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Home » Vegetarian » Broccoli with Romesco & Roasted Chickpeas

Broccoli with Romesco & Roasted Chickpeas

Mar 20, 2023 · by Valentina · 23 Comments

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Broccoli with Romesco and Roasted Chickpeas a delicious and unique vegetarian main course. You won’t want to miss out on this recipe because it’s not only delectable, but each of its components can also be paired with all sorts of other foods.

Big blue and white ceramic plate with Charred broccoli on top of red-orange sauce and topped with garbanzo beans and tomato slices.

This vegetarian entrée is three recipes in one. The broccoli can stand on its own as a fantastic side dish (and it does in this easy broccoli recipe), the sauce can be used on all sorts of foods, and the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are a great snack or appetizer, and can be added to salads.

The broccoli sits on a deeply flavored Romesco sauce made mostly from smoky tomatoes and toasted almonds. The broccoli is topped with spiced and roasted garbanzo beans. It’s a scrumptious combination of flavors and an outstanding, very hearty meal. Vegetarian or not, you'll love it!

Key Ingredient Information

Ingredients with labels for Charred Broccoli recipe.

(I often suggest brands I love and use — these are only suggestions and this is not a sponsored post.)

  • broccoli - Choose broccoli with firm stems and tightly closed dark green buds. Bunches that are yellow are no longer fresh.
  • chickpeas (also called garbanzos) - From a. can.
  • smoked paprika - Paprika is a spice made from dried, ground red peppers. It ranges from mild to hot -- use whatever intensity you like. I love smoked paprika because the peppers used have been smoked, which adds a delicious smoky flavor to dishes.
  • tomatoes - Ripe tomatoes should be slightly firm, but have a little give when gently squeezed, and they should have a deep red color (or whatever the color is intended to be). I use Roma tomatoes for this recipe. If need be, fresh tomatoes can be substituted with whole, peeled tomatoes from a can. They should be well drained and added without charring them. (You'll lose a bit of the smoky flavor, but it will still taste great.)
  • roasted garlic - Here’s How to Roast Garlic. You can substitute raw garlic for roasted. Since it’s much stronger, use about ⅓ the amount.
  • Ñora or Ancho peppers - Both of these dried peppers are mild. (More on Ñora peppers below.) Either one will add a rich, subtly sweet, earthy flavor to the Romesco sauce. The Ancho peppers will offer deeper flavor.
  • blanched slivered or sliced almonds - Slivered or sliced almonds are a bit easier to blend when we make the sauce, though whole will work too.
  • blanched hazelnuts - Blanched are best because the skin is a bit bitter. You can substitute some or all of the almonds and hazelnuts with pine nuts, or use more or less of each of them, as long as the full amount equals ¾ cup.

If you can’t have nuts, and you’re not gluten-free --> Substitute both the almonds and hazelnuts with chunks of toasted bread. (French bread or Ciabatta are good choices, and stale bread is best.)

How to Make it

STEP 1: MAKE THE ROMESCO SAUCE

First, what is Romesco Sauce? Romesco is from Catalonia, Spain and is a classic of Catalan cuisine. While there are dozens upon dozens of variations, the more authentic versions are a rich purée made with tomato, garlic, almonds (often hazelnuts or pine nuts), Ñora peppers, stale bread, olive oil and usually red wine or sherry vinegar.

- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

- Hydrate the Ñora or Ancho peppers in boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Once they’re soft, remove them from the water and remove the seeds and stem. Set aside.

Small glass bowl with water and two dark red dried pepper.
Hydrated dried red peppers on a dark wood cutting board with seeds and stems removed and next to them.

- Place a dry skillet (ideally cast iron) over high heat. Wash, dry and then cut the tomatoes in half and add them to the pan. Cook just to char them, about a minute per side.

Blackened tomato halves in a cast iron skillet.

- Toast the almonds and hazelnuts in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Watching closely, and stirring from time to time, heat just until they're golden and aromatic.

- Add the hydrated peppers, charred tomatoes, roasted garlic, toasted almonds and hazelnuts, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and paprika to a food processor. Blend until it’s a thick purée. (If your tomatoes are not especially sweet, add ½ teaspoon of sugar.) Set aside.

Tomatoes, hydrated red peppers, roasted garlic and oil in a food processor bowl.
Orange-red Romesco sauce that's smooth and thick in a food processor bowl.

