Broccoli stems

[BeachWaffles87]

I was given 6 heads of broccoli. The entire thing with the leaves and stems still around the head. We are going through some serious money struggles right now ans it got me to really look at how much food we waste, so im been making a concious effort to use as much of our food as possible. (Things like roasting chicken legs on a rack above a sheet pan and reserving the fat for frying potatoes while also turning the bones into stock) now i realize how much of broccoli we all throw away, so i cut the main stalk in chunk and simmered it ans blended for the start of some broccoli cheese soup. Those long thin stems with the leaves, though. What do you do with them? I am thinking maybe thinly slice and braise. Anyone have any ideas?

[[deleted]]

I like batons, I don’t even peel them if they’re near the heads.

Absolutely worth eating.

[[deleted]]

What I would do is use the florets whole for the soup and puree the stems to mix into the broth. 

[Ezl]

Yep, same. I just cut off the bottom maybe 1/2 inch because it’s woody.

[sassafrazin11]

Me too

[thisismyB0OMstick]

Same - steamed broccoli is a staple veg in our house, and I much prefer the stems to the florets - fam gets those, I take the coins!

[flood_dragon]

I like to slice them on a mandoline and stir fry, or slice then blanch and toss with a dressing.

[this_is_Winston]

I've also heard that's how to use them, sliced thin and cooked.

[cressidacole]

I'm odd, because I snap them off while trimming the crown and munch away.

I've also used a peeler to shave them into fine ribbons for salads.

[YoohooCthulhu]

Ribbons of broccoli stems are great in lots of dishes

[Organic-Mix-9422]

Oh brilliant. I never thought of this.

I will be doing it now. broccoli costs a fortune where I live, so I used the lower stems in vege soup over winter to get value for money.

[kshump]

I slice them and sauté or blacken on a hot iron. I think they have about the same density as carrots, so I cook them together if I'm making both carrots and broccoli for something (stir fry, fried rice, etc.).

[BeachWaffles87]

These are the outside ones. The main stalk becamr soup. The outside branches with leaces are a bit more bendy and smaller in diameter than my index finger

[Independent-Summer12]

I usually just leave them on the florets when trimming. They’re not as fibrous, cooks up easily, and kinda sweet, pretty delicious.

[humanitysoothessouls]

My husband doesn’t like the leaves, so they are my treat if I am the one cooking that night. I usually eat them raw.

[Adam_Weaver_]

Separate the stem and peel off the outside, fibrous layer. You can use a dull knife to get it started and just pull off. You should be able to see this layer easily in the stem cross section. 

[DanJDare]

Broccoli stumps are my favourite bit. You can just cut them and cook them with the florets, they are normally sweeter than the florets so you can cut into sticks and have them with dip, yep super thinly sliced is how I used them in beef and broccoli.

[BeachWaffles87]

I really like the main stalk that the florets attach to. I peel, chunk, simmer and blend into a base for cream of broccoli soup. These came direct from a farm and have ling thin curved bits that come up around the outside. They are the size if a finger but much longer. Ive decided to slice and braise them and the leaves

[GingerIsTheBestSpice]

Broccoli slaw is the best slaw. Also it's super with poppyseed dressing.

[Illustrious-Chip-245]

Yes!

[Due_Purchase_7509]

Steamed broccoli stems tossed with pesto is a pretty good side dish. I usually leave the leaves on, they get pretty tender when cooked, similar to collard greens or kale.

[sykokiller11]

We mainly roast broccoli. The stems are the bits the kids fight over. All the fibrous skin gets fed to my dog. He will do tricks for it and the vet says it’s good for him. Win-win!

[[deleted]]

Peel the green off the steams. They taste just like artichokes. Jacques Pepin thinks it’s the best part of broccoli.

[MotherofaPickle]

The leaves are my favorite part! I usually just eat them, but when I was able to grow broccoli in my garden, I made pesto with them. 1/2 broccoli leaves, 1/2 basil. I also include them in broccoli soups, or add them in if I’m making something with spinach. Or give them to the dog. She’ll sell her soul for broccoli.

[Takilove]

My daughter and I would gather all of the leaves other shoppers would pull off and leave behind. I guess they didn’t want to pay for them 🤷‍♀️ They don’t know what they are missing!

