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Full of zesty flavour, this Crunchy Lemon Roasted Crack Broccoli is a healthy and delicious side dish, salad topper or snack!
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This is one way to season roasted broccoli to get even the pickiest of eaters to clean their plates! Mixed with chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds, then tossed in a lemon-garlic sauce, this broccoli is perfectly roasted, still giving it that fresh crunch.
Plus, the lemon garlic sauce is mixed with nutritional yeast and almond flour, which adds a little extra crispy, crunchy goodness!
This Lemon-Roasted Crack Broccoli is made on repeat in my house. First, it's incredibly easy with just a few minutes of hands-on time. Second, it is the perfect side for almost any dish. Plus, with its salty, tangy crunchiness, it's even scrumptious enough to eat as a snack!
Is Roasted Broccoli Healthy?
Roasting broccoli is a great way to increase its nutritional value! Surprisingly, many nutrients and antioxidants are more readily available in cooked broccoli. Adding healthy fats like olive oil or ghee can also increase the bioavailability of broccoli's fat-soluble vitamins like A and k. On top of that, adding lemon or vinegar can further assist in the breakdown of nutrients, making them more easily absorbed.
Health Benefits
Good source of antioxidants. One of the many great things about broccoli is that cooking it increases its antioxidant levels! Many studies have found that cooked broccoli contains higher levels of certain health-promoting antioxidants than raw.
Vitamin and mineral-rich. Broccoli is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, A, folate, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.
Great source of fibre. Broccoli is an excellent source of fibre that contributes to a healthy gut and toxin elimination.
Seasonal Benefits
Spring is a great time to support digestion and detoxification with green, chlorophyll-rich foods and nature's sour flavours like lemon.
Summer is a great time to grill outside rather than roast in the house! This recipe is can be easily made on the BBQ. Simply put your baking sheet over the grill instead of in the oven.
Fall and winter are the seasons we want to load up on cold-hardy veggies like broccoli. Slow roasting at lower temperatures for a little longer is also a great way to help the body retain heat and stay warm during the colder months.
How To Make Crunchy Roasted Crack Broccoli
Making this dairy-free Crack Broccoli is incredibly easy! It just takes a few minutes of prep time and twenty minutes in the oven. Plus, it's made with simple, whole-food ingredients that don't compromise all the goodness broccoli provides. Watch how it's made here!
What You Will Need
Equipment
- Oven for roasting the broccoli.
- Baking sheet to roast the broccoli on. A 9" x 13" does the trick for a single batch. A glass baking dish will also work.
- Unbleached parchment paper (optional). Unless using a stainless steel pan or glass baking dish, you can line your baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Small and large mixing bowls for mixing the lemon garlic saucing and tossing it with the broccoli and almonds.
- Wooden spoon or spatula to toss and stir the broccoli.
Ingredients
- Fresh Broccoli offers the best crunch for this recipe. You can use frozen if you don't mind your broccoli on the softer side.
- Pumpkin seeds and chopped almonds add a delicious crunch, healthy fats and a little protein. You can omit the almond if you need to make this recipe nut-free.
- Fresh lemon juice provides a zingy, refreshing flavour that brightens up cooked broccoli.
- Garlic cloves add to the zing of lemon while providing a depth of savoury flavour.
- Nutritional Yeast adds a nutty, cheesy flavour without the dairy.
- Almond flour is mixed with the nutritional yeast in the lemon garlic sauce, providing a crispy layer. If you need to make this recipe nut-free, you can replace the almond flour with any other flour.
- Apple cider vinegar gives extra zing and gut-loving nutrients to the sauce.
- Extra virgin olive oil makes the base of the sauce and provides healthy fats that increase the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. You can also use pure cold-pressed avocado oil.
- Natural mineral salt such as Himalayan, Celtic or sea salt brings the flavours together.
Step 1: Mix Lemon Garlic Sauce
First, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Then, in a small bowl, combine the cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil with the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Next, add the minced garlic, nutritional yeast, almond flour and Himalayan salt. Mix well.
The almond flour, nutritional yeast and garlic will make the sauce quite thick and chunky. As mentioned above, this gives it a delicious layer of crispy, cheesy, tangy flavour.
Step 2: Toss Broccoli with Sauce and Almonds
Next, add the chopped broccoli florets, pumpkin seeds and chopped almonds to a large mixing bowl. Then, add the lemon garlic sauce and toss until the broccoli is evenly coated.
Step 3: Roast
Spread the tossed broccoli, almonds, and pumpkin seeds evenly on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven and bake for 20 -25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Once the almonds and pumpkin seeds begin to brown and the broccoli tips start to crisp, remove from the oven and serve while warm.
Substitutions and Variations
Make it nut-free by omitting the chopped almonds and replacing the almond flour with whole wheat, spelt or any other nut-free flour.
Use parmesan instead of nutritional yeast if you do not need this recipe to be dairy-free.
Use other nuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts or pecans.
Add other veggies such as cauliflower, green beans and mushrooms.
My Top Tips
Use organic ingredients whenever possible to avoid harmful pesticides and herbicides.
Use fresh broccoli over frozen for the best crunch and flavour.
