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How to Make Brown Butter Broccoli with Walnuts & Pomegranate
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If you’ve been wondering about the brown butter how to behind those rich, nutty sauces you see chefs pour over everything, or if you’ve ever asked yourself what the best way to cook broccoli actually is, you’re in the right place. Today we’re turning simple broccoli into a next-level side dish with toasted California walnuts, juicy pomegranate arils, and a brown butter recipe so easy you’ll wonder why you didn’t learn it sooner.
Let’s start with the star ingredients: California walnuts and fresh broccoli. When you pair them with brown butter, everything shifts from “just another vegetable side” to something warm, vibrant, and honestly addictive. This isn’t a fussy recipe — it’s a simple cooking process with big payoff.
Why California Walnuts Make This Dish Pop
California walnuts bring a natural richness that fits perfectly with brown butter. When toasted, they take on a deeper, warmer flavor and release that unmistakable nutty aroma that tells you something amazing is happening in your kitchen.
For this recipe, those walnuts get tossed with everything bagel seasoning, cinnamon, and cumin. They become crunchy, savory, a little warm, and totally irresistible. And because walnuts are grown throughout the Golden State, you’re getting fresh, high-quality nuts at their best.
This walnut mixture isn’t just sprinkled on top — it’s one of the significant flavor drivers in every bite.
Why California Walnuts Deserve a Spot in Your Recipes
California Walnuts are one of those ingredients that quietly elevate everything they touch. They’re grown on more than 4,000 family farms across California’s Central Valley. In fact, more than 99% of the walnuts sold commercially in the U.S. come straight from this region. When you add them to a recipe, you’re almost always supporting California growers.
They’re harvested in September and October, then stored in carefully controlled environments so they stay fresh year-round. That’s why you can depend on California walnuts for consistently great flavor whether you’re baking, making salads, blending sauces, or adding texture to a dish like this brown butter broccoli.
Nutritionally, they fit into almost every popular eating pattern — Mediterranean, MIND, gluten-free, keto, paleo, plant-based, vegetarian, and vegan. One small handful gives you plant-based protein, unsaturated fats, and 2.5 grams of ALA omega-3s. Walnuts are the only nut that provides a meaningful amount of this essential fat that helps support heart health.
So when you fold California Walnuts into this dish, you’re not just adding crunch — you’re layering in flavor, nutrition, and a whole lot of CA GROWN goodness.
How to Store Walnuts for the Best Flavor
Walnuts are best kept cold once opened. Storing them in the refrigerator helps preserve their flavor, while the freezer is ideal for long-term storage. Keeping walnuts chilled protects their natural oils and ensures they taste fresh every time you use them.
Why Blanching Is the Best Way to Cook Broccoli for This Dish
Broccoli is great roasted or sautéed, but for this recipe, blanching is hands-down the best way to cook it.
Here’s the why:
- Blanching keeps the broccoli bright green
- It softens the florets without turning them mushy
- It helps the broccoli absorb brown butter beautifully
- It creates the perfect crisp-tender texture
- You just boil it briefly, cool it quickly in an ice bath, and dry it well. No complicated steps — just a simple approach that makes a world of difference.
This technique also ensures the florets hold together in the skillet later, which is clutch when you want every bite coated in brown butter and spiced walnuts.
Have Any Extra Broccoli On Hand? Here are a Few More Recipes We Think You’ll Love
Easy Broccoli Salad
Brace yourself for the creamiest, most flavorful broccoli salad recipe on the internet! Our broccoli salad base is a hearty one-bowl salad best suited as a side dish, but when you add shredded chicken and chopped bacon, it becomes the easiest supper-sized salad on the planet.
Broccoli Pesto
Add a vibrant and nutritional punch to your pesto by adding broccoli with this Broccoli Pesto recipe by Jessica of Big Delicious Life. Lightly steamed broccoli florets are whizzed together with fresh basil, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan, and lots of olive oil to give this traditional condiment and pasta sauce a fun twist. Stir gobs of it into pasta, slather it on sandwiches, dollop it on pizza, or swirl it into your soup – the pesto possibilities are endless.
Brown Butter How-To: The Simple Trick That Changes Everything
Brown butter is one of those things that feels fancy but is actually incredibly simple. It’s just regular butter cooked a little longer until the milk solids caramelize, creating a deeper, richer, more complex flavor than regular melted butter ever could.
Here’s the brown butter how-to in the simplest terms:
- Start with cold butter in a skillet—it melts more evenly.
- Set the heat to medium so the butter doesn’t scorch.
- Watch as the butter melts and begins to foam.
- The milk solids will fall to the bottom of the pan.
- Keep cooking until those solids turn into dark brown speckles.
