fresh garnish for chicken, vegetables, pasta, or rice dishes.
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Toss them into a meal-prep bowl immediately before eating.
Adding the microgreens at the end of cooking helps preserve their fresh flavor and texture.
Ways to Use Freeze-Dried Broccoli Microgreens
Follow the product’s serving directions when using freeze-dried broccoli microgreens.
Depending on the preparation, the powder may be added to:
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Smoothies and shakes
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Water or juice
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Yogurt
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Oatmeal
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Sauces and dressings
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Soups after cooking
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Other foods with compatible flavors
Avoid adding more than the directed serving simply because the powder is made from a food. Concentrated products should be used according to their label directions.
How to Store Broccoli Microgreens
Keep fresh broccoli microgreens refrigerated and as dry as possible. Wash them under clean running water before eating and dry them gently.
Store freeze-dried broccoli microgreens according to the package directions. Keep the container properly sealed and protect it from excess heat and moisture.
Explore CCFF Broccoli Microgreens
Choose the form that works best for your routine:
Shop Fresh Broccoli Microgreens
Shop Freeze-Dried Broccoli Microgreens
Fresh from the farm or conveniently freeze-dried, broccoli microgreens offer an easy way to add cruciferous vegetable variety to your day.
Growing for GOOD.
Important Nutrition Note
People taking warfarin or similar blood-thinning medications are generally advised to keep their vitamin K intake consistent. Speak with your healthcare provider before making a major change to your consumption of vitamin-K-containing foods or supplements.
Sources and Further Reading
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Bouranis et al.: Sulforaphane Bioavailability in Healthy Subjects Fed Fresh Broccoli Microgreens
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Yagishita et al.: Broccoli or Sulforaphane: Is It the Source or Dose That Matters?
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Xiao et al.: Assessment of Vitamin and Carotenoid Concentrations in Edible Microgreens
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Li et al.: Glucoraphanin and Sulforaphane in Broccoli Sprouts
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NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C Fact Sheet
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NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin K Fact Sheet
This article provides general educational information and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The freeze-dried product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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