Salsa Verde Recipe Using Broccoli Stalks

2 Minute Read

Did you know that Americans throw out approximately 40% of their food every year? That’s not only a ton of money going down the drain (about $2,275 for every household of 4), but its also the largest contributor of waste in our landfills. (Huffington Post)

Picture the following scenario: You pick up some broccoli at the grocery store, which you pay for by-the-pound. When you get home, you cut off the stalks and throw them away because who eats broccoli stalks anyway? As you give it another thought, you realize you literally just threw away half of what you paid for, leaving you feeling annoyed and taken advantage of. The sad truth is: this situation happens with all sorts of food: apple cores, asparagus tips, beet roots, and so many others. At minimum, all of these things can be composted, but even that can feel wasteful. So what can we do?

Today, we’re going to focus on the first offender: The Broccoli Stalk. Nutritionally speaking, broccoli stalks have just as much protein and most of the vitamins as broccoli florets, so there’s really no reason why we’re tossing out these bad boys. You can use them to make broth, slice them up for chips, or put them in a casserole, but the best option I’ve found is to make a salsa verde with them. If you know me personally, you’ll know that “it’s all about the sauce” is more than just a catchphrase, its a way of life! So it should come as no surprise that I found a way to make a sauce out of vegetable scraps. Check out my recipe below!

Saucesome Salsa Verde:

Prep time: 10 mins       Cook time: 10 mins       Total time: 20 mins

Yield: 1 medium-sized jar 

Ingredients:

• 1 portion of broccoli stalks
• small avocado
• handful of cilantro
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• juice of 1 lemon

Instructions:

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil over high heat (add a pinch of salt to speed up the boiling time).
2. Cook the broccoli stalks until tender (about 10 minutes).
3. Put all the ingredients into a blender and mix on high until everything comes to a pureed consistency.
4. Store in a container in the fridge or freeze some for the future.

I use a Vitamix for making this recipe. It’s my #1 Kitchen essential, and is the ultimate blender for any and every zero waste recipe. It makes the creamiest nut-milks, nut-butters, sauces, and smoothies, among other things. Click Here to Get your Vitamix!

You can put this on any Mexican dish (tacos, nachos, etc), use it as a dipping sauce, or put it in an omelette. The options are endless!

This recipe is vegan and gluten-free

I hope you enjoy all that saved cash and saucy green goodness!

If you have any other ideas for using broccoli stalks, drop me a line below.