- Listen for the change and smell that toastiness — the nutty flavor is unmistakable.
- When the butter turns a deep golden brown, you’re done.
The whole browning process takes just a few minutes, but staying with it the entire time is key. Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in a flash, so give it a little attention.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape up the little brown bits, because that’s where the incredible depth of flavor lives. Swirl the pan gently. Breathe in that nutty aroma. This is your new not-so-secret weapon in the kitchen.
Why Brown Butter Takes This Broccoli to the Next Level
This whole dish hinges on brown butter. It’s the reason the broccoli tastes so rich. It’s why the walnuts feel warm and rounded. And it’s what makes the flavors cling together rather than feel separate.
Brown butter gives you:
- that caramel-like flavor
- a toasty aroma
- a silky texture
- a deeper, more intense, complex flavor
- a richness you can’t get from regular melted butter alone
Mix that with toasted California walnuts, and you’ve basically created a flavor powerhouse that makes broccoli taste like it came from a restaurant, not a weeknight dinner rush.
A Quick Guide to Toasting Walnuts
Toasting walnuts is truly one of the easiest ways to build flavor. And it only takes about 7–10 minutes.
Here’s the easy way:
- Spread the walnuts out on a baking sheet
- Toast at 350°F (180°C)
- Shake or stir once or twice
- Wait for that nutty aroma
- Remove once golden
And don’t forget to transfer them to a plate immediately —they’ll keep cooking on the hot pan if you leave them there.
Why This Broccoli and Walnut Dish Just Works
This recipe is all about contrast, and that’s what makes it special:
- Crunchy toasted walnuts
- Tender, vibrant broccoli
- Rich brown butter
- Bright citrus
- Sweet, jewel-like pomegranate arils
The flavors balance each other in all the right ways — warm, bright, rich, fresh, crunchy, and bold.
Using CA GROWN ingredients ties everything together. The walnuts bring depth. The broccoli offers freshness. The pomegranate and lemon keep the dish lively.
If you’ve been looking for an easy vegetable side that tastes elevated but doesn’t ask for much effort, this is it. It’s quick. It’s delicious. And it’s the new best way to cook broccoli when you want something that feels simple but tastes as if you tried way harder than you did.
Want To Get In The Groove? Check Out This Spotify Playlist From CA GROWN!
Craving more delicious side dishes? Check out our Pinterest for more CA GROWN recipes.
Got your own recipe for broccoli we should try? Snap a pic and tag us with #CAGROWN—we’d love to see what you’re mixing up.
Brown Butter Broccoli with Walnuts & Pomegranate
Ingredients
For the Broccoli:
- 1 cup toasted walnuts finely chopped
- 2 TBSP everything bagel spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 ½ lbs broccoli florets
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- salt to taste
Garnishes
- ¾ cup pomegranate arils
- lemon zest
Instructions
- Place the chopped walnuts in a bowl with the everything bagel spice, cinnamon, and cumin, and toss until the nuts are fully coated in the seasonings.
- Prepare an ice bath for the broccoli. In a large bowl, add lots of ice and water. Set aside.
- Next, prepare the broccoli. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add in the broccoli and cook it until the florets are crisp-tender – this should take approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Once the florets have finished cooking, add them to the prepared ice bath and let them cool for a few moments.
- After the florets have cooled off, drain them well and place them onto a towel to dry.
- Next, prepare the brown butter. Detailed instructions for how to brown butter in notes. Heat a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat, and add the butter.
- Once the butter starts to brown and turn fragrant, reduce the heat to low.
- Add 3/4 of the walnut mixture to the pan, reserving 1/4 of the topping for later.
- Toss the walnuts in the butter, then add in the florets and sauté until heated through. This should take approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Once the florets are heated through, place them on a serving platter.
- Garnish with the remaining walnut mixture, pomegranate arils, and lemon zest, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
How to toast walnuts:
- Time: 7-10 minutes
- Temperature: 350°F (175°C)
- Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (parchment paper or foil makes for easy cleanup).
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally or shaking the pan halfway through to ensure even toasting.
Remove them from the oven once they are golden brown, and you can smell a rich, nutty aroma. Immediately transfer them to a plate to cool, as they will continue to toast on a hot pan.
Here’s the brown butter how-to:
- Start with cold butter in a skillet—it melts more evenly.
- Set the heat to medium so the butter doesn’t scorch.
- Watch as the butter melts and begins to foam.
- The milk solids will fall to the bottom of the pan.
- Keep cooking until those solids turn into dark brown speckles.
- Listen for the change and smell that toastiness — the nutty flavor is unmistakable.
- When the butter turns a deep golden brown, you’re done.