Meanings
plural broccolinis
- countableuncountableA green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and long thin stalks; a cross between broccoli and kai-lan (Chinese broccoli).
She did not look up but just kept pulling grocery items from her bag. Broccolinis and fresh eggs.
2009, Lorrie Moore, A Gate at the Stairs, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 2315 more examples
10 P.M. (Bravo) TOP CHEF C. J. is gone after he served what Tom Colicchio called the worst dish in the three seasons of the show, an admittedly gross-looking broccolini.
2007 September 19, Stephanie Russell, “What’s on Tonight”, in New York TimesOnce the broccolini are cool, you have to get them very dry, so let them drain in a colander, spin them in a salad spinner, dab them with paper towels, or even drive around the block a few times holding them out the window…just get them superdry.
2013, Brian L. Patton, The Sexy Vegan’s Happy Hour at Home: Small Plates, Big Flavors, and Potent Cocktails, New World Library, →ISBN, page 111The tightly closed flowerheads of goldenrod are perfect for pinching off under the inflorescence and steaming or boiling like little broccolinis.
2016, Briana Wiles, Mountain States Foraging: 115 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Alpine Sorrel to Wild Hops, Timber Press, →ISBNI love this dish because the creamy element of the cashew sauce goes so well with the crunchy broccolinis and the nutty and creamy flavor of the urad dal.
2019, Rakhee Yadav, Heavenly Vegan Dals & Curries: Exciting New Dishes From an Indian Girl’s Kitchen Abroad, Page Street Publishing, →ISBNTo increase the umami taste, splash 1 Tbsp of soy or tamari sauce on the broccolini once they’re cooked, and swap the fine salt out for an umami-infused salt. […] The broccolini are spread out between two baking sheets to prevent overcrowding.
2020, Nik Sharma, The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained + More than 100 Essential Recipes, Chronicle Books, →ISBN, page 214Synonyms: asparation, baby broccoli, broccolette, broccoletti, tenderstem
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and long thin stalks; a cross between broccoli and kai-lan (Chinese broccoli).
Origin
From a trademark, presumably intended as a diminutive of broccoli.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French broccolini
- broccolinivegetable
Italian broccoletto
- broccolettovegetable
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with broccolini
Cite this entry
broccolini. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broccolini
“broccolini.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broccolini. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “broccolini,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broccolini.
Source: broccolini on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.