Broccoli Rabe (Rapini): Nutrition, Bitter Taste and How to Cook It

Broccoli rabe, also sold as rapini, is a leafy green with small, broccoli-like buds, thin stalks and a sharp, pleasantly bitter bite. Despite the name, it is not a broccoli at all. Botanists place it in Brassica rapa, the species that also includes turnips and bok choy, while broccoli belongs to Brassica oleracea. USDA data show that one cooked serving of broccoli rabe supplies more than a full day’s Daily Value of vitamin K, along with vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, calcium and fiber. Below is what broccoli rabe is, its USDA nutrition, how it compares with broccoli, why it tastes bitter, how to cook it, and why people taking warfarin are told to keep their vitamin K intake consistent.

Peptide Labs does not sell broccoli rabe or broccoli rabe products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is broccoli rabe?

Broccoli rabe is grown for its leaves, stems and clustered flower buds, which are cooked and eaten together. A 2025 study of Italian broccoli rabe in the journal Horticulture Research lists the many names it goes by: cime di rapa or friarielli in central and southern Italy, and broccoli de rabe, raab, rapini, spring broccoli or Italian turnip elsewhere. The same paper says the florets are most prized while green, when they have a pungent, slightly bitter taste, and that in Italy the crop is mostly grown outdoors from fall to early spring.

The name is where the confusion starts. Broccoli is Brassica oleracea var. italica, the same species as cabbage, kale and cauliflower. Broccoli rabe is Brassica rapa: a 2017 genetic study in Frontiers in Plant Science lists rapini among the B. rapa crops alongside turnip, Chinese cabbage and bok choy. In the family tree, then, broccoli rabe sits closer to turnips and bok choy than to broccoli. It is also a different plant from broccolini, a broccoli cross with long, tender stems and a much milder flavor.

Broccoli rabe nutrition (USDA SR Legacy)

The USDA SR Legacy database has two broccoli rabe entries, raw (FDC 170381) and cooked (FDC 170382), and lists rapini as an alternate name. The table uses USDA serving sizes, with percent Daily Values (%DV) based on FDA reference amounts.

Vitamin K is the headline. An 85 g cooked serving supplies 181% of the Daily Value, and even a cup of raw chopped leaves, which weighs only 40 g in USDA data, supplies 75%. Cooked broccoli rabe also provides vitamin A (21% DV), vitamin C (35% DV), folate (15% DV), manganese (14% DV) and vitamin E (14% DV) per serving, plus 8% DV each of fiber and calcium. It is very light, at 25 calories per 100 g cooked in USDA data.

For context on the minerals, our calcium foods guide compares plant and dairy sources, and our fiber guide explains the Daily Value for fiber.

Broccoli rabe vs broccoli

Side by side, the three greens look quite different on paper. The table shows USDA values per 100 g of each raw vegetable.

Per 100 g raw, broccoli rabe has roughly twice the vitamin K of broccoli, about four times the vitamin A, more than twice the calcium and nearly three times the iron, but less than a quarter of the vitamin C. Mustard greens, another peppery, bitter green, sit close to broccoli rabe on vitamin K and calcium. Our broccoli guide and mustard greens guide cover each vegetable in full.

Why broccoli rabe tastes bitter

An NIH fact sheet on cruciferous vegetables explains that the cabbage family contains glucosinolates, sulfur-containing chemicals responsible for the pungent aroma and bitter flavor of these vegetables. When the plant is chopped or chewed, an enzyme called myrosinase breaks glucosinolates down into other compounds, and a 2024 systematic review notes that cooking deactivates that enzyme. Researchers study these breakdown products in the lab, but those findings are not evidence that eating broccoli rabe has any particular health effect.

Cooks tame the bitterness in a few familiar ways: blanching the greens briefly in boiling salted water before sautéing them, pairing them with garlic, olive oil, lemon or chili, or cooking them with sausage, white beans or pasta, as in the southern Italian dish orecchiette with cime di rapa. Some people simply enjoy the bitterness and cook it as little as possible.

How to cook broccoli rabe

• Trim: cut off the dry ends of the stalks. Thick stems can be peeled or split lengthwise so they cook as quickly as the leaves.
• Wash: rinse well in plenty of cold water, since grit collects between the leaves and buds.
• Blanch: drop into boiling salted water until bright green and just tender, then drain or cool in ice water. This softens both the texture and the bitterness.
• Sauté: finish in a pan with olive oil, sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, or toss with cooked pasta.
• Roast or grill: coat lightly with oil and cook until the leaves crisp at the edges and the stems are tender.
• Store: keep it unwashed in the refrigerator, loosely wrapped, and cook it soon; the leaves wilt faster than a head of broccoli.

Vitamin K and blood thinners: keep it consistent

Because broccoli rabe is so rich in vitamin K, it matters for one group in particular. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements explains that warfarin and similar anticoagulants work against vitamin K, and that people taking warfarin need to maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K from food and supplements, because sudden changes can increase or decrease the drug’s effect. That does not mean broccoli rabe is off-limits. It means keeping the amount you eat steady from week to week and talking to your clinician or anticoagulation clinic before a big change, such as starting to eat large amounts of greens. Our vitamin K foods guide lists other greens with similar amounts.

Goitrogens and iodine: what ODS says

Online articles often warn that cruciferous vegetables harm the thyroid, so it helps to read what ODS actually says. Its iodine fact sheet explains that goitrogens are substances that interfere with the thyroid’s uptake of iodine and can worsen iodine deficiency, and it lists cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower among foods high in goitrogens. ODS adds that the concern is mainly for people living in areas prone to iodine deficiency, and that for most people, including most of the U.S. population, who have adequate iodine intakes and eat a variety of foods, reasonable amounts of goitrogen-containing foods are not a concern.

A 2024 systematic review of brassica vegetables and thyroid function reached a similar view: most results cast doubt on the old idea that these vegetables have antithyroid effects in humans, particularly when iodine intake is adequate. If you have a thyroid condition, ask your clinician about your diet; our iodine guide covers iodine itself.

Gas, allergy and other practical notes

• Gas: NIDDK lists cruciferous vegetables among foods that may lead to excess gas, because bacteria in the large intestine break down carbohydrates that were not fully digested. Smaller portions may be easier; our gas and bloating guide has more.
• Allergens: broccoli rabe is not one of the nine major food allergens that US labels must declare, although any food can cause a reaction in some people.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Broccolini: What It Is, Broccolini vs Broccoli, How to Cook It, Broccoli: Nutrition, Benefits and Raw vs Cooked Facts, Mustard Greens: Nutrition, Benefits, Cooking and Cautions.