What to Serve with Roasted Broccoli
This Crunchy Lemon Roasted Crack Broccoli makes the perfect side for many dishes! It goes great with fish, chicken or grass-fed steak. It's also a healthier option to serve with barbequed burgers. It's also delicious topped on rice, quinoa and pasta.
You can even serve this Lemon Roasted Broccoli for breakfast! It makes a delicious side dish to serve with eggs or top on a savoury breakfast bowl.
Saving and Storing
This Crunchy Lemon Roasted Broccoli is best served and eaten immediately. However, it will last 1 - 2 days in the fridge if placed in a tightly sealed container.
Recipe Highlights
Easy to make. Perfect for lazy dinners or busy weeknights, this side dish only takes a few minutes of prep time.
Friendly for most diets. This recipe is suitable for many dietary restrictions and preferences, including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, whole30 and keto.
Full of Flavour. This recipe is a great way to get the pickiest of eaters to eat their broccoli! It's bursting with zesty flavour and has a salty crunch that's deliciously addictive.
More Clean Eating Recipes
- Buffalo Chickpea Flatbread Pizza
- Roasted Chili Lime Chickpeas
- Savoury Sweet Potato Muffins
- Easy Dairy-Free Spinach & Peas Pasta
- Simple Coconut Lime Soup
FAQs
For this Crunchy Lemon Roasted Broccoli, I like roasting it at 350°F for about 25 minutes. I find it perfectly crisps up the almonds and pumpkin seeds while cooking the broccoli just enough to leave a bit of a fresh crunch.
However, if you want to cook it a little faster, you can increase the temperature to 400°F.
I find Roasted Broccoli best served immediately. However, it will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To avoid contamination, make sure it is well-sealed in an airtight container.
Roasted Broccoli can be frozen. However, it may not be as crisp and crunchy when reheated. It is best to let it fully cool before placing it in the freezer. Make sure it is sealed in an airtight container, and it can last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Roasting and cooking broccoli does remove some nutrients, like vitamin C and B vitamins. However, it makes other nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene easier for the body to absorb and metabolize. It also destroys goitrogens, which can inhibit the uptake of iodine. So, cooking and roasting broccoli is still healthy and actually better for those with low thyroid function.
If you try this Crunchy Lemon Roasted Crack Broccoli, let me know how it turns out by leaving a comment and rating below. Also, make sure you're following along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for more wildly nutritious recipes!
Crunchy Lemon Roasted Crack Broccoli
Print RecipeEquipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet or Dish (9 X 13)
- Unbleached Parchment Paper (Optional)
- Mixing Bowls (Small and Large)
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 Heads Broccoli (about 4 Heaping Cups, Chopped)
- ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Pure Cold-Pressed Avocado Oil)
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
- 4 Cloves Garlic (about 2 Tablespoons, Minced)
- 2 tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Almond Flour
- ⅓ Cup Almonds (Chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Pumpkin Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan Salt (or Other Natural Mineral Salt)
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350°F.Then, in a small bowl, combine the cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil with the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Next, add the minced garlic, nutritional yeast, almond flour and Himalayan salt. Mix well.The almond flour, nutritional yeast and garlic will make the sauce quite thick and chunky. As mentioned above, this gives it a delicious layer of crispy, cheesy, tangy flavour.
- Next, add the chopped broccoli florets, pumpkin seeds and chopped almonds to a large mixing bowl. Then, add the lemon garlic sauce and toss until the broccoli is evenly coated.
- Add your chopped broccoli florets, chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds to a large mixing bowl. Then pour in your lemon garlic sauce and toss until the broccoli is evenly coated.
- Spread the tossed broccoli, almonds, and pumpkin seeds evenly on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven and bake for 20 -25 minutes, flipping halfway through.Once the almonds and pumpkin seeds begin to brown and the broccoli tips start to crisp, remove from the oven and serve while warm.
Notes
Watch the Video!
Nutrition
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Joan Persons says
If possible, can you tell me where I can get nutritional yeast and almond flour.
Just starting to learn and implement these into my life. Thanks for making it realistic and not a diet. Loving g the information provided as well. I will be trying the beet soup. Your website is inspiring and very practical. Awesome job!
Michelle McCowan says
Hi Joan, you can usually find both nutritional yeast and almond flour in almost any grocery store. They both are usually located in the "healthy" or "natural" sections of the stores. You can also find them in health food stores and online. Here's a couple links for reference (I may make a small commission at no extra cost you, if you purchase through these links). Nutritional Yeast - https://amzn.to/3hVFX3B Almond Flour - https://amzn.to/3hr2R3U
P.S. I'm so happy to hear you have found value in the information and will be trying out more recipes! I would love your feedback on how they turn out for you. Enjoy!
Diana says
So delicious! I made this with broccolini and I loved it. I have never been a fan of broccoli in any form and I was looking for a recipe to change that. Yours delivered! Will be sharing with all my friends. Thank you so much!
Michelle McCowan says
I think this is the best comment I've received yet ? I'm so happy this recipe was a game-changer for you! Thank you so much for sharing, Diana. I hope your friends enjoy it as well!