Broccoli with Hummus

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This super simple broccoli is one of my all-time favourite ways to cook this unique vegetable.

It’s important to cover the broccoli when cooking so it cars as well as steams. If you don’t have a lid, use a baking tray or even some foil.

enough for 2
Takes: 10 minutes
2 heads broccoli
1 can chickpeas (400g/14oz)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
2 small cloves garlic, peeled

1. Heat a large frying pan on a very high heat. Chop your broccoli into mini trees.

2. Add a few tablespoons olive oil to the pan and add broccoli immediately. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Stir broccoli, re-cover and cook for another 2 minutes or until it is cooked to your liking.

4. For hummus, combine chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons canning liquid from the chickpeas in a food processor.

5. Whizz until smooth. Tast & season.

Quantities for different serving sizes

The limitation on this recipe is the broccoli. If cooking for more people, it’s best to cook the broccoli in batches. It’s fine to halve the recipe without having a major impact on cooking times.

Prepare Ahead?

I happily eat this broccoli cold so it’s fine to prepare ahead. The hummus can be made at any stage. If you haven’t ever made your own, I highly recommend trying it. It only takes a few minutes and is so much nicer than supermarket hummus.

Variations

carnivore – for a more substantial meal. brown some ground beef until really well cooked. Season and sprinkle over the broccoli.

sesame free – make a chickpea dip by omitting the tahini. Or replace the tahini with almond or other nut butter.

chickpea free – if you’re trying to minimise chickpeas in your diet because of their relatively high carb content, feel free to make a white bean hummus or even lentil hummus (I haven’t tried this because I thought of it only now but I think it’s going to be a winner)

Problem Solving Guide

too bland– season with salt & pepper and lemon juice.

too dry – stir in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

too thick – make sure you remember to add the canning liquid from the chickpeas to the hummus.

too runny – sounds like too much canning liquid or not enough tahini.

can’t find tahini? – tahini is ground up sesame seeds and is usually found in the ‘health food’ section of the supermarket. You might need to go to a dedicated health food store to get it. In Australia it’s readily available in supermarkets or middle eastern grocery stores.

still can’t find tahini? – just skip it for a simple chickpea dip OR replace with almond or other nut butter.

broccoli burning – Add a few tablespoons of water to the pan to prevent burning and increase the steam. Make sure you are covering the broccoli as best you can.

broccoli too crunchy – This method does tend to give more al dente broccoli. If you prefer it more tender, just cook for longer. A little extra water can help as well. Or use frozen broccoli which naturally less crunchy because of the freezing process.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

broccoli – will keep wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge for about 2 weeks or sometimes a little longer. Can be frozen (if you have time chop before freezing so it will defrost quickly in the pan).

chickpeas – keep it in the pantry.

lemon – whole lemon will keep wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge for months.

tahini – I keep mine in the pantry but will keep longer in the fridge if open.

garlic – in a dark pantry will keep for months. I keep mine in a brown paper bag to avoid sprouting.