STEP 2: MAKE THE ROASTED GARBANZO BEANS

- Drain the garbanzo beans into a strainer and rinse them with cold water until they’re no longer frothy. Gently dry them well in a kitchen towel, discarding any loose skins, or those that have fallen off, and add them to a mixing bowl.

- Add the olive oil, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powders and salt to the garbanzos. Mix to coat them, and then pour them onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast in the preheated 400°F oven for about 40 minutes, shaking the pan about halfway through. They should be dry, golden and crispy. Let them cool a bit and then pour them into a bowl. Set aside and turn the oven up to 450°F. (Save the parchment-lined pan.)

Raw garbanzo beans with oil and spices on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Roasted garbanzo beans with oil and spices on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

STEP 3: MAKE THE BROCCOLI

- Wash, dry and cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, including the tender portions of the stems. (You should have about 8 cups.)

- Spread the broccoli out in a single layer on the parchment-lined pan saved from the garbanzos. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and several turns of black pepper. Use your hands to toss the broccoli so it’s evenly coated.

- Place in the preheated 450°F oven and roast until some of the broccoli is brown and crispy, about 15 minutes. Use a spatula or kitchen tongs to flip the broccoli over for another 15 minutes, or until all of it looks nicely browned.

Raw pieces of broccoli on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Charred pieces of broccoli on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

STEP 4: ASSEMBLE

- On a large platter or shallow serving bowl, spoon a generous amount of the Romesco sauce over the surface evenly. Top it with the broccoli, roasted garbanzos, and sliced tomatoes.

(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Recipe Tips

  • Be sure the broccoli is in one layer on the sheet pan. If it doesn’t all fit this way, use a second one, or do it in two batches. Otherwise, not all of it will brown.
  • It’s important that the garbanzo beans are very dry so the olive oil and spices stick to them before roasting.
  • The nuts for the Romesco sauce have to be toasted. Do not skip this, it only takes a few minutes, and it makes a big difference in the flavor. Watch them carefully as they can go from golden to black within seconds.
  • I char the tomatoes in a cast iron skillet, you can also place them on a sheet pan, under the broiler for likely less than a minute to char them. In my experience, both ways work well for this recipe.
  • Save the liquid from hydrating the peppers for another use like making rice, pasta, or adding it to soups or stocks.
Big blue and white ceramic plate with Charred broccoli on top of red-orange sauce and topped with garbanzo beans and tomato slices.

More Vegetarian Main Courses

  • Slow Cooked Red Cabbage Stew
  • Roasted Butternut Squash Chili
  • Southwestern Casserole
  • Spinach and Ricotta Rolls
  • Vegetarian Cassoulet

Serving Suggestions

  • To round out this vegetarian meal, the only things this dish really needs — if anything — is a green salad, and/or a sliced loaf of warm rustic bread.
  • As I mentioned above, all three of the components: the broccoli, the Romesco sauce and the roasted garbanzo beans, can each be used separately if desired. Broccoli is a great side dish with almost anything, the sauce is delicious with meats and chicken, fish and all sorts of roasted vegetables, and the garbanzos make for an excellent snack and are great mixed into salads. It also makes for a perfect dip for steamed artichokes.

Other Must-Try Recipes with Broccoli

  • Sheet pan full of super charred broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces.
    Charred Broccoli
  • Sesame Sriracha Honey Tofu Broccoli in a black bowl with wooden chopsticks.
    Honey Sriracha Tofu and Broccoli
  • Glass bowl on black background, filled with pickled broccoil
    Spicy Quick Pickled Broccoli
  • Top view of a black ceramic bowl filled with salmon, broccoli and tiny potatoes.
    Chili Crunch Salmon Bites with Broccoli and Potatoes

Making it Ahead

You can make a good portion of this dish ahead of time.

  • The Romesco sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • The roasted garbanzo beans can be made a few hours ahead. Keep them uncovered, at room temperature, so they keep their crunch. (You can make them a day ahead, though they’ll likely become soft. If you do this, do not refrigerate them, and heat them in a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes before using them.)
  • The broccoli should be made as close to serving time as possible, so the charred bits stay on the crispy side.

I hope you love this fabulous vegetarian dish as much as my family and I do! Let me know when you try it.

