Recipe · Sides · Japanese
Miso-Roasted Broccoli with Sesame and Lemon
A weeknight side that eats like the best part of a restaurant meal. Twenty-five minutes, one pan.
The trick to broccoli that doesn’t taste sad is a hot pan and a glaze you brush on after the initial roast. Brush it on at the start and the miso scorches before the broccoli is tender. Wait until the florets are already deeply browned and the glaze becomes a finishing varnish instead of a casualty.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb broccoli, cut into bite-size florets, stems peeled and sliced into coins
- 3 tbsp neutral oil, divided
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp white or yellow miso
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup, or honey if not vegan
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 lemon, for zest and juice
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, white, black, or both
- 2 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced (optional)
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Small whisk or fork
- Microplane
Directions
Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the upper third. Slide a sheet pan into the oven while it heats. A hot pan is the difference between steamed-tasting and roasty-tasting broccoli.
While the oven heats, toss the broccoli with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the salt in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk the miso, rice vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil until smooth. It should be thick enough to coat the broccoli but loose enough to brush easily.
Carefully pull the hot pan from the oven. Spread the broccoli on it in a single layer, cut sides down where possible. Listen for the sizzle — that's the contact you want.
Roast for 10 minutes without disturbing. The undersides should be deeply browned.
Pull the pan and use a brush or the back of a spoon to streak the miso mixture over the broccoli. Don't drench it — you want some bare florets for char contrast. Return to the oven for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the glaze caramelises at the edges. Watch closely: miso burns from amber to acrid in about 60 seconds.
Slide onto a serving platter. Zest about half the lemon over the top, then squeeze a quarter of it across the broccoli. Scatter with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately.
Cook's notes
Choose your miso. White miso is sweet and mellow; yellow is rounder; red is bolder and more divisive. Yellow is the sweet spot for this dish.
Cauliflower works too. Same temperature, same timing, slightly more glaze because cauliflower is thirstier.
Make it a meal. Pile over short-grain rice with a soft-boiled egg, or fold cold leftovers into a grain bowl with cucumbers and avocado.
Make-ahead & storage
The miso glaze keeps in the fridge for a week, so a Sunday batch sets you up for two weeknight rounds. Cut the broccoli the night before and store dry in a paper-towel-lined container.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 180 · Protein: 6g · Carbs: 16g · Fat: 12g
Estimated. Actual values vary with substitutions.
Source: Our weeknight version. Inspired by Hetty Lui McKinnon's brassica approach but with a more aggressive char window.