Recipe
Charred Broccoli & White Bean Bowl
A warm bowl of deeply roasted broccoli, lemony white beans and brown rice, finished with a sharp mustard-tahini dressing, parsley and toasted sunflower seeds. Start the rice first and prepare the rest while it cooks.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Calories
- 524 kcal
- Protein
- 24.1 g
- Fiber
- 20.6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 65.3 g
- Fat
- 14.2 g
Ingredients
4 servings
Bowl base
- 700 gBroccoli
- 1 tbspExtra virgin olive oil, or a splash of aquafaba (optional)
- pinchBlack pepper
- 1 pinchRed pepper flakes (optional)
- 200 gBrown rice, dry weight
- 500 mlWater, for the rice
Lemony beans
- 480 gCannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tspLemon zest
- 1 tbspLemon juice
- 3 clovesGarlic, minced
Mustard-tahini dressing
- 4 tbspTahini (sesame paste)
- 60 mlWater
- 2 tspLemon juice
- 1 tspMustard powder
- 1 tbspNutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tbspMaple syrup
- 1 tbspApple cider vinegar
To finish
- 20 gBroccoli sprouts, a small handful, raw (optional)
- 20 gSunflower seeds, toasted in a dry pan
- 1 sprigParsley, fresh
Instructions
Before you start
- A sheet tray lined with parchment
- A small pot for the beans
- A bowl and whisk for the dressing
- A pot with a lid for the rice
- Beans drained and rinsed
- Sunflower seeds toasted in a dry pan until golden
The enzyme myrosinase helps convert a compound in broccoli into sulforaphane. High heat can inactivate this enzyme. Mustard powder supplies active myrosinase, which is why we add the dressing after roasting. A small human study found greater sulforaphane uptake when cooked broccoli was eaten with mustard powder. [1]
In a small human crossover study, adding mustard powder to cooked broccoli increased a urinary marker of sulforaphane uptake. [1]
[1]
- Rinse 200 g brown rice and add it to a pot with 500 ml water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 40 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Leave it covered off the heat while you cook the rest.
- Heat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F and line a sheet tray with parchment.
- Cut 700 g broccoli into bite-sized florets, including the peeled stem. Leave it on the board for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients, then season it for roasting.
- Toss the broccoli with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or a splash of aquafaba), plenty of cracked black pepper and 1 pinch red pepper flakes if using. Spread in a single layer and roast 16–20 minutes, until the edges are deeply browned and crisp but the stalks still have a little bite. Don't crowd the tray, or it steams instead of charring.
- In a small pot over low heat, warm 480 g cannellini beans with 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 cloves garlic and a splash of the bean liquid until just heated through, 3–4 minutes. Season with pepper and keep warm.
- Combine 4 tbsp tahini (sesame paste), 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp mustard powder, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes, 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Add 60 ml water a spoonful at a time until it pours. Taste — it should be sharp and savory.
- Divide the rice between the bowls. Top with the beans and the roasted broccoli, then scatter over 20 g broccoli sprouts if using.
- Drizzle generously with the mustard-tahini, squeeze over any remaining lemon, and scatter with 1 sprig parsley and 20 g sunflower seeds, toasted. Serve right away, while the broccoli is still crisp.
