4 Broccoli Recipes for a Light Dinner

November 12, 2019
Broccoli is a healthy and versatile food that you can prepare for a great dinner. Have you made it part of your diet yet? Enjoy these four delicious recipes.

If you want to enjoy a light dinner, you just have to learn to choose foods that are nutritious and low in calories. To that end, we want to share some delicious broccoli recipes that you can enjoy with your whole family.

Broccoli is a highly nutritious cruciferous vegetable that is great for your health. According to a publication in Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry magazine, it provides a significant amount of vitamins E, C, K, and minerals like iron, zinc, and selenium. It also contains polyphenols and other antioxidants that promote good health.

Cook these broccoli recipes for a light dinner

Take advantage of broccoli’s nutritional properties with these tasty recipes. In addition to being healthy, broccoli is versatile and can be easily combined with other ingredients. Let’s get cooking!

1. Baked broccoli with cheese

This recipe maintains and intensifies the natural flavors of broccoli and cheese. The best thing about this recipe is that the combination is so delicious that no one will believe it’s vegetarian.

Baked broccoli with cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of broccoli (200 g)
  • 2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese (200 g)
  • 1 teaspoon of olive oil (15 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon of sea salt (15 g)
  • 2 cloves of minced garlic

Instructions

  1. First, steam the broccoli for 10 minutes.
  2. Once you’ve cooked the broccoli, set it aside to cool down. Cut into pieces once it’s cool.
  3. Move the broccoli chunks to a frying pan with some olive oil and sauté them with the minced garlic.
  4. Stir everything together, season with salt and black pepper (optional) and to finish, add on the cheese.
  5. Move everything to a small baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 180ºC.

Read this article too: 6 Benefits that Broccoli Has for Your Health

2. Cajun-style broccoli

The condiment that this dish is named after also gives it an original, delicious flavor. Adding cream gives the dish a rich, velvety texture. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of broccoli (200 g)
  • 1 tablespoon of sea salt (15 g)
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil (15 ml)
  • 1 cup of cream (250 ml)
  • ½ diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning (15 g)

Instructions

  1. Start by steaming the broccoli, be sure not to overcook it in order to prevent losing its original color.
  2. At the same time, start cooking the other ingredients in a frying pan: onions, salt, black pepper, and cream.
  3. Afterward, add the broccoli and Cajun seasoning and thoroughly stir it.
  4. To bring the flavors together, continue cooking everything for 10 more minutes over low heat.

3. Broccoli and avocado salad

Another light dinner that you can enjoy is this delicious salad with broccoli and avocado. According to a study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, avocado is a good source of healthy fats, potassium, magnesium, fiber, and vitamins A, C, E, K, and B complex.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups of broccoli (500 g)
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard (40 g)
  • 3 tablespoons of nutmeg (30 g)
  • 1 tablespoon of salt (15 g)
  • 2 springs of parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil  (30 ml)
  • 3 tablespoons of lemon juice (45 ml)
Broccoli

Instructions

  1. Start by washing the entire broccoli, including the stem, and steam it for 5 minutes. Remember to maintain the original green color. It’s an important part of the recipe.
  2. After steaming it, set the broccoli aside to cool down.
  3. Meanwhile, peel the avocado and dice it. Move everything to a shallow dish or salad bowl.
  4. Then, add the parsley, salt, black pepper, and a little olive oil to season the avocado.
  5. Add the warm broccoli to the bowl and thoroughly stir everything together.
  6. To finish the dish, dress the salad with mustard and a touch of lemon juice.

4. Cream of chicken and broccoli

Cream of broccoli soup.

Pairing chicken with vegetables is always a good idea. So, why not use it as a light dinner option?

Check out this article too: Four Delicious Broccoli Recipes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of broccoli (100 g)
  • 1 medium-sized chicken breast
  • 2 tablespoons of salt (30 g)
  • 1 pinch of curry seasoning
  • 1 cup of Parmesan cheese (100 g)
  • ½ onion, diced (80 g)
  • 1 cup of cream (250 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon of black pepper (15 g)

Instructions

  1. As always, steam the broccoli, this time along with the chicken breast, onion, and salt.
  2. Once cooked, strain the broccoli and set aside.
  3. In a frying pan, heat up some oil and lightly saute the onions, sliced, with a little salt and black pepper. Afterward, add the chicken and cook everything together.
  4. Next, add the cream to the frying pan and let it cook together with the chicken.
  5. Finally, serve and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese.

Why not try one of these easy, healthy, and delicious recipes for a light dinner tonight? Bon appetit!

  • Shultz, S. (2013). Broccoli. Journal of Agricultural and Food Information. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496505.2013.833839
  • Calabriso, N., Scoditti, E., Pellegrino, M., & Annunziata Carluccio, M. (2014). Olive Oil. In The Mediterranean Diet: An Evidence-Based Approach. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-407849-9.00013-0
  • Vasanthi, H., Mukherjee, S., & Das, D. (2009). Potential Health Benefits of Broccoli- A Chemico-Biological Overview. Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry, 9(6), 749–759. https://doi.org/10.2174/138955709788452685
  • Dreher ML, Davenport AJ. Hass avocado composition and potential health effects. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2013;53(7):738–750. doi:10.1080/10408398.2011.556759
  • Latté, K. P., Appel, K. E., & Lampen, A. (2011, December). Health benefits and possible risks of broccoli – An overview. Food and Chemical Toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2011.08.019
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