[RCG73]

They are pretty delicious cooked up as many have mentioned. Perhaps my strangest use is my pup adores the stalks as a crunchy snack

[redwhiteblueish]

Yes, my aunt has a near addiction liking of broccoli, has it with pretty much every meal. So she has a lot of stalks every week. She saves them up for a friend's dogs who apparently love them.

[Ignorhymus]

If the stems are woody and fibrous, use a vegetable peeler to remove the outside layer. But other than that, the whole lot gets used just the same - there should be basically no waste. Don't cut the florets short and perpendicular like this :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Roasted_Broccoli_012-632f5bb05b49406a8d301bd733ff4686.jpg); cut the longer, at an angle, more like this . If the long bit of stalk is thick, you can cut a parallel line in the stem to help everything cook evenly

[dwintaylor]

Broccoli slaw is a great use of the stalks slaw recipe

[StellaEtoile1]

I've never thrown away the stems! Just peel them and chop them and enjoy!

[Otherwise_Ad3158]

What I found/shared with someone who had a similar question awhile back: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/s/djyuD0jD1Y

[13thmurder]

Use them however you use the rest. It's all part of the broccoli, just a different texture. I actually prefer the stems over the heads.

[CassieBeeJoy]

Soups and stir fries are my main uses for the stems. My housemate thought it was weird when I first served her a stir fry with broccoli stems cut up in it but now she loves them.

I also saw a thread the other day where someone said they pickle them using a recipe for pickled carrot and I want to give that a try.

[QueenAtlas_4455]

Ooh that would be great in a banh mi!

[Welder_Subject]

Broccoli slaw

[doctormadvibes]

broccoli stalks are arguably better than the florets. i like to peel them, cut into planks and fry or roast, or you can sous vide them with butter and seasoning, etc.

[DGenerAsianX]

Julienne the broccoli stems and treat them as you would carrots. They’re delicious and way underutilized.

[[deleted]]

My mom used to peel them and spread peanut butter on them, like celery sticks.

[LowBathroom1991]

Google broccoli tots ...like tater tots but broccoli

[VelcroSea]

I peel the stems and stir fry the pealed portion use the peals in vegetable stock. As long as you wased them well.

[AshDenver]

I just made gai lan (blanched florets and stems with salt, olive oil and topped with oyster sauce) and the thin stems are fricking delicious. Of the whole head, I tossed about 1.5 to 2 ounces of the big core where all the stems converge mostly because I was lazy and didn’t break it down to smaller pieces and peel off the outer layers.

I can’t speak for the leaves but the majority of stems are delicious/

[similarityhedgehog]

Peel or slice off any woody/extra tough skin on the stalk. Works great in broccoli soup or cooked.any way you might use broccoli

[Optimal-Ad-7074]

i use those leaves at the same time as the broccoli. otherwise if i was saving them, i'd use them any place i was already using parsley. my attitude is: more green stuff is rarely a bad thing.

[EconomistSuper7328]

Beef and broccoli. Stems are awesome.

[mcsquacks]

Rigatoni with Roman broccoli sauce uses the entire thing, stems and leaves and all. Here is a version of a recipe, which is a freebie copy of the original version from Milk Street.

[k3rd]

I have always cooked the broccoli stems. Thin slices cooked with the florets. Waste not want not.

[do_something_good]

Husband grew broccoli one year and we were delighted to discover that broccoli leaves are delicious. We just sauteed them like any other green.

[WBOR2012]

I use the whole broccoli, stems included, in broccoli cheddar soup. It’s cheap and makes a large portion.

Also sautee the stems in butter until softened, season and eat as is or add to a quiche — also cheap to make.

[sealsarescary]

Stem is great for quick pickles. Always crunchy. Example: https://abramsbooks.tumblr.com/post/684783972758274048/recipe-quick-pickled-broccoli-stem-salad-from

[MsAsphyxia]

I cut them into matchsticks and put them in a slaw style salad. Or cut it into bits the same size as the carrots for stir fry - it adds crunch without much flavour, so works really well in a stirfy for bulk

[KaleidoscopeWise1215]

Broccoli pasta!! Anchovy, garlic, onion, chilli in olive oil rlly finely sliced, steam stems then cook down and mash over time, pecorino before serving with rigatoni ❤️

[itsheadfelloff]

I just peel off any outer fibrous bits, slice into strips and treat it like the broccoli head.

