How to use up broccoli stems

When my sister and I were growing up, we were very picky. The main vegetables we would eat were broccoli and carrots—more specifically, steamed broccoli and baby carrots. (Looking back, I’m not sure why our parents didn’t at least fry the broccoli to make it tastier.)

Because we were so picky, our parents didn’t even try to get us to eat the broccoli stems, only the florets. It was only when I started living on my own—and buying my own groceries—that I started eating the stems. Suddenly, I couldn’t justify throwing out a significant portion of the vegetable.

However, I’ve never had much luck cooking with broccoli stems. The stems are tough and fibrous. I was sure that there must be a way to cook broccoli stems that tastes better so that you can save money and the planet without having to eat subpar food.

Why bother cooking with broccoli stems?

Cooking with broccoli stems cuts down on food waste. The average Canadian household throws out 140 kilograms of wasted food per year—in other words, food that could have been eaten. Besides wasting the energy, labour, money and other resources invested into growing and transporting food, food waste contributes to climate change. When food waste ends up in landfills, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that’s 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

Besides the environmental aspect, cooking with broccoli stems ensures that you enjoy the full nutritional benefits of broccoli—and get the best bang for your buck!

How to prepare broccoli stems

Though the process will vary somewhat based on what you’re making, here are the general steps for preparing broccoli stems.

1. Rinse the stem.
2. Slice off its tough bottom.
3. Pull off the little leaves at the top.
4. Carefully cut off the tough bits on the stem.
5. Peel the stem to remove the tough outer layer. (Apparently, this is the step that I’d been missing!)
6. Slice the stem into thin rounds or dice it.
7. Cook the stem. The cooking time is longer than for broccoli florets.

Ideas for cooking with broccoli stems

There are a wide range of ways to cook with broccoli stems, from roasting them to adding them to soups or stir-fries.

Add broccoli stems to dishes for texture

Broccoli stems’ texture makes them a good addition to dishes where you want some crunch, like stir-fries, risotto, frittata and casseroles. My approach when cooking with broccoli stems has generally been to dice them and mix them with other vegetables. For example, I sometimes make a dish with chopped up apple, onion, root vegetables and broccoli, all fried up with egg and cheese. That way, broccoli stems play a supporting role instead of being the star of the show!

Roast them

Roasting broccoli stems sweetens their flavour and softens their texture. Most recipes suggest slicing the stems into rounds, but one recommended making fries.

Whichever way you slice them, toss the stems with olive oil and spices before baking—I tried salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Roast the stems until they’re lightly browned, flipping them halfway through.

Use broccoli stems in a slaw or salad

Broccoli stems hold their texture well in a slaw or salad. They have a relatively neutral flavour but provide a welcome crunch. Try mixing broccoli stems with other vegetables and fruits, like carrots, cabbage or apples, and experimenting with different dressings.

This recipe for broccoli slaw juliennes the stems (cuts them into short, thin strips). If you’re making a different type of salad, you can slice the stems into thin rounds or dice them.

Grate or spiralize them

If you have the necessary equipment, there are a couple of unique ways to use up broccoli stems. Try making broccoli rice using a grater or food processor. Use this “rice” in the place of regular rice to sneak in an extra serving of vegetables.

Alternatively, use a spiralizer or vegetable peeler to make broccoli noodles. These long, flat noodles are a low-carb alternative to pasta.

Purée broccoli stems

If you can’t stand the texture of broccoli stems, try blending them. This recipe for broccoli hummus steams the stems before mixing them with classic hummus ingredients.

Alternatively, add the stems to soup—even to a classic broccoli soup to enhance the broccoli flavour and content. You can also include broccoli stems along with other vegetables when making vegetable broth.

How to cook with broccoli stems

Using up broccoli stems is one step toward fighting food waste. Though broccoli stems are less immediately palatable than florets, there are creative ways to cook them to enhance their flavour and even take advantage of their crunchy texture.

I want to know: How do you cook with broccoli stems?

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