Roasted Broccoli and Chickpeas With Mole Verde
Mole verde is one of the seven famous moles from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. There are an almost infinite number of variations on this classic mole — the type of ingredients, the method of preparation, the length of time cooked and what is served with it. But what they have in common is their shade of green, from raw moles that are bright emerald green to the long simmered, charred vegetable mole that has a deep olive hue. This version gets its bright color from the spinach and cilantro, and its tang from the tomatillos with a little heat from the poblanos. It’s served topped with roasted broccoli and chickpeas for a vibrant vegan dinner but would complement a roasted chicken just as easily.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 2large heads of broccoli, cut into large florets, stalk peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 2(15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2large chile poblanos, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 5large scallions, root ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
- 5medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered
- 3garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- ¾cups pepitas (preferably toasted)
- ⅓cup white sesame seeds
- 5ounces spinach (preferably mature), coarsely chopped (if using baby spinach, no need to chop)
- ½cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, packed, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Step 1
Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 450 degrees. Toss together broccoli, chickpeas and 4 tablespoons oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season generously with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and browned, 30 to 40 minutes.Step 2
Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add poblanos, scallions, tomatillos, garlic and 2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown and the tomatillos are beginning to fall apart, 7 to 9 minutes. Add pepitas and sesame seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until the seeds are fragrant and smell like roasted nuts, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 2 cups water to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Remove from heat.Step 3
Carefully pour mixture into a blender, then add spinach and cilantro and blend until completely smooth, working in batches if necessary (or alternatively, blend with an immersion blender until smooth). Taste and season with salt.Step 4
Divide mole evenly among the plates or shallow bowls, pouring about 1 cup into each. Top with roasted broccoli and chickpeas.