Big blue and white ceramic plate with Charred broccoli on top of red-orange sauce and topped with garbanzo beans and tomato slices.

Broccoli with Romesco and Roasted Garbanzo Beans Recipe

Valentina K. Wein
Broccoli with Romesco and Roasted Garbanzo Beans is a delicious and unique vegetarian main course. You won’t want to miss out on this recipe because it’s not only delectable, but each of its components can also be paired with all sorts of other foods.
5 from 4 votes
Print
Prep Time 35 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 410 kcal

Equipment

  • food processor
  • 12-inch cast iron skillet
  • sheet pans
  • parchment paper

Ingredients
  

For the Romesco Sauce

  • ½ pound fresh tomatoes (about 2 to 3 Roma tomatoes)
  • 1 head roasted garlic (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 Ñora peppers (or 1 Ancho pepper)
  • ½ cup blanched slivered or sliced almonds
  • ¼ cup blanched hazelnuts
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon sugar (only if needed)

For the Roasted Garbanzo Beans

  • 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans
  • 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Broccoli

  • 1½ pounds Broccoli (about 2 heads)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • a few turns of freshly ground black pepper

Garnish

  • ½ cup cherry or teardrop tomatoes, washed, dried and cut in half

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

For the Romesco Sauce

  • Prepare dried peppers. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the Ñora or Ancho peppers to it. Turn the heat off and let them steep until soft, about 30 minutes. (You can also pour the boiling water over them in a small heatproof bowl.) Once they’re soft, remove them from the water and discard the seeds and stem. (Save the liquid for another use like for making rice, pasta, or adding it to soups.) Set aside.
  • Prepare tomatoes. Place a dry skillet (ideally cast iron) over high heat. Wash, dry, and then cut the tomatoes in half. Add them to the pan and cook just to char them, about a minute per side.
  • Prepare nuts. Add the almonds and hazelnuts to a small sauté pan and place it over medium-low heat. Watching closely, and stirring from time to time, heat just until golden and aromatic. This should only take a few minutes and they should look a bit oily when they’re done.
  • Blend. Add the hydrated peppers, charred tomatoes, roasted garlic, toasted almonds and hazelnuts, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and paprika to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until it's a thick purée. (If your tomatoes are not especially sweet, add the ½ teaspoon of sugar.) Set aside.

For the Roasted Garbanzo Beans

  • Prepare garbanzos. Drain the garbanzo beans into a strainer. Then rinse them with cold water until they’re no longer frothy. Gently dry them well in a kitchen towel, discarding any loose skins, or those that have fallen off, and add them to a mixing bowl. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Mix to coat the garbanzos well and then pour them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Roast. Make sure the garbanzos are in a single layer and then place them in the preheated 400°F oven for about 40 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, shake the pan so they move around. They should be dry, slightly golden and crispy when they’re done. Remove them from the oven, let them cool a bit and then pour them into a bowl. Set aside and turn the oven up to 450°F. (Save the parchment-lined pan.)

For the Broccoli

  • Prepare broccoli. Wash, dry and cut the broccoli into small pieces; the florets and the tender portion of the stems. You should have about 8 cups of usable broccoli.
    Using the same parchment-lined pan from the garbanzos, spread the broccoli out in a single layer. Drizzle evenly with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and several turns of ground black pepper. Then use your hands to toss the broccoli so it’s well coated.
  • Roast broccoli. Place the broccoli in the preheated 450°F oven and cook until some of the pieces are starting to look golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and use a spatula or kitchen tongs to flip all of the broccoli over and cook for another 15 minutes, or until all of it looks nicely browned.

Assemble

  • On a large platter or in a shallow serving bowl, spoon a generous amount of the Romesco sauce, about 1⅓ cups, and spread it evenly. (You’ll likely have a bit leftover that you can serve on the side). Top it with the broccoli, roasted garbanzos, and sliced tomatoes.
    Serve!

NOTES

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

NUTRITION

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 736mg | Potassium: 1032mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4357IU | Vitamin C: 116mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 5mg
Keywords hearty vegetarian entrées, best broccoli recipes
Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. angiesrecipes

    March 20, 2023 at 11:44 am

    I like Romesco sauce! You make the vegetables look so appealing.

