What To Do With Leftover Broccoli Stems & Stalks
We steam a lot of broccoli in our house. My oldest daughter Nell especially enjoys steamed broccoli but mostly the florets and not the stems.
Then there are times when a recipe just calls for the broccoli florets and not the stems. So what do you do with the stems?
And then there is the stalk. You don’t often see a recipe requiring just the stalk although my youngest daughter Maddie prefers thin, raw slices of the stalk from the upper end near the head.
So unless you have a Maddie-type eater in your home, what do you do with the more tender part of the stalk?
The perfect way to use up these broccoli stems and stalks is to make cream of broccoli soup. You’ll find it is warming and comforting on its own or is the perfect addition to all sorts of casserole recipes.
Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken stock homemade or low-sodium broth
- 8 cups broccoli stems chopped
- 2 cups half and half
Instructions
- Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat for 4 - 5 minutes.
- When the pan is hot, add the butter and oil.
- Once the butter is melted, add the onion and celery and saute until the vegetables are translucent and just starting to turn golden.
- Stir in the additional butter. When melted, stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly. for two-three minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth, broccoli stems and half and half along with another heavy pinch of salt. Simmer until the broccoli stems are very soft, about 10-12 minutes.
- Blend with an immersion blender or in batches in a conventional blender until the soup is as smooth as you like it.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve as is with some grated cheese or use in any recipe that calls for cream of broccoli soup.
Seeing this recipe reminded me of the broccoli in my fridge. Easy recipe and I’m craving for some.
What a great idea! I must admit, I usually end up throwing out the stalks. I’ll use them in a stir-fry, but because they take longer to cook than the florets, they usually end up in the food waste.
Instead of the flour butter and half and half, I peel and dice a potato to cook along with the broccoli. Less calories and a nice thick consistency. Also it’s great to throw in a good handful of shredded cheese right before serving! Nancy
Recipe contains no instructions – only a copy of the introductory text.
Not sure what happened to the instructions but fixed now. Thanks for letting me know.