Thai Turkey & Broccoli Larb Bowls – Recipe!

Larb is a ground meat dish from southeast Asia usually served hot, but sometimes eaten cold as a salad.  What makes this meal so appealing, is that the ingredients are simple as well as the preparation, so you can enjoy Thai cooking at home.  You can use any type of ground meat, but I find that turkey makes a good candidate because it soaks up the flavors from the pan, while still holding onto that savory taste.

Fish sauce is an ingredient that I always keep in my pantry and I add to all kinds of recipes because it offers an earthy pop of flavor.  Don’t be afraid of the name, it’s not overly fishy, although it’s made of fermented fish, similar to soy sauce, which is made from fermented soy beans.  Fish sauce adds a unique kind of saltiness that’s hard to duplicate, so I recommend buying a bottle to use in your cooking.

These larb bowls are done in less than 15 minutes, except for the brown rice, which you can make ahead of time, or prepare a quick cooking version.  I added broccoli florets to the mix because I think having a vegetable in the same pan is always a good idea, and brings a freshness that drives flavor.  The spears of green bring color, and offer such a nice compatible twist to the meal.

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground turkey

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

juice of 1 lime + more for serving

oil for cooking

cooked brown rice for serving

(Serves 4)

To Prepare:

1. In a skillet over medium high heat, add 2 teaspoons oil, onions and garlic.  Sauté for 3 minutes and add ground turkey.  Stir while breaking apart with spoon.  Cook until no longer pink.
2. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes, stir.  Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add broccoli on top and place lid on pan.  Turn heat to medium and let steam for 2 minutes.  Remove lid and stir.  Continue to cook and reduce sauce for 3 minutes.
4. Squeeze lime juice over top and stir.  Spoon larb into bowls over hot steamed rice.  Enjoy!