This garlic mashed broccoli isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but close your eyes and take a bite. I promise, it is worth the leap of faith. It is a wow moment! It is vegan, paleo, whole-30 approved, low-carb and gluten-free.

Garlic Mashed Broccoli, a easy vegan side dish. #vegan #glutenfree #lowcarb #broccoli

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Why We Love This Mashed Broccoli

I got the idea for this Garlic Mashed Broccoli when I went out to dinner at a restaurant in the NYC Meatpacking District called High Street on Hudson. I asked the chef how to make it. This is my much simpler version to be made easily for a home cook.

It’s a great veggie side dish to pair with Grilled Sirloin Steak with Chimichurri or as a low-carb accompaniment to these Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers. Think of it as the sister recipe to Mashed Cauliflower.

It only takes a few minutes to make and the lovely garlic flavor is awesome with a wide variety of menus.

More Low Carb Broccoli Recipes

One of our key objectives at Healthy Seasonal Recipes is to help you find easy ways to incorporate more seasonal veggies into your meals. Here are five more recipes to get nutrient-rich broccoli into your daily diet!

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Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Almonds
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More Broccoli Recipes

Key Ingredients For Mashed Broccoli

  • Broccoli: You’ll need 8 cups of chopped raw broccoli for a batch of this mashed broccoli. I like to buy crowns because the stems can be woody. Cut them into small pieces.
  • Garlic: The flavor of the garlic is what makes this dish so special. It really makes it so savory. We always suggest chopping your garlic cloves by hand instead of using a garlic press or purchasing jarred chopped garlic. The flavor will be much better with fresh.
  • Broth: When purring the garlic with the cooked broccoli I needed a liquid to help the mixture achieve the right texture. I used veggie broth. Chicken broth also works. You can use store-bought or homemade.
  • Olive Oil: To cook the garlic, you’ll need some extra-virgin olive oil. If you wanted to you could also use melted butter with the oil for more rich buttery taste.
  • Seasonings: I used salt and white pepper. Black pepper also works. Additioinaly dry thyme is a nice herb to add into this broccoli mash.

How to Make Garlic Mashed Broccoli

  1. Start with 8 cups of chopped broccoli. It’s fine to use the stems- because it all gets chopped. The texture is best however if you use crowns or peel the stem if it is woody.
  2. Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces. You are doing that so they will cook evenly and relatively quickly. And this also helps them get moving in the food processor. They don’t have to be perfect, so literally chop- no need to make beautiful mini-trees. Save that effort for this steamed lemon garlic broccoli recipe.
  3. Steam the broccoli over boiling water in a steamer basket. I use an oxo steamer and it is among the most used pieces of kitchen equipment. Steaming is healthier than boiling because more of the nutrients are retained. The broccoli will also be less watery when it is steamed. Test if it is tender by spearing it with a fork. You want it to be very soft- but not to the point that the green becomes less vibrant. The taste will be best if it isn’t overcooked.
  4. To cook the garlic, sizzle it in a skillet of olive oil. The chef at High Street on Hudson told me they used roasted garlic oil (which in my restaurant days- and for the years following when I was a personal chef- I considered an unsung mother sauce. To learn how to make roasted garlic oil you can read this post.) I found that this simplified step worked just fine- if not as complex- but the key is to really watch it. You want the garlic to take on the barest amount of color- but not brown to the point where it starts to burn or become bitter at all. Then to stop the cooking, immediately add in veggie stock. This can cause splattering, so be careful!
  5. Then puree half of the steamed broccoli with the garlic mixture and seasoning to let it get really smooth. Then chop up the second half of the broccoli, to control how much chunk is left in the broccoli. I like a bit more chunk but I know others prefer a smoother texture. I’ll leave it to you to decide.
Garlic Mashed Broccoli, a easy vegan side dish. #vegan #glutenfree #lowcarb #broccoli

Serving Suggestions For Broccoli Mash

Mashed broccoli is a great veggie side to pair with saucy comfort food dishes because it is sort of like mashed potatoes. Meaning, it soaks up the sauce! It is also a great low-carb dish to serve instead of a starch (like rice or pasta.) Here are some menu ideas:

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Leftovers, Storage and Reheating

Leftovers: This can be made up to three days ahead. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Reheating: Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot, about 1 minute per cup of mashed broccoli. You can also reheat it in the oven in a covered casserole at 350 until steaming hot.

Variations To Try

  • Caesar Style: Add a little Caesar Salad inspired twist by cooking a couple of chopped anchovies with the garlic. Then add in a squeeze of lemon and a half cup of Parmesan Cheese when you puree it. (For this variation only use 1/4 tsp of salt as both anchovies and Parm are salty.)
  • Add Onions: Caramelize onion (see how here in our onion guide) and then add that to the food processor for even more delicious savory flavor.
  • Riced Broccoli: In our Riced Broccoli and Mongolian Beef recipe we chop the broccoli less fine, and it has more of texture of cauliflower rice. You can do that with this recipe too. Just add less broth and chop the broccoli using the pulse button to achieve the perfect texture.

More Easy Healthy Vegetable Side Dishes

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Garlic Mashed Broccoli, a easy vegan side dish. #vegan #glutenfree #lowcarb #broccoli

Garlic Mashed Broccoli

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5 from 8 reviews

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Description

An inspired yet simple way to make broccoli. Steam it until it is very tender, then puree with sautéed garlic and seasonings. It is naturally low-carb, gluten-free and vegan. Serve it with chicken, beef or tofu.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8 cups chopped raw broccoli crowns (bite sized pieces)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup no-chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Instructions

  1. Bring 1 to 2 inches water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add broccoli and steam until soft but still bright green, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the steamer basket from the pot, pour out water.
  2. Meanwhile, place oil and garlic in a small skillet and set over medium high (do not preheat oil.) Cook, swirling the pan or stirring often, until the garlic is starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully add chicken stock to prevent the garlic from burning.
  3. Place half of the broccoli in a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment. Add the garlic mixture, salt, thyme and white pepper and puree until as smooth as possible. Add the broccoli to the empty saucepan.
  4. Place the remaining broccoli in the food processor and pulse until desired degree of chunkiness. Add the chunky broccoli to the pureed broccoli, and stir to combine. Serve hot.

Notes

This can be made up to three days ahead. Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot. You can also reheat it in the oven in a covered casserole at 350 until steaming hot.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Category: side dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 cup
  • Calories: 124 cal
  • Sodium: 235.86 mg
  • Fat: 9.47 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.29 g
  • Carbohydrates: 9 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 3.56 g

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