Charred purple sprouting broccoli with romesco whipped tofu
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 2
Great textures and flavours combine in this banging veggie main that showcases charred broccoli, herby roast potatoes and a red pepper-infused whipped tofu.
For this recipe you will need a blender or food processor.
Ingredients
For the romesco whipped tofu
- 3 large red peppers
- 150g/5½oz silken tofu, drained
- 150g/5½oz almonds, toasted
- 2 tsp sherry vinegar, plus extra if needed
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika, plus extra if needed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the potatoes
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tbsp dried dill
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 400g/14oz new potatoes (cut any larger potatoes in half
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the broccoli
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 300g/10½oz purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed and halved lengthways if the stalks are thick
- salt
To garnish
- small handful flaked almonds (optional)
- mature cheddar, feta or plant-based cheese, grated or crumbled
- fresh dill fronds
Method
To make the tofu, preheat the grill to high.
Place the peppers on a baking tray lined with kitchen foil. Season with salt and grill for a few minutes, keeping an eye on them, until well charred on one side. Turn the peppers over using tongs and repeat until the peppers are well charred all over.
Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with cling film or a plastic bag. Once cool enough to handle, peel away the skins and remove the stalks and seeds. Roughly chop the peppers.
Place the peppers, tofu, almonds, vinegar and paprika in a blender or food processor. Blend until it is a thick, smooth sauce.
Season well with salt and pepper. Taste and add more vinegar or paprika if needed. Chill in the fridge briefly if you want it extra thick or set aside.
To make the potatoes, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Grind the salt, dill and thyme in a pestle and mortar to a fine powder.
Put the potatoes on a baking tray. Evenly drizzle with the oil and sprinkle over the dill salt. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender and golden.
Meanwhile, to cook the broccoli, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium–high heat.
Add the broccoli, season with salt and shake a little to distribute evenly around the pan. Use something heavy and heatproof to weigh the broccoli down to increase the charring.
Char for 2–3 minutes until deeply coloured. Turn over and repeat until nicely charred all over but still with a little bite. Remove from the heat immediately.
To serve, spoon the whipped tofu onto plates. Top with the potatoes and broccoli. Scatter over flaked almonds, if using, cheese and dill fronds and serve.
Recipe tips
The lid of a casserole is perfect for weighing the broccoli down in step 9.
