Broccoli & Cavolo Nero Green Gratin

Broccoli & Cavolo Nero Green Gratin

This is green, creamy deliciousness! It makes for an excellent dinner party side or weeknight dinner main. Serve with a green salad and avocado makes for a very good dinner! You can swap the cavolo nero topping for kale which will go even crispier when roasted. I love the idea of using the veg to make a crispy topping instead of breadcrumbs. If you can’t find either, then it’s a great gratin with just the cheese. This uses up a whole smallish broccoli including the stem so less waste. Also, you could use a pesto instead of making the herby sauce ☝🏼

Looking for other gratin recipes? Check these out.

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

Ingredients:

1 whole small broccoli (360g), cut into small florets and stalk end trimmed off and the remainder stalk finely chopped

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

70g cavolo nero leaves / kale (stalks removed)

Salt and pepper

For the herby filling:

9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, diced

Broccoli stalk, diced

3 tbsp rosemary leaves

6 garlic cloves, sliced

130ml veg stock

Zest lemon and juice of 1/2 a lemon

25g fresh basil, ends chopped off

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 heaped tbsp crème fraîche

250g cooked chickpeas

50g parmesan, grated

Preheat the oven to 200C degrees and add the broccoli florets to a 26cm by 15cm baking tray. Toss in 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Add to the oven for 7mins to soften. Put to one side!

While that roasts, start on the filling! Set a large saucepan to a medium to high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil, followed by the shallot, broccoli stalk and rosemary leaves. Fry for 4mins to soften and then turn down heat adding in the garlic and cook for 1min.

Add to a blender with the stock, basil, lemon juice, zest, cayenne pepper and 7 tbsp olive oil. Blend until smooth and add back into the saucepan with the chickpeas, crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Turn on the heat to just warm through. Pour this over the broccoli and grate over cheese.

Place into the oven for 10mins and then top with the cavolo nero and a last spoon olive oil. Roast to crisp up the greens for 7-8mins.

I like to squeeze a little lemon juice on top and serve straight away!

Watch me make the recipe here!