Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Tahini Dip

Crispy roasted rroccoli served with a Lemon Tahini Dip makes for an addictive, healthy snack or side dish. 

Here’s a healthy snack or side that nobody will complain about. The idea is kind of like putting cheese on veggies – it makes everything better, right?

Here, our first trick is to roast broccoli at a high heat, so that it gets crispy edges and a mild, almost sweet flavor. When you toss it together with a little bit of lemon juice and generous salt and pepper before roasting, you wind up with broccoli that is addictive. Who ever thought “broccoli” would be in the same sentence as “addictive?”

The second trick is to serve it with a Lemon Tahini Dip. Super simple to whisk together, Lemon Tahini Dip is a distant cousin of hummus – but that’s only because of the tahini. Instead of adding chickpeas, you just thin the tahini with a little lemon, apple cider vinegar, and plain old water, which makes a thinner, lighter dip, closer to a sauce. If you wanted, you could actually drizzle it over the broccoli – or salad, or roasted sweet potatoes or asparagus, or whatever strikes you. 

And might I suggest you make double (triple?) the Lemon Tahini Dip to have on hand for dipping carrots, cucumbers, radishes…or pita chips, naan, or crackers. Tomorrow, when you’re looking for an afternoon nibble, you’ll be happy you did.

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Tahini Dip

For the Broccoli: 
8 cups broccoli florets (about 2 broccoli crowns, separated into florets and cut into 1-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from ½ lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

For the Lemon Tahini Dip:
1/4 cups tahini
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 grated garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a sheetpan, toss the broccoli together with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, until the broccoli has some brown, crunchy edges.

Make the Lemon Tahini Dip. Use a fork to whisk together the tahini, water, vinegar, and lemon juice. It will look clumpy, but keep whisking, as it will eventually come together into a smooth sauce. Stir in the garlic and salt.