The ever-popular broccoli floret is used as a side dish, in soups, pasta dishes, casseroles, and more. However, did you know that the stems of broccoli are just as adaptable as the florets? Raw or cooked broccoli stems are edible in salads and stir-fries alike.
Use the stems as well as the florets the next time you buy broccoli to avoid wasting any. It not only reduces waste but also makes better use of the broccoli you bought in a bunch. Here are three of the numerous applications for broccoli stems.
Blend them into a dip or pesto.
Broccoli stems can be combined with other ingredients to produce hummus or pesto, or with beans to make pesto. To lessen the bitterness, first cook the broccoli stems. The cooked, cooled broccoli stems are then blended with your preferred flavorings in a food processor. This is an easy method to add excitement to the process of eating broccoli and other veggies. Spread it over sandwiches, use it as a dip for raw vegetables and crackers, or garnish pasta salads with it.
They should be grated and made into broccoli “tots.”
These have probably been spotted in some form in the frozen food section of your neighborhood supermarket. In order to replicate the popular potato tots we know and love, they are typically small, frozen vegetable-based “bites” prepared by grating vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes and combining them together.
Combine the grated broccoli stems with various seasonings and a binding substance, such as flour or eggs. To begin, use 1/4 cup flour and 1 egg for 1 cup of grated broccoli stems. Before roasting the mixture in the oven, make sure the mixture can be delicately shaped into little fritters by hand, similar to creating meatballs.
To make noodles, spiralize them.
Spiralized broccoli stems can also be used to make noodles. If you’re seeking for a vegetarian substitute for spaghetti, use them instead. Use a broccoli stem that fits snugly in the spiralizer and simply adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have a spiralizer, you may also use a Y-shaped peeler to shave the broccoli stems into thin ribbons before sautéing or boiling them.
