Sichuan-Style Charred Broccoli

This easy and flavorful recipe for Sichuan-Style Charred Broccoli comes courtesy of Jannell Lo from her book My Best Friend Is Gluten-Free. Janell writes the this delectable way to prepare broccoli, “combines my love of broccoli with the punchy flavors of Sichuan-style green beans, a beloved classic in my family.”

Janell continues, “The idea here is to char the broccoli until crisp-tender before tossing it in a blend of garlic, ginger, chili paste, and the intense umami of black bean paste (also known as fermented black soybean paste, and sadly, sometimes containing gluten).”

Recipe is excerpted from My Best Friend is Gluten-Free: 100+ Asian-Inspired Recipes for Bringing People Together by Jannell Lo. Copyright © 2025 Jannell Lo. Photographs by Jessica Kalman. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

My Best Friend is Gluten-Free is available on Bookshop.org* 
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More about My Best Friend Is Gluten-Free

Anyone who eats (or cooks) a gluten-free diet understands the struggles of avoiding gluten. In East Asian and Southeast Asian foods especially, gluten is hard to avoid: it’s embedded in integral staples like soy sauce and gochujang and foundational foods like noodles and dumplings.

But the struggle is over! In My Best Friend Is Gluten-Free, you’ll find completely gluten-free recipes that celebrate a spectrum of Asian flavors.

Inspired by her celiac husband and wanting to share the foods of her Chinese-Canadian upbringing with him, Jannell Lo set out to create gluten-free options for all her favorite recipes, plus some creative takes of her own.

Designing flavorful and inclusive dishes let Jannell explore her own cultural identity through food in new and meaningful ways. The result: this cookbook, with chapters that include salads and fresh bites in Tossed & Assembled, satisfyingly saucy pairings in Nice with Rice, crispy stir-fries in Fried & Sizzled, and easy Sweet Treats with textural flair. See more about My Best Friend is Gluten-Free following the recipe box.

Explore more …

• Easy Teriyaki Tempeh and Broccoli
• Stir-Fried Broccoli with Shiitake Mushrooms and Cashews
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Yield: 4

Sichuan-Style Charred Broccoli

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This recipe for Sichuan-Style Charred Broccoli comes courtesy of Jannell Loc, from her book My Best Friend Is Gluten-Free. Janell writes that this delectable way to prepare broccoli, “combines my love of broccoli with the punchy flavors of Sichuan-style green beans, a beloved classic in my family.”

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450 g) broccoli, cut into large florets
• 2 tablespoons neutral high-heat cooking oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch knob ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons black bean paste (see note for swap)
• 1 tablespoon chili paste (such as sambal oelek or Calabrian)
• 1 tablespoon water
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Roasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven or grill to 400°F (200°C). If using the oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If using a grill, make sure it’s clean, then lightly brush the grid with oil.
2. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the salt. Spread out in a single layer on the prepared pan or place directly on the grill. Roast or grill for about 15 minutes, flipping the broccoli a few times with tongs, until nicely charred but still crisp-tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the remaining oil on medium heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic, ginger, black bean paste, and chili paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant and uniform, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water.
4. Return the broccoli to the large bowl, add half of the paste, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds. Transfer the remaining paste to an airtight container, let cool, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days to flavor other vegetables.

Notes

• Jannell Lo swapped out traditional green beans for broccoli in this recipe. If you’d like to use green beans, keep the quantities of all the other ingredients the same, but broil the beans on a parchment-lined baking sheet on high for 5 minutes before tossing them in the aromatic paste.
• If you can’t find GF black bean paste, use 1 tbsp GF miso paste + 1 tbsp GF soy sauce or tamari + 1 tbsp chopped kalamata olives or GF fermented black beans

More about My Best Friend is Gluten Free by Jannell Lo

My Best Friend Is Gluten-Free is exciting for all eaters, gluten-free or not, with:

• Gluten-Free Solutions to Asian Classics: For anyone feeling left out at restaurants, find GF answers to Canto-Style Mapo Tofu, Japanese-Style Curry, and Hot & Sour Soup.
  Barrier-Breaking Recipes: Cross culinary borders—think Thai, Chinese, Filipino—with Tom Yum Corn Chowder, Shanghai Stir-Fried Gnocchi, and Pavlova with Calamansi Curd inspired by Jannell’s travels as a third-culture chef.
  Easy Everyday Meals for All Dietary Needs: Whip up weeknight wins like Rice Cake Soup, Chili Miso Salmon, and Roasted Coconut Tamari Chicken with plant-based, vegetarian, dairy-free, and pescatarian options for many!
  Menus for All Occasions: Serve your friends and family multi-course menus, like a cozy holiday feast, a Lunar New Year dinner, and even a sumptuous plant-based spread.

With eye-catching illustrations and vibrant photos, My Best Friend Is Gluten-Free is an accessible and fun exploration of a world typically off-limits to gluten-free eaters. Finally, you can make your favorite Asian dishes at home.