Broccoli mash came into our lives by accident. We had a bag of frozen broccoli sitting in the back of the freezer. I’m gonna say it’s been there more than 6 months. No judgement please. A huge part of being a plant-based advocate means finding new ways to love classic foods that I grew up with. It ain’t a pretty dish but it sure is tasty and packed with flavor.
Back in the Day
I grew up with two kinds of broccoli. One soggy, one crunchy. Neither of them was broccoli mash. The main way I experienced broccoli was courtesy of a frozen box in my Bronx apartment. It was crazy to watch my mom rip the box open and plop the hard green square into a saucepan. She added about 1/2 cup of water and boiled it until it became a vegetable. I guess! lol
A good broccoli mash might have saved my childhood. My second encounter with broccoli came when I discovered crudité platters during a summer internship in high school. There was one at every lunch meeting. Crudité pronounced kroo-dee-teh are just raw vegetables arranged on a platter with some kind of dipping condiment like ranch dressing. I tried to be mature about it but I was not a fan of the uncooked and raw broccoli florets.
Broccoli Mash to the Rescue!
So back to the frozen broccoli in the back of the fridge. Steamed broccoli seemed boring. Boiling it just seemed cruel. I remembered that I’ve been to vegan restaurants that offered broccoli mash as a side. My tastebuds remembered that I really liked it. We love mashed potatoes so I knew that although it looked very green, the family would love it. I hope your family loves it too!
LA Dunn is a plant-based advocate from the Bronx who is having fun remixing her plate in order to get more fruits, grains and vegetables into her life. Are you on the journey to adding more plants on your plate? Here are some ways to connect with LA:
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Easy Broccoli Mash
Ingredients
- 2 cups steamed broccoli florets (I used frozen but use fresh if you have it)
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Prepare your broccoli by using your microwave to steam it or you can boil your florets in a saucepan on your cooktop.
- Add the broccoli to a food processor. Add the oil, garlic and seasonings and blend well. Use a soft spatula or spoon to move the broccoli around to ensure that it gets to the consistency you are looking for. Transfer your broccoli mash to re-heat it or serve it room temperature.
- This dish goes well as a side, blended into pasta or solo when you are looking for a plant-based snack.