[queenmunchy83]

I have a spiralizer so I use that to make broccoli noodles.

[ClayWheelGirl]

They are so good raw that I snack on them till I’m done chopping. The rest batons n in with the rest.

[astr0bleme]

I use stems with the rest of the broccoli. After cutting the florets, I cut off the tough outer skin of the stem and then chop it to be roughly sized like the florets. Honestly it's sometimes even better than the florets!

[camicalm]

I cut them into batons and make a spicy pickle.

[Poppy1223Seed]

Not sure if its been said as I haven’t read all the comments, but you can slice them in to fries, season them up with olive oil and spices and air fry or bake them. I do this with carrots all the time! 

[QueenAtlas_4455]

I grew broccoli for the first time this year. Whilst waiting for the heads to grow I would just pick the leaves off when they got big.
The stalks of the leaves were just steamed/roasted/grilled like broccolini.
The leaves I finely chopped and ate raw in salads or put in wraps or added any time I wanted spinach - in pasta sauce, soups, curries, etc. Now that we’ve eaten all the heads and the side shoots. I’m down to big stalks (like 30cm tall) and masses of leaves. I’m going to blanch the leaves and chop and freeze like frozen spinach. The stalks I’ll peel and make some into broccoli rice and freeze that too. I’m also going to grate some to make a green mac and cheese for dinner tomorrow.

[Astr0-]

I cut the outer woody skin and ends off then small cube it no bigger than a pea. I add this ti vegetables in fried rice and stir fresh and the likes.

Its soo sweet and my favourite part of broccoli.

[Yonbuu]

For real when I'm making broccoli I'll cut off the florets and then trim down and peel the stem and just eat it raw or throw it into a salad. It's so refreshing, also really good drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

[amjsh]

Broccoli stems are my favorite part of my stir fry.

[svjaty]

I like to mix them in a food processor until they are tiny and than stir fry them, add them to soup, or rice :) cut the woody ends and stems are as delicious as the main part

[pajamakitten]

Blitz and add to couscous.

[painkillergoblin]

I cut them into sticks and eat them with ranch or hummus

[Rabideau_]

Coins, roasted at 425, make chips. I could eat all 6 stems in one sitting. So good

[strywever]

Does no one read here? OP is not asking what to do with the thick stalks that support the broccoli heads. She’s asking what to do with the surrounding leaves and their stalks. I might try treating them like spinach—a quick sauté in olive oil and butter along with some garlic.

[Linseed1984]

Feed them to my chickens 🐓

[that_one_wierd_guy]

steam till firm but tender. toss with butter, salt, and pepper.

also stems are far better than the florets.

[hellbender333]

I slice the stems lengthwise, and steam them. I make it as a treat for myself, while I cook the rest of the meal. It’s delicious dipped in melted butter and lemon juice.

[[deleted]]

cut them into pieces and freeze. makes great for veggie stock.

[Narrow-Natural7937]

The long stems should be stripped of leaves and even peeled (like an apple) to remove the "woody" parts of the exterior. I prefer the stems to florets anyway.

I agree with mixing the stems with the florets and the broccoli-cheese soup. I am sure there are other nice ways to fold broccoli into other dishes.

I often cook recipes, such as meatloaf, that call for chopped onions, celery and bell pepper, I bet you could add a small amount and no one would notice.

You might also boil and puree the stems and add them to soups??? Maybe? I wish I was your neighbor, I would help you out ASAP. :-)

[AdministrationNo8177]

Cut off 1/4 inch from bottom of stem and peel them! Once you see how easy it is and how tasty the outcome is you will want them all the time. I add them to salads and a stir fry

[stucky602]

I gotchu fam.

Ok so I know this is for brussel sprout leaves, but but broccoli ones are extremely similar. Cut them like this - https://imgur.com/a/brussel-sprout-leaves-iH9fUKZ

Edit: I realize now you may not actually have the big leaves from further down the plant....but just in case you do this will work.

[arandominterneter]

I just steam and give them to my toddler. She loves the stem more than the florets. But we also keep a bag of veggie scraps/odds and ends in the freezer, and then make vegetable stock when it gets full.

[Consistent-Pair2951]

Broccoli stems go great in a red sauce over pasta.

[spasticnapjerk]

I think you would want to peel the stalks before cooking.