Did you know that broccoli stems are just as wholesome as their florets?

We often forget that the stems of broccoli are just as nutritious as the florets. They are chock-full of iron, calcium, and Vitamin A – so every time you toss these healthy stalks in the bin, you are losing some great nutrients. If you love to eat broccoli but hate tossing the stems, here are some tasty and creative ways of incorporating broccoli into your meal.

Stir-fried broccoli stems

The broccoli stems can be stir-fried with other healthy veggies like capsicum, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, and bell peppers. After stir-frying these veggies, add them to a bowl of cooked quinoa, noodles, daliya, or khichdi. You may also savor them with butter rice or a bowl of healthy soup.

Broccoli rice

Have you ever tried preparing broccoli rice? It is yummy, healthy, and easy to prepare. Grab a vegetable peeler and carefully remove the outer layer of the broccoli stems. Chop them into little chunks, nearly 1 inch long. Place all the chunks into the food processor and pulse until the chunks become the size of rice. Add a dash of butter, and your broccoli rice is ready to be served.

Ferment them to prepare pickle

Ferment the broccoli stalks to make pickles. Just cut the stalks lengthwise and put them in a pickling jar. Now add some salt and shake the jar well, allowing the stalks to get coated evenly. Next, you have to refrigerate the jar for some hours—then take the jar, and drain out the excess water collected at the jar’s bottom. Add some vinegar, olive oil, and garlic to the jar, and toss everything together. Refrigerate the jar for several hours more, and your fermented broccoli stalks are ready!

Add the stalks to the salad

The trend of eating raw veggies is gaining momentum and if you love eating salads, consider adding some more nutrition to your salad by tossing chopped broccoli stems into it. You may add broccoli stalks to hot as well as cold salads.

Vegetable broth with broccoli stalks

Instead of throwing away the broccoli stems, you can add them to your vegetable broth to elevate its flavor and for a boost of nutrients. You may also add your broccoli stalks to broccoli soup. Don’t just use the florets, add the chopped stems into the soup too.

Using all the parts of a vegetable is not just healthy, but also eco-friendly.