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Charred Broccoli is a wonderful, bright side dish with notes of tart lemon and sweet dates. A nutritious, easy recipe.
Table of Contents
Why make Charred Broccoli
Easy. A very easy side dish that is ready in about 15-20 minutes and it takes minimal effort to whip up.
Nutrient Dense. Full of fiber and feel good ingredients. This side dish won’t weigh you down at all, it’s light and has great flavor in every bite.
Family Favorite. My family loves this salad and they request it often, anyone who tried this dish wants it again and again. Also consider my Kale & Lentil Salad for another great, healthy side. Another side dish that’s a huge success and a must make, Parmesan Crusted Potatoes or Kale Crunch Salad!
Ingredients Needed
Broccoli. Fresh broccoli is needed for this recipe, I do not suggest frozen because it doesn’t cook the same. It’s hearty and chars up the best. This dish would is wonderful served with Blackened Steak.
Dates. Fresh or dried dates work well. This adds antioxidants and a delicious sweet twist.
Cheese. Use Parmesan, Pecorino or manchego cheese for this dish.
Lemon. Fresh lemons are a must! Lemon zest and lemon juice is used in this recipe.
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
Cheese. This is optional, you can certainly skip the cheese and make this a vegan recipe.
Dates. If you don’t have dates, dried cranberries will work or you can skip them all together. Because the dates bring a nice sweetness to this dish, I do highly recommend them.
Pine Nuts. I love the texture and light flavor they add, you can use chopped walnuts in place if needed.
Steps To Make This Recipe
Step One. Preheat oven to 450º. Meanwhile, chop the broccoli up into small florets, set aside. In a small bowl mix the oil and seasonings together. Pour the mix over the broccoli and mix well.
Step Two. Lay the broccoli out on the baking sheet flat and evenly spread out. Be sure it’s not overlapping, this will ensure a good char and even bake.
Step Three. Bake the broccoli for about 12-15 minutes or until the florets start to char and blacken a bit. While the broccoli is baking, prepare the lemon zest, shredded cheese, chopped dates and pine nuts.
Step Four. Once the broccoli is finished, pull it from the oven and sprinkle the cheese, lemon zest, dates and nuts all over it on the baking sheet. Finish it off with lemon juice and serve.
Recipe FAQs
This is best served warm, it can be eaten room temperature but the Broccoli has the best texture right out of the oven, because of this I suggest serving warm.
No, you can also just roast the broccoli to soften it well, to your preference and then continue with the other add ins.
Recipe Tips
Enjoy this dish right out of the oven. The texture of the broccoli is best fresh from the oven.
Don’t burn the broccoli. Please note all oven temps differ greatly, keep an eye on the broccoli and be sure it doesn’t burn.
Add more salt, pepper and seasonings as needed. If you want to sprinkle an extra kiss of sea salt on the charred broccoli, do so!
Recipe Pairings
Pair Charred Broccoli with my Chicken Tomato Casserole, Firecracker Salmon or my delicious Pistachio Salmon.
Other Side Dishes To Try
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Charred Broccoli
Equipment
- large baking dish
- mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups broccoli florets
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, *optional
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup dates, pitted and chopped
- ⅓ cup Parmesan, shredded, *see notes
- 2-3 Tbsp lemon zest, *about 1-2 lemons
- 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450º. Meanwhile, chop the broccoli up into small florets, set aside. In a small bowl mix the oil and seasonings together. Pour the mix over the broccoli and mix well.
- Lay the broccoli out on the baking sheet flat and evenly spread out. Be sure it's not overlapping, this will ensure a good char and even bake.
- Bake the broccoli for about 12-15 minutes or until the florets start to char and blacken a bit. While the broccoli is baking, prepare the lemon zest, shredded cheese, chopped dates and pine nuts.
- Once the broccoli is finished, pull it from the oven and sprinkle the cheese, lemon zest, dates and nuts all over it on the baking sheet. Finish it off with lemon juice, parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
