You’re cooking broccoli wrong – there’s clever use for stalk

You might have been cooking broccoli wrong this whole time, according to a home chef.

An easy hack to make preparing the vegetable more simple was shared to TikTok by user @myrealfood_uk. They also revealed you shouldn’t be putting the stalk in the food waste bin, as there’s a great way you can use them up.

“Did you know about this trick for cooking broccoli?” the clip began. The amateur chef could then be seen placing an entire head of broccoli upside down into a pot of boiling water which covered only the florets, leaving the stalk exposed.

“All you need to do is submerge the head of the broccoli into boiling water and then you can cut it off like this. Super easy and super quick.”

The cook could then be seen chopping the cooked florets from the stalk as you would normally remove uncooked broccoli from its stem.

Then, she revealed how to turn the stalk into a delicious side dish for any meal. The video continued: “Just chop that up into little slices like this, put it in a frying pan with some soy sauce, and there you have it.”

The end result were thin, soft broccoli strips, slightly browned from the soy sauce. People were quick to comment on the clip, thanking the content creator for sharing her tips.

One wrote: “They say broccoli stems are full of fibre and nutrients and i was actually surprised they are actually delicious just *peel it first*.” Another agreed: “You could make broccoli stem fries.”

Meanwhile a third chimed in: “Finally someone who uses the stem which is the most valuable part.”

However, the video did come with a warning that the tip might not work for organic produce. “Dont do it!!!” someone wrote. “I have done it and didn’t see the bugs. Ate some broccoli witj [sic] bugs.”

Broccoli stems are incredibly nutritious. A one cup serving – about 76g – contains just 24 calories but provides three quarters of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin K, which regulates blood clotting, can help prevent osteoporosis and boosts the immune system, among other important functions.

The same amount of stalk provides about half the recommended amount of Vitamin C, required for growth and repair of tissues, the production of collagen, and to repair and maintain bone and teeth health.

It is also a great source of fibre, folate, phosphorus, potassium and calcium as well as antioxidants. Broccoli – floret or stem – is considered a nutrient-dense food, so it’s a great vegetable to include in your weekly menu.