    Reply
    • Valentina

      March 21, 2023 at 5:03 pm

      Thanks, Angie! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  2. David Scott Allen

    March 20, 2023 at 3:36 pm

    I love serving hearty vegetarian dishes like this - meat eaters don't even see it coming! It is so full of flavor and texture - I can't wait to try this! (all three recipes!)

    Reply
    • Valentina

      March 21, 2023 at 5:04 pm

      My favorite food quote in a while . . . "meat eaters don't even see it coming!" I love it. Thank you, David! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
      • David Scott Allen

        March 29, 2023 at 3:29 pm

        I can’t wait to make this. We are making it as soon as we come back from our travels… It has all our favorite foods in it! Last night, we had Espinacas con Garbanzos — did you ever have that when you were in Spain? Absolutely one of our new favorite dishes. And this dish with charred broccoli and romesco sauce will be right up there with it!

        Reply
        • Valentina

          March 30, 2023 at 12:53 pm

          I don't think I've ever had that Spanish dish. I'm going to research it a bit now -- I'm sure it's delicious. Enjoy and happy travels! 🙂 ~Valentina

          Reply
  3. Eha

    March 20, 2023 at 7:11 pm

    5 stars
    During the past months testing times of no cooking waiting for my blasted broken foot to deign talk to me again I have actually quite enjoyed the interesting vegetarian choice's of my ready-food delivery company . . . time to begin visiting my kitchen again I am so pleased to have this to try . . . love broccoli and the rest will be bonus 😉 !

    Reply
    • Valentina

      March 21, 2023 at 5:07 pm

      So great you have a good food delivery service! Hope you're food will be better soon and that you'll be cooking again soon. And thank you. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  4. Marissa

    March 20, 2023 at 11:32 pm

    5 stars
    This is a beautiful medley of flavors and textures, Valentina. The kind of food that’s absolutely delicious and makes you feel great too!

    Reply
    • Valentina

      March 21, 2023 at 5:11 pm

      Thank you, Marissa! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  5. Dawn

    March 21, 2023 at 9:43 am

    So many delicious colours, flavours and textures! Yum! This is something we'd love in our home and I can't wait to give it a try. 🙂

    Reply
    • Valentina

      March 21, 2023 at 5:12 pm

      I hope you love it, Dawn. Thank you! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  6. Raymund | angsarap.net

    March 21, 2023 at 1:51 pm

    Thanks for sharing your recipe for Charred Broccoli with Romesco and Roasted Garbanzo Beans! It sounds absolutely delicious and I love how each component can be used in different ways. I appreciate the substitutions you suggested, especially for those who may have allergies or dietary restrictions. I'm excited to give this recipe a try!

    Reply
    • Valentina

      March 21, 2023 at 5:12 pm

      Hi there! Thanks so much and I hope you love it. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  7. Ben | Havocinthekitchen

    March 21, 2023 at 4:16 pm

    5 stars
    What a wonderful dish great flavours and textures and also so vibrant. And this Romesco sauce with smoky and nutty notes? This must be terrific!

    Reply
    • Valentina

      March 21, 2023 at 5:13 pm

      Hi Ben! Thanks so much. Hope you give it a go. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  8. sherry

    March 21, 2023 at 10:12 pm

    I love roasted garlic and chickpeas and broccoli and hazelnuts. Lots of my fave flavours here. Sounds delightful.

    Reply
  9. Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!

    March 22, 2023 at 7:05 am

    Wow, this sounds really interesting. And what a stellar cast of ingredients! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Valentina

      April 03, 2023 at 11:27 am

      Thanks, Jeff! Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  10. Alene

    March 24, 2023 at 8:52 pm

    I adore broccoli prepared any way. I always have some in the refrigerator and made it exactly that way 2 nights ago. And I did the same thing with shredded Brussels sprouts tonight. Olive oil, salt and pepper. Thank you for your great recipes.

    Reply
    • Valentina

      April 03, 2023 at 11:29 am

      Hi Arlene, Thank you so much for your note and checking out my recipes. How delicious those brussels sprouts must have been. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  11. Raymund | angsarap.net

    March 31, 2023 at 2:29 am

    5 stars
    I love how versatile each component is and how it can be used in other dishes. The combination of charred broccoli, Romesco sauce, and roasted garbanzo beans sounds like a delicious and hearty meal.

    Reply
    • Valentina

      April 03, 2023 at 11:29 am

      Many thanks, Raymund. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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