Less Waste: Broccoli Stem ‘Tartare’

Less Waste: Broccoli Stem ‘Tartare’

It seems like a lot of people still see broccoli stems a scraps to be thrown away, but the truth is that broccoli is delicious in its entirety. The stems make up the bulk of the weight for a reason – they are totally edible, incredibly tender inside, and very versatile. To prep them, all you have to do is peel away the tough outer skin, and you’ll be left with a velvety ‘heart,’ which kind of reminds us of an artichoke heart. It can be utilized in so many ways – in fried rice, soups, salads, gratin, latkes, and even apps.


This ‘tartare’ is an unexpected little number to serve on a snack platter, but we think that it will pleasantly surprise any guests. It comes together with the help of staple pantry ingredients, and tastes indulgent…but in reality you’re eating a bunch of broccoli. Win-win all around.

We came up with the idea for this recipe because broccoli stems get incredibly tender when steamed, and they take on flavor really well, like little sponges. We’ve seen various plant-based ‘tartare’ done before, like carrot tartare and avocado tartare, so we had the idea to try out something similar with broccoli stems. We marinated the stems with classic tartare ingredients like mustard, capers, and red onion (or shallot), and were so pleased with the result.
Give broccoli stems a chance! And enjoy :)