Broccoli Bites with Cashew Alfredo Dipping Sauce

Photography by Jason Richardson | Food styling by Mary Valentin

Nutrient-dense fritters are a creative way to serve broccoli. Plus, they’re plant-based and taste bud-approved.


Broccoli Bites with Cashew Alfredo Dipping Sauce

Developed by Brieanna Casperson

Servings: 8
Serving size: 3 fritters and 1½ tablespoons dipping sauce (120 grams)
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Cashew Alfredo Dipping Sauce

  • [150 grams]              1 cup whole raw cashews
  • [260 grams]              1 cup (240 milliliters) unsweetened almond milk
  • [15 grams]                1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
  • [20 grams]                ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • [9 grams]                  2 cloves garlic, minced
  • [<1 gram]                  ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • [<1 gram]                  ¼ teaspoon black pepper, finely ground

Broccoli Bites

  • [170 grams]              2 cups broccoli florets, diced
  • [270 grams]              1 can (15½ ounces) low-sodium chickpeas, drained
  • [20 grams]                ¼cup, plus ⅓cup parsley, chopped
  • [30 grams]                ¼ cup sweet onion, diced
  • [100 grams]              2 whole eggs
  • [20 grams]                ¼ cup ground yellow cornmeal
  • [200 grams]              1 cup plum tomatoes, diced (about 3-4 tomatoes)
  • [50 grams]                ¼ cup sundried tomatoes soaked in olive oil, diced

Directions

  1. Make the cashew alfredo dipping sauce by placing cashews, almond milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, nutmeg and black pepper into a blender and puree until smooth. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender, pour mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Make broccoli bites by placing broccoli into blender or food processor and pulsing until fine. Transfer into a large bowl. Pour chickpeas into blender or food processor and pulse until almost smooth with a slightly chunky texture. Transfer chickpeas to the bowl with broccoli. Add ¼ cup parsley and onion to the bowl with broccoli and chickpeas. In a separate small bowl, whisk eggs until combined, then pour over the broccoli-chickpea mixture. With clean hands, knead the mixture until all ingredients are combined and moist.
  3. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cornmeal over the mixture and knead until combined. Add another tablespoon and knead; repeat until all cornmeal is incorporated.
  4. Use a spoon to scoop about 3 tablespoons of the mixture, gently form a ball about 1½ inches in diameter and place onto a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Use spatula to transfer fritters to a serving dish. Garnish with remaining ⅓ cup chopped parsley, fresh tomato and sundried tomatoes, and serve with dipping sauce.

Cooking Note:

To make fritters vegan-friendly, use “chia eggs” in place of eggs. For this recipe, 2 “chia eggs” are equivalent to 2 tablespoons (21 grams) chia seeds and 4 tablespoons (60 milliliters) water. Combine ingredients in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the broccoli-chickpea mixture.

Nutrition Per Serving:

CALORIES 202; TOTAL FAT 12g; SAT. FAT 2g; CHOL. 41mg; SODIUM 107mg; CARB. 18g; FIBER 4g; SUGARS 3g; PROTEIN 9g; POTASSIUM N/A; PHOSPHORUS N/A

Note: Nutrition information for potassium in almond milk and phosphorus in nutritional yeast not available.


Brieanna Casperson on Facebook
Brieanna Casperson
Brieanna Casperson, RDN, is a Connecticut-based dietitian with a focus on plant-based cooking and baking. Read her blog, B.Flavorful, and follow her on Facebook.