Garlicky Roasted Broccoli with Tahini and Lemon Oil-Free WFPB

Bursting with Mediterranean flavor, this juicy oven roasted broccoli can be served hot or cold. This is a simple and healthy whole food plant-based recipe that makes a standout side dish for special occasions. It’s also zesty enough to be enjoyed at room temperature as an antipasto.

WHY I LOVE IT

Next level flavor for oven roasted broccoli! A small amount of tahini introduces a layer of richness while accentuating the star ingredients, lemon and garlic. This is an easy recipe with a handful of simple ingredients. It’s a crowd pleaser at gatherings, but also a simple way to make eating greens feel festive on busy weeknights.

FIRM FRESH BROCCOLI

The amount of broccoli florets in this recipe was calculated based on the assumption that many Americans get their fresh broccoli florets in pre-washed 9 oz bags. Although the quantity of florets doesn’t have to be exact, a 9 oz bag of florets is roughly equivalent to the amount of florets you’d get from a large head of broccoli, or about 2-1/3 cups. If you’re using broccoli with long stems attached, I hope you save those stems for another dish because they are a great vegetable in their own right and preparing them is super easy. Frozen broccoli is not ideal for this recipe, though I love it for things like creamy broccoli soup and other dishes where the mushiness is either preferable or not very important.

GARLIC FIENDS UNITE

I’m one of those people who always uses about four times as much garlic than recipes typically call for. That’s fresh garlic. I don’t do that with garlic powder because I think using too much can make things taste weird. Anyway, keep in mind that that’s where I’m coming from and so this is a very garlicky recipe.

In my recipes I always list garlic amounts in terms of volume measurements for minced or chopped garlic, usually tablespoons. I don’t specify the number of cloves because garlic cloves vary so much in size that it doesn’t make sense to say three cloves when a clove can be ten times bigger than another, even when they come from the same head of garlic.

Pro tip: buy peeled garlic and keep it in your freezer. Consuming large amounts of garlic is correlated with positive health outcomes. So if you enjoy the flavor, you should let yourself be a garlic fiend. I happen to think that peeling garlic is a pleasantly mindless task, but having to peel it each time I’m making something keeps me from using as much garlic in my recipes as I’d prefer.

TAHINI FOR A MARINADE

Tahini is a paste made of whole ground sesame seeds. Many of us know it as a staple in traditional Middle Eastern cuisine, but historically it has also been used throughout the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. Today tahini is popular all over the world. Used in moderation, tahini is considered acceptable in whole food plant-based (WFPB) recipes. Its rich, nutty, slightly sweet flavor makes it ideal in many dressings and marinades. Unlike oils which are extractions removed from whole plant foods and thus lower in nutrients, tahini is made from the whole sesame seed and is thus nutrient dense. In fact, you could say that tahini is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s a great source of calcium and contains protein, fiber, selenium, and more. Check the label and try to always get tahini that doesn’t have added oil though, because some brands do.

In this recipe tahini is used a bit like an oil substitute in that it adds a richness and helps transfer heat to the broccoli florets and garlic, enabling them caramelize the way that oil does. But the flavor of tahini is nuttier and creamier than any oil. And unlike oil, tahini is a viscous paste that creates a thin coating on the broccoli. This coating changes the mouth feel of the broccoli, making the chewing experience more satisfying. The total amount of tahini in this recipe is minimal, just one tablespoon. But it has an outsized effect on the recipe that’s beyond what the same amount of olive oil could do.

WHY MAPLE SYRUP

I avoid refined sweeteners in my recipes, even maple syrup. When I do use refined sweeteners I do so in very small amounts. In my first attempt at this recipe I used 50% more lemon juice and I did not use maple syrup, or any other sweetener. The result was edible to me, but I could tell that it would be way too sour for most people. I still wanted the recipe to taste intensely lemony and for there to be enough marinade to coat all of the florets. The only way to make the recipe truly lemony and palatable at the same time was to add a bit of some type of sweetener. A liquid sweetener also adds volume to the marinade allowing me to use a little less lemon juice. Maple syrup is my go to vegan sweetener so that’s what I used, just 2 teaspoons. Instead of maple syrup you could also use agave, or honey if you’re not vegan. By using a little bit of sweetener you’re also getting more caramelization on the broccoli, a nice bonus.

SMOKED PAPRIKA

In this recipe, smoked paprika contributes a subtle depth of flavor. If you don’t have smoked paprika, regular paprika will do. But I urge everyone to keep this spice in their pantry because you will end up using it over and over in so many different types of dishes. Vegan and plant-based cooks are especially fond of smoked paprika because it introduces sweet smoky notes that omnivorous cooks often get from using smoked or cured meats, or ingredients derived from smoked or cured meats like hambone and rendered bacon fat. These animal derived ingredients add a great deal of flavor to traditional recipes. Meanwhile, smoked paprika can have a similar impact on tastebuds and is always vegan. Smoked paprika is an economical, shelf stable way to introduce a sweet smoky flavor without adding sodium, fat or calories

MINIMAL MARINATING

I’m calling the sauce that goes on the broccoli a marinade, but that doesn’t mean you need to let the broccoli sit in the marinade before cooking it, though you could if you wanted to. This is a minimal clean-up simple recipe where the marinating happens along with the cooking process. You just mix all the ingredients except the broccoli in a small bowl and that’s the marinade. Just take time to make sure that the tahini un-clumps and gets distributed. After that, pour the marinade over broccoli florets and toss to coat. You can do this on the same parchment paper lined pan that goes into the oven.

SLOW ROAST WITH MIDWAY TOSS

Many oven roasted broccoli recipes go for a slightly higher temperature. I prefer the slower roasting temperature of 400 F° because I don’t want to burn the fresh garlic. Depending on your particular oven and how charred you want your broccoli, the total cooking time is 20 to 25 minutes. For best results I recommend that you turn your florets at least once half way through the cooking process.

related recipes you’ll love