Discover the health benefits of cruciferous vegetables. Learn their nutrition facts, get a list of common types, and explore simple ways to cook them.
Cruciferous vegetables are among the most nutrient-dense and disease-fighting foods you can add to your plate! Packed with fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and powerful plant compounds, these versatile, delicious veggies help support heart health, fight inflammation, and may even help lower the risk of certain cancers. I’m sharing the top health benefits of cruciferous vegetables, share a list of the most common types—including broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts—and give you simple, delicious tips for cooking them at home. Whether you’re aiming to eat healthier or just want to expand your veggie game, this guide has you covered.
Cruciferous Vegetables Health Bonus
What are cruciferous vegetables? Every time you bite into a kale salad or a broccoli floret, you get that familiar pungent, flavorful bite. That’s because these are cruciferous vegetables—a family of vegetables that contain sulfur compounds called glucosinolates, which are responsible for imparting that characteristic flavor—as well as health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and cancer-protective action. A number of vegetables besides kale and broccoli belong to the cruciferous family (also known as Brassica) including arugula, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, horseradish, kohlrabi, mustard greens, rutabaga, turnips, wasabi, and watercress. This group of vegetables provides a modest supply of calories (4-50 calories per one-cup raw serving, depending on the vegetable), but packs in a variety of vitamins (like vitamin C, K, and folate) minerals and fiber. Check out my chart below on cruciferous vegetables, and make sure to include these nutrient-rich vegetables in your diet every day!
Cruciferous Vegetables |
||
Vegetable (1 cup raw) |
Nutritional Highlights* |
Culinary Uses |
| Arugula | Vitamin K | Serve fresh in salads and sandwiches; lightly sauté and add to soups, pasta dishes, or stir-fries. |
| Broccoli | Vitamins A, C, and K; folate, manganese | Steam or sauté as a side dish, serve raw in salads and slaws, or add to soups, stir-fries, casseroles, and pasta dishes. |
| Brussels sprouts | Vitamins A, C, and K; folate, fiber, potassium, manganese | Steam, roast, or sauté as a side dish or include raw shredded in salads. |
| Cauliflower | Fiber, vitamins B6, C and K; folate | Roast, steam or sauté as a side dish or entrée; enjoy raw as an appetizer or in salads, or puree in soups. |
| Cabbage | Vitamins C and K, folate | Use fresh in slaws or salads; sauté in stir-fries, add to soup, or cook whole leaves and use to encase fillings. |
| Chinese cabbage | Vitamins A, C, and K, folate | Steam or sauté as a side dish, add to soups and stir-fries, or use raw in salads and slaws. |
| Collard greens | Vitamins A, C, and K, folate | Sauté as a side dish, add to soups, pasta dishes, and side dishes, or slice tender leaves in a salad. |
| Daikon radish | Vitamin C and potassium | Slice into salads or slaws. Roast, bake, or steam in stir-fries, soups, and side dishes. |
| Kale | Vitamins A, C, and K, manganese, copper | Sauté as a side dish; add to soups, pasta dishes, and stir-fries; or use raw in salads and slaws. |
| Kohlrabi | Vitamins C and B6, potassium, fiber | Slice into salads or slaws, roast or steam and add to soups, stir-fries, or pasta dishes. |
| Mustard greens | Vitamins A, C, and K;, folate,manganese | Sauté as a side dish, add to soups and stir-fries, serve with grits, or use raw in salads. |
| Radishes | Vitamin C | Slice into salads, serve raw as an appetizer or in sandwiches, or sauté or grill as a side dish. |
| Rutabaga | Fiber, vitamin C, potassium, manganese | Roast or boil as a side dish, include in soups. |
| Turnip greens | Vitamins A, C, and K; folate, calcium, copper, manganese | Roast or bake as a side dish, or add to soups and stews. |
| Watercress | Vitamins A, C, and K | Add fresh to salads, wraps and sandwiches. |
| *Contains at least 10% DV per serving. | ||
Top 5 Ways to Use Cruciferous Vegetables
Try these ways to include cruciferous veggies in your diet every day!
1. Toss in Cruciferous Greens
Sure, you can feature milder greens, such as iceberg and butter lettuce, in your salads, but why not turn to the power of cruciferous greens? Try arugula, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, and turnip greens in your garden salads, salad bowls, and power bowls for a nutritious, delicious bite! If you’re using more pungent greens in their raw form, such as collard, mustard, and turnip greens, look for younger, more immature forms for a milder taste and tender texture.
2. Take a Bite Out of Radishes
A lot of people don’t realize that sweetly spicy radishes are in the cruciferous family! Slice them into salads, grain bowls, sandwiches, wraps, and pasta dishes. And don’t forget that there are so many varieties of radishes, from French breakfast and black to daikon and watermelon.
3. Make Friends with Cauliflower
Cauliflower may have been the boring stuff of childhood memories—bland, tasteless, mushy boiled cauliflower pushed to the side of your plate. But cauliflower is experiencing a renaissance! From Buffalo Cauliflower to Cauliflower Tacos, you can tame the pungent taste with creative cooking techniques, such as roasting, grilling, and sautéing. The sky is the limit for what you can do with a head of cauliflower (even roast it whole!), and do try the many colors, including purple, green, and orange. Learn more about Romanesco cauliflower here.
4. Remember Reliable Broccoli
Broccoli is also having its heyday, thanks to creative ways to prepare this sturdy veggie, including roasting, grilling, and sautéing. Plus, broccoli is just so versatile, as it can be featured raw in salads, cooked in casseroles and soups, and sautéed in pasta dishes. You can even make a fun pesto with broccoli! Remember to try different forms of broccoli, such as broccoli rabe.
5. Sprouting Up Good Taste!
While we’re chatting about old-fashioned veggies making a comeback, we must consider brussel sprouts. Who knew that roasting these petite cabbages could turn out so good? Now you can find these crisp, savory roasted brussel babies on most restaurant menus. And you can make them easily at home, too. But don’t stop there, add brussels to grain bowls, sheet pan meals, and pasta dishes. And do shave them raw in salads, too.
Top 10 Cruciferous Vegetable Recipes
Check out my all-star, favorite recipes featuring a variety of cruciferous vegetables.
Vegan Cauliflower Broccoli Casserole
One Pot Vegan Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli
Blood Orange Salad with Kale and Hazelnuts
Kale Tofu Vegan Bowl with Turmeric Hemp Hearts Topping
Baked Kale White Bean Dip
Vegan Cauliflower Spinach Lasagna
Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower with Hemp Seeds
Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower with Ranch Dip
Easy Cauliflower Chickpea Tacos
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Peanuts and Papaya
