These sheet pan smashed broccoli florets have an irresistable, crisp-tender texture! If you happen to’ve been in search of a flavorful and inventive method to take pleasure in broccoli as a aspect dish or snack, then this recipe is for you. It’s simple and enjoyable to organize, and the recipe affords completely different seasoning choices.
I’m not often one to leap on viral meals developments. The first cause for that is that I’m not fast sufficient on the uptake.
The primary time I made vegan baked feta pasta, for instance, was about two years after it first began trending.
Nonetheless, that feta pasta is an instance of a meals development that grew to become widespread for good causes: nice taste and a cooking methodology that was each ingenious and time-saving.
It proved to me that viral recipes might be actually worthy—they will develop into timeless keepers, in reality—whether or not I make them whereas they’re widespread or not.
At present, I’m sharing an equally playful recipe with unexpectedly nice outcomes: sheet-pan smashed broccoli florets.
My recipe for smashed broccoli is straightforward and enjoyable. It creates florets which have the tenderness of steamed broccoli, however the crispy edges of roasted broccoli.
On prime of that, the florets are tremendous scrumptious. I’m excited to let you know about them.
What’s smashed broccoli?
Even if you happen to’ve by no means heard of smashed broccoli, it’s doable that you’ve heard of a associated recipe: smashed potatoes.
The idea behind each recipes is similar. First, you par-cook a vegetable, in order that it’s not fairly able to eat, but it surely’s tender sufficient to smash.
Then, you “smash” the veggie with one thing—I take advantage of both the underside of a ingesting glass or the underside of a mason jar.
This flattens the vegetable, making it kind of like an enormous, tender “chip.” It additionally will increase floor space, so there’s extra alternative to brush or sprinkle the vegetable with toppings or seasonings.
You could be questioning whether or not or not the hassle is worth it. Mightn’t it’s sufficient to simply roast broccoli florets as an alternative?
Truly, I feel smashing may be very worthwhile!
I like roasted broccoli, but it surely’s very completely different from these smashed florets. Roasted broccoli is tremendous crispy; generally it’s even too crispy for my style.
Then again, steamed broccoli—which is one in all my go-to vegetable aspect dishes and a favourite meals, interval—has no crunch or crispiness in any respect.
Smashed broccoli is kind of the perfect of each worlds. The florets are tremendous tender, but their edges have pleasant crispiness.
They are surely distinctive. The method of constructing them isn’t solely distinctive, however enjoyable, too.
Find out how to make smashed broccoli florets
“Smashing” the broccoli occurs in a couple of steps. First, you’ll steam the florets simply sufficient to tenderize them.
Then comes smashing and seasoning.
Lastly, you’ll roast the florets on a sheet pan. You might have the choice so as to add additional seasoning a couple of minutes earlier than the florets end roasting; I’ve included my favourite choices.
Step 1: Steam
The aim of the steaming step is to cook dinner the broccoli in order that it’s fork tender, but not sufficient for it to be mushy. I discover that 4-5 minutes is the correct quantity of time.
Step 2: Smash
Subsequent comes the enjoyable half: smashing!
However earlier than you smash, you’ll have to pat the florets dry.
I do that by transferring my steamed florets to a flat floor that I’ve lined with tea towels or paper towels. I press and pat them gently to take away as a lot moisture as I can.
Subsequent, you’ll switch the florets to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Seize a ingesting glass or a mason jar—whichever you may have available—and use the underside to “smash,” or flatten the florets.
This may increasingly require a bit of stress. The aim is to flatten the florets gently, however to not pound on them in order that they begin to collapse.
After this, you’ll wish to use one other paper towel or tea towel to pat the flattened florets dry as soon as once more. They need to be as dry as doable earlier than you season them.
Step 3: Season
Now it’s time to season the smashed broccoli florets.
I attempted doing this in a couple of other ways. I drizzled them with oil then used my palms to coat them; in one other trial, I used cooking oil spray. After that, I sprinkled salt and garlic powder on prime.
The perfect methodology I discovered was impressed by Nicole’s recipe: to combine the olive oil with garlic powder and salt earlier than gently brushing it onto the florets.
I discovered that this seasoned them most successfully and constantly, leading to completely garlicky, salty items.
Step 4: Roast
Subsequent, you’ll switch the florets to a pre-heated oven for roasting.
They’ll want 15-18 minutes at 400°F/200°C, or till the florets are scorching and turning golden. However they’re not fairly prepared but!
At this level, you’ll take away the florets from the oven and season you may season them once more, this time with extra toppings of your choise.
I give three choices:
All of those choices are good in numerous methods. Cashew parmesan provides some texture and savoriness.
Lemon juice and zest, after all, provides brightness and acidity.
Lastly, the crushed purple pepper provides some warmth.
If none of those taste profiles appeals, you possibly can after all discover another seasonings. A couple of extra concepts that come to thoughts:
- A dusting of za’atar or dukkah
- Baste the florets with buffalo sauce or drizzle them with scorching sauce
- Brush the florets frivolously with harissa
- Sprinkle the florets with Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence
- Spoon vegan yellow cheese sauce generously over the broccoli
Return the florets to the oven and bake them for 5 extra minutes, or till they’re browning and fairly crispy on the edges.
