broccoli | beach house kitchen

Broccoli, Sunflower and Lemon Dip

Fancy a quick dip! This simple, creamy vegan dip is a great way to get more broccoli into our lives. Which is never a bad thing!

Broccoli is one of the healthiest things sprouting from the earth. Outrageously high in vitamin C and K. Broccoli should not be cut before storing, otherwise the vitamin content decreases and should not be washed before popping in the fridge (a general rule with all fruit and veg) as this speeds up the spoiling process.

The nutrients in vegetables and fruits is directly effected by the soil and methods used in growing. Organic is best, but even modern organic, industrialised practices leads to an depletion in the nutrients in soil and subsequently the things grown in it. In the Beach House, we wholeheartedly recommend befriending local producers/ farmers or even better growing your own.

This went down a treat at lunchtime today, perfect summer dipping fodder with the added benefit of being super healthy and light.

The Bits – Males one bowlful

300g silken tofu

2 handfuls sunflower seeds (soaked overnight = smooth dip, unsoaked = crunchy dip)

1 small head of broccoli (finely chopped)

1 small clove garlic (peeled and crushed)

1/2 lemon (juice and zest)

1/2 handful of fresh dill

1/2 handful of mint leaves

1 tbs good olive oil

Cracked pepper and sea salt (to taste)

Do It

Place all in a food processor and blend for a minute, scraping the sides down if you need to. If you have used unsoaked seeds, expect a nice crunch to your dip, otherwise, make it nice and smooth.

Beach House radishes – ready for dipping action

Serve

With all your favourite crudites, we love to dip oat cakes into ours.

Foodie Fact

By birth, Broccoli is an Italian. A member of the cabbage family and the green sibling of the cauliflower. It is never good soggy, steam for 5 minutes max or serve raw. Broccoli is a meal in itself, use the leaves and stems for different textures.

Broccoli has excellent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, especially high in vitamin C. We regularly add it to morning juices to gives us a gentle kickstart in the right direction. Broccoli is also outrageously high in fibre, helping fight cholesterol and keeping our digestion ticking over nicely. This green hero also helps our eyes and repairs our skin. Only a handful of broccoli per day will have considerable benefits.