This tasty bowl uses only six main ingredients (plus salt, pepper, and oil). Frozen broccoli does double duty – whole florets add bulk, and the rest becomes a simple pesto.
White beans and broccoli are great for health. The beans feed good gut bacteria with fiber, while broccoli supplies powerful antioxidants called glucosinolates.
Active time: 10 minutes Total time: 15 minutes
White Bean Bowl with Broccoli Pesto
Ingredients
- 6 cups (936 g) frozen broccoli florets
- 1/4 cup (56 g) olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1/2 cup (50 g) shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 ½ cups cooked farro
- 2 (15.5 oz) cans reduced‑sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Directions
- Put the broccoli in a large microwave‑safe bowl. Cook on high for 5–7 minutes until it’s bright and just tender.
- Take 1½ cups of the broccoli and put it in a food processor. Add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and the garlic clove. Blend until almost smooth.
- Stir in ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese and pulse a few more times. If the pesto is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Return the pesto to the bowl with the remaining broccoli. Add the beans, farro, and the rest of the Parmesan. Toss gently until everything is mixed.
- Divide the mixture into four shallow bowls. Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top if you like.
Serves: 4 Serving size: about 1½ cups of the bean mixture plus 1 tbsp cheese
Nutrition per serving: 522 kcal, 19 g fat (4 g saturated), 11 g monounsaturated, 2 g polyunsaturated, 11 mg cholesterol, 487 mg sodium, 67 g carbs, 23 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 28 g protein.
Key nutrients: 1,536 mg potassium, 35 % iron, 7 % vitamin C, 21 % calcium.