They need to at this level even be extraordinarily tender within the heart, too.
Give the florets a ending sprinkle of sea salt, a drizzle of additional olive oil, or another desired touches. They’re now able to eat.
Can I put together the recipe with frozen broccoli?
It’s no secret that I’m an enormous lover of frozen veggies. I whip up baggage of frozen inexperienced beans, peas, carrots, and corn on a regular basis, topping them merely with a bit of vegan butter and salt.
If frozen cauliflower is what I’ve, then it often turns into roasted frozen cauliflower florets.
The Vegan Week
Embrace the enjoyment of consuming selfmade meals day-after-day with the hearty and healthful recipes in The Vegan Week.
Whether or not you may have three, two, and even only one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will present you learn how to batch cook dinner various, colourful, and comforting dishes over the weekend.
And I’m virtually by no means and not using a bag of frozen broccoli florets to mess around with.
Fairly often, these get became the From-Frozen Roasted Broccoli from The Vegan Week.
For a distinct strategy, you may cook dinner the florets as instructed on the frozen package deal, dry them as a lot as humanly doable, then proceed with the smashing and seasoning steps above.
The outcomes can be similar to these achieved with utilizing contemporary broccoli. And the recipe can be doable whether or not you’ve remembered to buy produce just lately or not!
Storage
You possibly can retailer the sheet-pan smashed broccoli florets in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as three days.
I discover that the feel is compromised by way of freezing and defrosting, so that is one veggie aspect dish that I don’t suggest freezing.
Serving ideas
The smashed broccoli florets are actually supposed to be a aspect dish or a snack.
If you happen to make them right into a aspect dish, you may serve them with any vegan primary dish or mixture of easy proteins or grain dishes.
If you happen to’d prefer to snack on the florets, then I extremely suggest a dipping sauce to go together with them! Listed below are a couple of concepts:
The florets should be very flavorful all on their very own—that’s the purpose of including seasoning—however the addition of a stellar sauce can’t harm.
Right here’s the recipe in its entirety.
Sheet Pan Smashed Broccoli Florets (Crisp-Tender!)
Writer –
Yields: 4 servings
- 1 giant or 2 smaller crowns broccoli, reduce into giant florets* (2-3 inches, or 5-7.5cm)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil (plus any additional you may want for ending)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon advantageous salt (plus any additional you may want for ending)
- Crushed purple pepper flakes or freshly floor black pepper, to style
- Non-obligatory: 1 lemon, juice and zest
- Non-obligatory: 3 tablespoons Cashew Parmesan Cheese
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Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Fill a pot of water with a couple of inches of water and match it with a steamer attachment. Carry the water to a boil and add the florets to the steamer. Steam the broccoli florets for 4-5 minutes, or till they’re tender and might be pierced fairly simply with a fork, however not mushy. Take away the steamer basket from warmth.
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Switch the florets to a flat floor that has been lined with tea towels or paper towels. Pat the florets very dry. Switch them to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Use the underside of a mean, flat-bottomed ingesting glass or mason jar to smash the florets till they’re significantly flattened, however not damaged or falling aside. They need to be 1/4-1/2 inch (6mm-1.3cm) thick. In the event that they launch any extra moisture while you smash them, use a paper towel to pat them dry once more on the baking sheet. The smashed florets needs to be as dry as doable.
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Whisk the oil, garlic powder, and salt collectively in a small bowl. Use a pastry or basting brush to brush this combination over the tops of the florets, coating them fairly nicely. Add crushed purple pepper flakes or freshly floor black pepper as desired.
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Switch the broccoli to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or till the florets are scorching and turning golden. Take away the sheet from the oven and add ending seasonings as desired: a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of lemon zest, or a couple of tablespoons of cashew parmesan, sprinkled over the florets.
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Return the florets to the oven and bake for 5-7 extra minutes, or till the florets are crispy and browning on the edges. If you happen to like, end them with one ultimate sprinkle of salt and/or an additional drizzle of olive oil. Get pleasure from.
Alternatively, use a 12-16 ounce / 340-450g bag of frozen broccoli florets. As a substitute of steaming as described, cook dinner the florets from frozen as directed on the package deal. Then proceed with the recipe as written.
In only a second, I’ll be grabbing a bag of frozen broccoli florets from my freezer and utilizing them to organize the recipe.
I haven’t performed in depth vegan meal prep for this week, and I’m additionally in a part of “buying the pantry/freezer” as a way to clear some room for brand new provides.
I might very nicely simply serve the defrosted and cooked florets with vegan butter and salt, as I’ve performed many instances earlier than. And that might be advantageous.
But it surely’s good to have a extra impressed preparation methodology deliberate. The florets will make an in any other case kind of humdrum meals week really feel a bit of zestier and extra flavorful.
It’s proof that small ingredient tweaks and contemporary preparation strategies could make an enormous distinction! I hope you’ll be equally happy by this concept and the tasty inexperienced vegetable that it creates.
xo
