Leftover Broccoli Stem Salad

Don’t toss those stalks! Repurpose them in a broccoli stem salad by tossing with dried cranberries, cilantro, and a homemade sesame dressing for a simple food waste recovery salad.

Have you ever cut the florets off a stalk of broccoli and tossed away the stem? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. We regularly tossed out broccoli stalks before realizing they’re perfectly edible…in fact, they’re downright delicious!

Now, instead of wasting food we’re repurposing those stems and turning them into a delicious, flavorful salad with chopped cranberries, cilantro, and a homemade toasted sesame dressing.

👉 Ready to learn how to make this simple, 10-minute salad from leftover broccoli stems? Let’s do it!

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🥦 Ingredients + tools

• Broccoli stems: The stem of a head of broccoli is not only good enough to eat, it’s actually packing a nutrition punch: according to Berkeley Wellness, they’re high in vitamin C, potassium, B vitamins like folate, calcium, and a small amount of iron (all important in a plant-based diet).
• Dried cranberries: Dried cranberries add a touch of texture and sweetness to this crunchy salad, as well as fiber and vitamin C.
• Fresh cilantro: Fresh chopped cilantro brings an flavorful, herbal bite to the crunch of broccoli and the tangy sweetness of the cranberries.
• Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds are sprinkled on top of this salad for a light crunchy garnish.
• Garlic ginger sesame dressing: A light dressing made with sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and maple syrup adds a bit of savory and sweet.
• Recommended tools: To make this recipe you’ll need a cutting board and knife set, a small saucepan for toasting the seeds, and glass mixing bowls for tossing the salad.

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🥣 How to make (step-by-step)

1️⃣ Step One: Slice the broccoli stalks

The first step to making this salad is to prepare the broccoli stems. First, remove the broccoli florets by cutting them about 1-2 inches below the heads and saving the florets for another recipe (likely you’ll have already used them and will just have the stalks left!).

Broccoli stalks typically have some dried stems on the sides, which you can remove with a knife. Also remove the first 1-2 inches of the bottom of the stalk, which — which edible — tends to be very hard.

Next, start from the bottom of the stalk and cut into thin slices, about ⅛” inch. When you reach the smaller stalks that turn into the florets, cut each small stalk as well.

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2️⃣ Step Two: Combine salad ingredients

Add the broccoli stalk rounds into a large mixing bowl and add the chopped dried cranberries and the chopped cilantro. Set aside the bowl.

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3️⃣ Step Three: Make the toasted sesame dressing

Next it’s time to make the toasted sesame dressing. First, toast the sesame seeds by heating a small saucepan over medium-low heat and adding the seeds and cooking for about 30-60 seconds, or until the seeds begin to brown and become fragrant.

Next add the minced garlic and ginger and the olive oil and reduce the heat so the garlic and seeds do not burn. Cook until the garlic begins to brown (about a minute more) and remove from the heat.

Pour the seed and oil mixture into a small mixing bowl and add a drizzle of sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar (or maple syrup if you prefer), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk to combine, adding more of each ingredient until you get your desired taste.

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4️⃣ Step Four: Toss the salad in the dressing

Finally, combine the toasted sesame seed dressing with the broccoli stems and toss to combine. You can enjoy this salad right away, but we found that letting the salad sit for 30-60 minutes to marinate actually made the stems a bit softer and we like the flavor as well.

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❓ Recipe questions + quick tips

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🧊 How to store

This broccoli stalk salad is super easy to make once and eat again and again. Here’s how to store it for best freshness:

1. Refrigerator storage: Store in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
2. Freezer storage: We do not recommend freezing, as broccoli stalks will lose their crunchy texture and become watery after thawing.

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♻️ Sustainable kitchen tips + tricks

We are all about going green in the kitchen here at Fork in the Road! Here are a few tips and tricks for making this salad with broccoli stalks even more sustainable:

• Ripe broccoli stems work best. Have you ever noticed that old broccoli stems get softer? This is because as the stems ripen the stalks lose water content and the starches begin to break down. You can revive limp broccoli by cutting off the stem and placing in water, but for this recipe broccoli stems that are a bit softer are actually a good thing (easier to crunch).
• Let the stems soak in the dressing for best texture and taste. We found that letting the sliced stems marinate in the oil-based dressing for 30-60 minutes before serving made for the best taste because the oil helps the broccoli to soften a bit.
• Ingredient substitution ideas: The possibilities are endless, but you could substitute the cranberries for another dried fruit like raisins, the sesame seeds for either pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and the cilantro for another leafy herb like parsley. We also like to add a bit of crunch with crispy ciabatta croutons when we have them on hand. Play with what you have (and let us know what works for you!)

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👉 More recipes using food scraps

Want more food scrap recipes? We’ve got you covered:

• Pesto made with broccoli stems
• Food Scraps Vegetable Broth
• Leftover Espresso Ground Brownies
• Celery Apple Crunch Salad
• Sautéed Carrot Greens
• Pan-Cooked Radish Leaves
• Sun-Dried Tomato Oil Salad Dressing

UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in March 2020 and updated for clarity in October 2021.