I am so excited to bring you this broccoli fried rice recipe today for so many reasons! First, I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of broccoli. I can’t stand how it tastes when raw, especially when added to salads (mom, for the 100th time, please don’t add broccoli to my salad!) 😀 So the fact that this dish is my newfound love, makes me want everyone else hating on broccoli to try it out!

As a nutritionist, I am well aware of all the incredible health benefits this extraordinary veggie has to offer. Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins K, C, folate, B5, B6, and minerals such as chromium, phosphorus, and manganese. It is high in fiber, improves our detoxification ability, and helps reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which are the major causes of disease. Therefore, the fact that I don’t like it raw, won’t stop me from including it in my diet.

My philosophy is that to make healthy eating sustainable, we need to enjoy every single bite we eat. So instead of forcing yourself to eat foods you don’t like, why not try to find different ways to prepare them, to make them desirable to your taste buds?!

There are so many different ways to prepare veggies, so you need to experiment and make sure to choose methods that would preserve their flavor as well as nutrients. For instance, overcooked broccoli becomes soft, mushy, and dark, and along with this loss of color and texture, comes a loss of taste and nutrition. That’s why I love this fried rice recipe, because you will only be cooking the broccoli for 3-4 minutes, helping to preserve most of its nutrients. You can serve it with a combination of roasted or raw vegetables of choice, whole grains or pseudo-grains such as quinoa or millet, and high-quality protein sources like wild fish, pastured eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, etc. Hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as I did!

Buddha Bowl with Broccoli Rice-Nutriholist

Broccoli Fried Rice Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 large head of broccoli
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
  • Pinch of unrefined sea salt and black pepper

Directions

  1. Cut broccoli into chunks and add it to the food processor (I like to use both the florets and stems). Pulse until broken down into rice-size pieces
  2. Melt coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes until they turn golden and translucent
  3. Mix in turmeric and garlic and saute for another minute or two. Add a splash of water if the pan gets dry
  4. Pour in the broccoli “rice”, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until broccoli gets tender
  5. Remove from heat, season with sea salt and pepper, and serve with other veggies and protein of choice. Enjoy!