Broccoli, rosemary and avocado dip recipe for hormone balance
This broccoli, rosemary and avocado dip recipe is such an easy recipe to make. Combining broccoli and avocado into one dish packs a mighty nutritious boost for the body. Avocados have high vitamin E content, which is a powerful antioxidant, helping to keep our cells in tiptop condition. They also have anti-inflammatory properties (inflammation in the body can affect our hormones so eating plant-based foods, with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables can help to reduce inflammation in the body). Broccoli contains high levels of many B-vitamins, supporting our metabolism. Both broccoli and avocado are excellent sources of soluble fibre, which supports our digestive system and can help to maintain a healthy gut. This dish also delivers lots of essential minerals including iron, potassium and copper.
We use rosemary as it’s such a lovely tasting herb that grows abundantly in the local area. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use dried alternatives – just reduce the portion by half. You can also swap it for basil, oregano or even parsley.
People sometimes worry that avocado contains a high amount of fat (approx. 19g out of 100g are fat), indeed most of the calories in avocado come from fat content. However, not all fats are equal! Most of the fats in avocado are monounsaturated, which researchers have linked to lowering blood pressure and protecting the heart. They also contain oleic acid, which helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Half an avocado is considered one of our five a day and, given the high fat and calorie content, if you are trying to lose weight make sure you keep to this level or less.
Our focus this month is hormone balance. In our article what is the hunger hormone? Hormone balance and food we look at the role two key hormones play in our eating habits and also weight. By including a portion of avocado into your diet, it can help you to feel more satiated i.e. you will not feel so hungry.
Avocado is great to include in your diet if you experience brain fog and want to gain more clarity. For tips on how to select a good avocado (and also for alternative ideas for what to do if your avocado gets too ripe!) read our earlier article – amazing avocados. You can read more about the health benefits of broccoli in our earlier article: DIY detox – five favourite items to include in your diet.
If you have any leftovers from this dish, it will keep in your fridge for a couple of days. We suggest you squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top of the dip and store in an airtight container in your fridge. Avocado tends to change colour quite quickly when it comes into contact with the air – using lemon will help to slow down this process. If the dip does change colour in your fridge (it tends to go darker and becomes less vibrant), then you can either mix it up or scrape off the top layer.
Broccoli, rosemary and avocado dip recipe
Serves: 4
Calories: 882 total, 220 per serving
Ingredients
1 large head of broccoli, roughly chopped
1/2 onion (spring onion or mild salad onion is best), roughly chopped
1 avocado, skin and stone removed, then roughly chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed from stem (discard stem)
1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
Blend everything (except the olive oil) in a food processor for a couple of minutes – the length of time will depend upon the consistency that you prefer. With the machine still running, add the olive oil gradually.
If you like a bit of texture, blend for a shorter length of time, so that you can still see the broccoli and onion pieces. You can also blend for a longer time until the dip becomes more of a smooth puree-type consistency.
Spoon into a serving bowl and serve.
Serving suggestion
You can serve this avocado dip with some crunchy raw vegetables for a delicious afternoon snack. We serve a dip with most meals, to provide a different texture and consistency, which gives a mealtime more variety. You can use it as a type of sauce, on top of our veggie burger or with our brown rice salad.
Enjoy plant-based food at La Crisalida health and wellbeing retreats
At the retreat we focus on providing varied dishes each week, using lots of different fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and seeds to create a healthy, tasty and nutritious menu. Food is prepared fresh every day. Click on this link to read more about food at La Crisalida. Come try it for yourself!
We hope you enjoy this tasty recipe. If you want more plant-based food recipes, go to our blog page. Have fun experimenting with new dishes and flavour combinations!
About the author
- Lisa is one of the founders of La Crisalida Retreats. She is an Epidemiologist, therapeutic hatha and yin yoga teacher and also teaches mindfulness meditation. Lisa has studied NLP and hypnosis, as well as nutrition (she designs the menus).
