Broccolini Sunflower Toast

This broccolini sunflower toast is bright, fresh, so filling and everything I want when I think about lunch. It also just reminds me of spring, which is never a bad thing. This toast uses all of the broccolini, roasting the stems and the tops separately for different uses. The stems are pulsed with sunflower seeds, basil and spinach to make a fresh, almost pesto-like spread, and the tops are used as a salty, crispy topping (plus, some extra decor!). All in all, the only cooking for this recipe is the roasting of the broccolini, everything else just needs your food processor. And before you *sigh* – just trust me, getting out your food processor for this recipe is totally worth it.

Once you have this broccolini sunflower spread, it is so versatile. I put it on beans, mix it in with my rice, add it to bowls, soups and salads, and generally eat it with a spoon. It’s just so delicious, so toast or not, it’s a great addition to your vegetable-rotation!

PS, if you’re looking for a bread to serve this one, I’ll always recommend a good sourdough.

Ingredients you need for this broccolini toast

Since this recipe is only comprised of three elements—lightly roasted broccolini tips, a bright, creamy spread, and toast—the ingredients list may be a bit longer than other recipes on the blog, but don’t panic! It makes it zero percent more complex. And each of these ingredients pulls its weight in making a delicious, versatile, and vegetable-forward broccolini toast. So here’s what you’ll need to make the spread:

• 3 cups broccolini, or 8 oz.
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 6 flat fillet anchovies
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 3 tbsp lemon juice, about 1 whole lemon’s worth
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 tsp Calabrian chili oil
• 1/2 oz. pecorino romano, thinly sliced, for garnish
• 4 slices of your bread of choice, toasted

How to roast the broccolini

The best way to roast broccolini is two-fold. First, you want the broccolini tops to get nice and crispy and a little bit charred. But for the bottoms, you want them to stay a verdant green and get almost no char in the oven.

To accomplish this, toss only the tops in a bit of olive oil and salt. This will not only make them delicious, it will give them a higher level of crispness, as well as add that browning we really want in a broccolini toast.

The bottoms will go in the oven naked – AKA no salt, no oil, nothing. They will roast twice as long as the broccolini tops because they are larger in size, but also because we want them to be smooth enough to blend in with the sunflower purée later!

So when you are cooking your broccolini, put both baking sheets into a preheated 400°F oven. Add the broccolini heads on the top rack and stems on the bottom. Pull the broccolini heads out once they’re slightly crisp, after about 10 minutes, and allow the stems to roast until they’re cooked through but not losing their color—around 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let the broccolini cool.

How to make the broccolini sunflower spread

This spread is very similar to a pesto, but it’s fully plant-based and uses sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts, so it’s allergen friendly!

To make the sunflower spread, it’s all about timing the recipe just right.

So either before or while the broccolini is roasting, add the sunflower seeds to a heat-proof bowl or cup. Pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 5 minutes. The longer they sit, the easier your job is!

Add the basil, anchovies, spinach, lemon juice, and kosher salt to a food processor. Once the sunflower seeds are softened, drain them and add them in as well. Process for an extended amount of time, about 2-3 minutes, drizzling in the olive oil gradually. Scrape down the sides and repeat until the mixture starts to become spreadable. If needed, you can add up to 1/4 cup of water to help the process.

Add cooled broccolini into the food processor and process until you form a thick spread. It won’t be completely smooth, but the texture is still delicious. Taste and season with salt and lemon juice as needed.

Now you’re ready to assemble your broccolini toast!

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And that’s everything for this broccolini toast!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Broccolini Toast with Broccolini Sunflower Spread

This toast will remind you of pesto, but in the best way. This broccolini toast is packed with vibrant green flavor and texture. It's a hearty broccolini-based spread that's topped with lightly roasted broccolini heads, plus dots chili oil and a few thin slices of pecorino. Slather the broccolini spread on thick, because once you try it, you'll just want more.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

35 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Cook mode:Prevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• ▢
  1 5-cup food processor
• ▢
  2 half sheet pans

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups broccolini, or 8 oz.
• ▢ 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• ▢ 6 flat fillet anchovies
• ▢ 1/2 cup spinach
• ▢ 3 tbsp lemon juice, about 1 whole lemon’s worth
• ▢ 1/8 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ▢ 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
• ▢ 1 tsp Calabrian chili oil
• ▢ 1/2 oz. pecorino romano, thinly sliced
• ▢ 4 slices of your bread of choice, toasted

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut just the tips of the broccolini heads off. Scatter them on a baking sheet. Cut the stems into 1" pieces and scatter them on a separate baking sheet. Drizzle the broccolini heads with a bit of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Toss to coat. Don't add anything to the broccolini stems.
3. Add the broccolini heads to the top rack of your oven and the stems to the bottom. Roast the heads for 10 minutes or until slightly crisp, and roast the stems for 20 minutes or until they are cooked but not losing their color.
4. While the broccolini is roasting, add the sunflower seeds to a heat-proof bowl or cup. Pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 5 minutes.
5. Add the basil, anchovies, spinach, lemon juice, and 1/8 tsp of kosher salt to a food processor. When the sunflower seeds are softened, drain them and add them in as well. Process for an extended amount of time, about 2-3 minutes, drizzling in the olive oil gradually. Scrape down the sides and repeat until the mixture starts to become spreadable. If needed, you can add up to 1/4 cup of water to help the process.
6. When the broccolini stems are out of the oven, let them cool to room temperature. Add them into the food processor and process until you form a thick spread. It won’t be completely smooth, but the texture is still delicious. Taste and season with salt and lemon juice as needed.
7. To serve, spread a generous helping of the broccolini spread on each slice of bread. Add the broccolini heads on top and dot with the chili oil. Top with the pecorino romano and eat immediately!