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I can’t even tell you how many years I spent throwing my broccoli stems in the garbage. I didn’t even think twice about it until I discovered how delicious the stems actually are. Come to think of it, I’m not even sure why I just assumed they were any less delish than the florets, but I digress…
Here’s the simple truth of it, broccoli stems are as delicious as the florets and if you have a really fresh head of broccoli, dare I say, the stems can be even more sweet and tender than the florets.
And while this Broccoli Stem Soup is one of my favorite ways to use them stems, here are 5 more ways I love to use my broccoli stems:
- Slice them into coins and stir-fry with a little ginger, garlic, say sauce, and sesame oil.
- Finely chop them and toss them into a salad.
- Saute in some coconut oil and scramble them into my eggs (they are great in frittatas and omelets as well).
- Slice them into coins and roast at 400 for about 20 minutes (very similar to my Popcorn Broccoli only made with the stems).
- Slice them into thin rounds and use as a ‘chip’ to dip into hummus or guacamole.
What about you guys? Do you save your broccoli stems? What creative ways do you find to use the stems?
Dairy-Free Broccoli Stem Soup
Yield: 4 servings (1 1/4 cup each)
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Total Time:25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 an onion, sliced into half moons
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped up
- The stems from one head of broccoli, sliced into thin coins (about 4 cups)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a medium pot and stir in onions, garlic, and broccoli stems. Season the veggies with some salt and pepper and allow to cook for about ten minutes being sure to stir a few times to ensure nothing burns.
- Once the veggies have become tender pour the chicken broth into the pot. You can add more or less broth depending on how thick or thin you like your soup. Shut off the heat and blend up your soup (*It’s probably a good idea to let the soup cool just a bit before blending and be careful not to fill your blender more than halfway with your soup otherwise you run the risk of the soup exploding all over).
- Blend for about 10-15 seconds or until the soup is all blended up. You could add little more broth if you want your soup to be thinner. Taste your soup. Adjust your seasonings and enjoy!
Wow! I’ve always thrown away those stems! These are some awesome ideas! Thanks Dani! I can’t wait to try the soup! Looks great!
You are very welcome! Let me know if you get to try any of them:)
May I know if the leftovers can be kept in the fridge for the next few days? Would be great if they do
Absolutely!
I love these ideas! I have always thrown the stems away too!
A lot of people throw them away! I hope you get to try some of these ideas.
Great ideas Dani, I love the idea of roasting them in the oven. Thank you.
I just recently found a green juice recipe which included broccoli stems so now they have a special purpose in getting me more juice for my buck.
Love that idea – I never tried juicing them, but I will now!
My soup has a lot of broccoli ribs in it, I don’t want to serve it. What did I do wrong?
Hmmmm. The only thing that comes to mind is that you may have had an older head of broccoli. The older (and bigger) the broccoli, the tougher the stems can be. In this case, I would recommend trimming them down before cooking. So sorry this didn’t work out for you.
I grate them and add to salad or make cole slaw.
Brilliant! Thanks for sharing.
Just made this and the taste of red onion and broccoli is so good 🙂 On top I added som chicken and fromage frais to get a higher protein content 🙂
Sounds delicious… so glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the recipe. I’m excited to try this out later in the week for me and my husband.
Thanks,
Grandma Kat
XOXOXOXOXO
You are very welcome! Enjoy!
Hi there…love your site!!! Could you tell me the name of your blender…I use mine every day and find that it’s really super loud, but I noticed that you could even talk while blending your soup, very impressive 😉
Keep up the good work!!!
My hubby may have done some sound editing for the video – which is why I was able to talk over the blender. In this video I was using the Breville Hempishere.
My peas turned into cocoa-puffs. 20 minutes was too long, but the flavor was still great. Next time it will be 15 minutes.
I’ve always used the whole broccoli. It’s kind of like poultry where some like dark and some like light meat. Some in my family like the ‘flower’, some like the stems. I can’t wait to try this soup, one of the few that don’t use cheese
I agree! I hope you enjoy the recipe:)
Don’t you find that you get tough short fibers that the blender could not chop up? That’s what happened to me twice, and I took extra care this time to peel the stems. 🙁
The only thing I can think is if you has vey mature broccoli (older) – I have never had this problem. Total bummer!
Delicious recipe… was making broccoli pasta and the soup went well with it. I strained the soup after blending it to get rid of the tougher Fiber. I also did peel the tougher skin before starting.
Wow, I didn’t know that some people threw away the stems. Sometimes I enjoy the stems more than the florets.
What do you like to do with them?
Someone long ago said I should peel the stems before using, and I think they are very good!
As long as the broccoli is not super old and bitter the stems are delicious!
Always loved stems but never made soup. Thanks for another great video. Love your style. :O)
Thanks Debra!
Wow… the broccoli stems you can get are at least four or more times longer than the stems we get in Australia. Now I can understand why your recipe says one bunch/four cups… it would take us Aussies about 10-20 broccoli bunches to collect four cups of broccoli stem!
Interesting! You can try using the whole head of broccoli, rather than just the stems… and, of course, I’d love to hear about it if you do 🙂
Very interesting Dani… you don’t even peel them? I must try! Thanks!
I don’t usually peel them, but if you think they need it, then you can give them a peel 😉
Just went out and bought a bunch of broccoli for this recipe… I WAS SO YUMMY! We doubled the recipe and used the entire broccoli head and stem. Yummy and healthy! thank you Dani!!!
So gla to hear it, Melanie!!
I’m going to make this tonight and add a tin of cannelini beans before blitzing, it adds a really velvety texture to soup that means you don’t need cream or potatoes if you are keeping them out of your diet.
Great idea!