Full disclosure: The inspiration for this delicious one pot wonder didn’t come from my brain alone. It was a creation I made with my students in our 21-Day Confident Cook Adventure live cook-a-long session. Of course I had an inkling that this Broccoli Tuna Recipe would be good.
But as a group we really made it sing!
Think of all the comfort of a big bowl of risotto with the energy giving gift of a big bowl of veggies.
And it’s just 4 ingredients:
+ frozen broccoli ‘rice’
+ canned tuna
+ extra virgin olive oil
+ fresh basil.
After one bite of this you’ll know why I always have said 4 ingredients in the house. Including basil in a pot over Winter.
Of course if you don’t have fresh basil or you aren’t into canned tuna, I’ve got you covered in the variations below the recipe.
Ingredients
- 250 g / 9 oz frozen broccoli rice or regular frozen broccoli
- 1 medium can tuna or other cooked protein
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
PLUS Ingredient
- small handful fresh basil leaves optional
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan on a high heat. Then add the frozen broccoli rice.
- Cover and cook 2 minutes. Remove lid, stir and keep cooking uncovered until the broccoli is warm.
- Drain the tuna and add to the pot to warm through with a pinch of salt.
- Place hot tuna and broccoli in a bowl. Drizzle with the oil and scatter over the basil leaves (if using).
Variations & Substitutions
plan-B (pantry) – just skip the optional fresh basil.
vegetarian – drained canned chickpeas would be awesome here! Also amazing with poached or boiled eggs. OR you could scramble eggs in the pan with the hot broccoli ‘rice’.
different protein – sardines, canned salmon, mussels, frozen prawns, cooked chicken thigh or breast fillets, cooked sausages, cooked frozen or fresh fish fillets, cooked meatballs.
different sauce – I was surprised how good the plain extra virgin olive oil was with this. But you might like to add a squeeze of lemon or lime just for some extra freshness. Hummus or any of those dips you get at the supermarket like eggplant dip or beet deep, make a tahini sauce with equal parts tahini, lemon juice and water or just tahini and water can all be drizzled or dolloped over. Pesto will add more depth of flavour but not necessarily be better.
different vegetables – frozen peas, frozen corn, frozen baby green beans, frozen spinach, frozen kale, frozen cauliflower ‘rice’, frozen broccoli are all great! Feel free to use fresh veg as well if you don’t mind chopping – you might like to steam your fresh veg until tender before proceeding as per the recipe.
more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with pita or wraps or tortillas or toasted sourdough.
more substantial (low carb) – good with a hunk of avocado. And some roast almonds, walnuts or pine nuts or shaved parmesan or a boiled egg or two.
no fresh basil – fresh dill, fresh parsley, freshly ground black pepper, dried chilli flakes, roast nuts, roast seeds, crumbled feta or goats cheese, olives, capers, lemon zest or finely diced preserved lemon.
more fancy / for entertaining – some toasted pine nuts or pistachios always make it feel fancy.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
frozen broccoli ‘rice’ – keep in the freezer.
canned tuna / extra virgin olive oil – keep in the pantry.
basil – make basil oil by packing washed and dried leaves in a clean jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil. Or you can freeze the leaves, they’ll wilt but will still be delicious.
Problem Solving Guide
bland – more salt and freshly ground black pepper! Or add in a flavour bomb.
veg burning – next time remember to stir after the first few minutes. If there’s only a little charring I’d still eat it – it’s your call.
air fryer – place the frozen broccoli rice on a piece of baking paper in the air fryer basket so it doesn’t fall through the holes. Cook for 10 minutes at 200C (400F) or until broccoli is hot. Then transfer to a bowl and top with the tuna, oil and basil.
Prep Ahead
Absolutely! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the basil leaves separately. Either keep at room temperature if it’s only a few hours before serving or refrigerate if longer. Then to serve warm in a pan and top with the basil leaves.
