Broccoli is a nutritious, grain fee alternative to rice. Now, I don’t advocate grain-free diets particularly as there’s been countless research linking wholegrains to better heart health. However, every now and then it’s good to mix it up. And as you may already know, I love broccoli.

Broccoli is full of nutrients like vitamin C, E, K, folate, calcium, potassium and fibre. This ‘rice’ is a great way to incorporate this nutritious powerhouse into your children’s diets!

Broccoli rice makes for a versatile base. It can be a side or main and used in dishes like sushi rolls, stir-frys, and casseroles. It’s vibrant, nutritious and pairs perfectly with the crumbled walnuts.

Fodmappers – 1 cup of broccoli heads is absolutely fine. Large servings (270g) contain high amounts of excess fructose and should be avoided, if necessary.

This dish is bursting with nutritious, filling ingredients. From the protein and healthy fats in the walnuts to the fibre in the broccoli, this is the perfect example of simple yet satisfying. It’s quick, easy to make and delicious cold, making it a great packed lunch or picnic meal.

The pulsed broccoli and crumbled walnuts provide a crunchy and creamy base for the stir-fried veg of your choice. You can sauté, steam or eat this ‘rice’ base raw for a nutrient-rich side dish.

I usually have my broccoli-rice fried or raw. Both ways are delicious. If you want it fried you can either cook it in a single layer until browning or just heat it up until warm and tender, making sure to stir continuously.

Enjoy!

5 from 2 votes

Broccoli & Walnut Stir-fried Rice

Servings 4 bowls

Author Tallulah

Ingredients

For the 'rice'
1 head broccoli circa 290g
120 g walnuts crumbled
1 tsp garlic infused olive oil goo
For the veg
6-8 spring onion greens
2 medium carrots
140 g edamame
1 large red pepper
1 tsp garlic infused olive oil
3 tbsp tamari
freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste (optional)*

Instructions

Wash and cut the broccoli into florets. Pulse the broccoli until it's resembling small rice-sized pieces (you don't want to over blend or you'll loose that lovely texture and it'll become more like cous-cous rather than rice)
Crumble your walnuts and add them to the broccoli rice
Add 1 tsp goo and the spring onion greens to a frying pan or wok and cook until browning. Wash and chop your vegetables then add them to the pan and cook until warm and tender
You can either have your broccoli rice raw, or if you want to tame that broccoli flavour and crunch put it in a wok/frying pan with 1 tsp goo and cook for a couple of minutes. The broccoli should still have some crunch, not cooked to the point of being mushy
Turn off the hob and mix the rice and veg. Add 3 tbsp tamari and the ground black pepper. Mix well. Divide into 4 bowls and serve.*
Enjoy!

Notes

*I don't add salt because of the tamari, but its personal preference.

*If you want this dish cold - which is my preferred way of having it - after you've mixed the rice and veg put it in the fridge for a couple of hours and wait until you are about to serve it before adding the tamari.

*Unusually for me I don't add any spices or herbs to this dish because I lightly cook all my vegetables and I find them and the tamari to be flavour enough. However, if you want to spice it up you could always add some cayenne or tabasco. Equally it goes really well with Asian type flavours such as sesame oil and ginger.