Broccoli raab, better known in Italy as rapini or cime di rapa, is a leafy green from the cabbage family. Despite the name, it's closer to the turnip than to broccoli. Its seeds are also one of the most rewarding to sprout at home, giving you tangy, mustardy sprouts in under a week. Here's what rapini is and how to grow it.
Full day-by-day growing guide: how to sprout broccoli raab seeds in a jar, with photos for every day, soak and rinse times, and food safety.
What is broccoli raab?
Broccoli raab is grown for its leaves, thin stems and small, broccoli-like flower buds. It's a staple of southern Italian cooking, especially in Puglia, where it's famously served with orecchiette pasta, garlic and chilli. It's also used in Chinese and Portuguese cooking.
What does it taste like?
Rapini has a bold, slightly bitter and nutty flavour with a peppery, mustard-like kick. The sprouts and microgreens carry the same character in a milder, fresher form, which makes them a good step up if you find broccoli sprouts too gentle.
Broccoli raab vs broccoli
Broccoli is grown for its large, tight green heads. Broccoli raab has no big head: you eat the leaves, stems and small buds together. As sprouts, Calabrese broccoli is mild and gently peppery, while broccoli raab is tangier and more mustardy.
How to sprout broccoli raab seeds in a jar
- Soak: put 1 to 2 tablespoons of seeds in a clean jar, cover with cool drinking water and soak for 4 to 8 hours.
- Drain and rinse: drain through a sprouting lid or mesh, rinse with fresh drinking water and drain again.
- Rinse 2 to 3 times a day: rinse and drain, morning and evening as a minimum, resting the jar upside down at an angle so excess water runs out.
- Green them up: after 3 to 4 days, move the jar into bright, indirect light for a few hours so the leaves turn green.
- Harvest and store: sprouts are typically ready in 4 to 6 days. Give them a final rinse, dry well and keep them covered in the fridge. Cook them until steaming hot before eating, and eat within a few days.
For day-by-day photos and troubleshooting tips, see our broccoli raab sprouting guide.
How to grow broccoli raab microgreens
- Line a clean shallow tray with a growing mat or a few layers of damp kitchen paper.
- Scatter the seeds thinly and evenly, press them gently onto the surface and mist with drinking water.
- Cover with a second tray or lid for 2 to 3 days while they germinate.
- Uncover and give them bright, indirect light, watering from below to keep the mat damp, not wet.
- Harvest with scissors after 8 to 12 days, when the first leaves have opened and the shoots are 5 to 8 cm tall. Rinse, then cook them until steaming hot before eating.
How to cook rapini sprouts and microgreens
Every idea below cooks them until they are steaming hot.
- Stir-fry with garlic, chilli and noodles for 2 to 3 minutes until steaming hot.
- Cook in a little butter for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted and steaming hot, then fold into an omelette.
- Warm olive oil and garlic in a pan, add the sprouts and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until steaming hot, then toss with orecchiette or other pasta, lemon zest and Parmesan.
- Stir into soup for the last 2 minutes and simmer until steaming hot.
For a cook-then-cool sandwich, and more recipes, see our broccoli raab sprouting guide.
Sprouting safety
Raw sprouts can carry harmful bacteria and rinsing does not remove all risk. Always cook sprouts until steaming hot before eating. This applies to everyone, including pregnant people, young children, older people and anyone unwell. Microgreens and shoots grown on a tray must also be cooked thoroughly until steaming hot before eating.
Use clean equipment and drinking water, refrigerate harvested sprouts promptly and discard any that smell off or show mould. Always use seeds sold for sprouting, not garden seed packets.
Shop our Organic Broccoli Raab Sprouting Seeds, or browse all our sprouting and microgreen seeds.
