My Broccoli Stem Slaw is crisp, colourful and totally delicious. I make it from simple, everyday ingredients and yet every bite of this salad is full of texture and bright flavours, all of which complement each other. It is the perfect side dish to serve with a barbecue, alongside a family dinner or to take on a picnic. It is also ideal to serve alongside a burger or in a sandwich.
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Why we love this recipe:
Firstly – I must implore you – please do not throw your broccoli stems away! They are delicious and there are so many ways and recipes in which to use them. Add them to home-made stock or use them in a stir-fry.
You can cut them into strips as you would carrot or celery, to serve as crudites on a dip platter. Or, as I am suggesting today, use them in a delicious Broccoli Stem Slaw.
Broccoli stems do have a tough, fibrous outer layer which is best to remove. Once this is removed, you will find that the stems have a lovely sweet flavour and their crunchiness adds great texture.
Broccoli has long been touted as a superfood due to its high nutritional content and anti-cancer properties. It is high in fibre, Vitamins C, A and K, Folate and Calcium. In fact, health professionals recommend that we eat it at least twice a week. Therefore, to avoid repetitive dishes, it is important to have a number of ways in which to use it.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Dressing:
- Mayonnaise – use good quality, whole egg mayonnaise, either a commercial variety or your own.
- Greek yoghurt – adds a delicious tang to the dressing.
- Dijon Mustard – adds depth of flavour.
- Honey – balances out the flavours. You could also use maple syrup.
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt – add to your taste.
Salad:
- Broccoli Stems – when purchasing broccoli, ensure the stems are firm.
- Carrot and Apple – aside from being delicious, add great colour and texture to the dish.
- Lemon Juice – stops the apple from discolouring.
- Dried cranberries – provide colour, great texture and a tangy flavour.
Step by Step Instructions:
- Peel the tough exterior from the broccoli stems with a knife or vegetable peeler and discard.
- Cut the broccoli stalks into matchsticks (julienne). First, slice the stem into thin planks. Then stack them together and slice again to make matchsticks
- Cut the apple into matchsticks, add to a separate small bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
- Peel the carrot and cut into matchsticks using the same method as for the broccoli stem. Add the broccoli stem, carrot and apple to a bowl.
- Mix up your dressing.
- Add your dressing to the vegetables.
- Toss the salad well, and check your seasoning.
- Serve with the dried cranberries sprinkled on top.
Tips for Success and FAQs:
Our Broccoli Stem Slaw is perfect to make after enjoying dishes such as our Broccoli and Bacon Salad or Broccoli and Potato Soup.
It makes a healthy, nutritious salad, with infinite possibilities for you to make it your own. You could add more crunch with the addition of some roasted almond slivers or cashews. Instead of the cranberries, you could use dried cherries, chopped fresh dates or pomegranate arils. Add some lemon zest or finely chopped mint to brighten the flavours. If you would like more spice add more Dijon mustard; if you like a sweeter dressing, add a little extra honey. Always check that the balance of flavours is the way you like it. Personalise this salad to make it your own.
Ensure that you wash and peel the broccoli stems first – remove the tough, fibrous layer, using either a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. The interior of the stem is beautiful; it varies from the exterior in that it is a soft, pale green.
You can store it in the fridge well-covered for up to three days.
If you want to prepare it in advance, keep the dressing and the salad ingredients separate until about a half hour before serving. After dressing the salad, refrigerate to allow the flavours to blend.
Because the Salad contains mayonnaise, it is not safe to sit out of the refrigerator longer than 2 hours. If you have some leftover, refrigerate it as soon as possible within that time. If you’re serving it outdoors and it’s a warm day, bring the salad out as you’re ready to serve as it could spoil in one hour. Discard the salad after this time.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
There are no boring salads around here! Try some more of our favourite salad recipes which are full of flavour:
- Charred Corn and Black Bean Salad
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
- Thai Inspired Prawn Salad
- Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower Salad
- Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad
- Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad
- Pumpkin, Cranberry and Almond Salad
- Sweet and Sour Carrot Salad
- Char-Grilled Zucchini Salad
- Potato Salad with Peas and Mint
- Chargrilled Asparagus with Feta and Mint
- Or view our entire collection of Delicious Salad Recipes here.
I hope you will enjoy this Broccoli Stem Slaw – I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Alex xx
This post was originally published in April 2019. It has been updated with new photos and more information. The recipe remains the same.
Broccoli Stem Slaw
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
Salad:
- 4 broccoli stems See Note 1
- 1 large carrot See Note 2
- 1 large apple See Note 2 and 3
- 3 teaspoon lemon juice – freshly squeezed See Note 3
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Dressing:
- ¼ cup whole egg mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain Greek yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon honey
- freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- sea salt (add at the last minute) – to taste See Note 4
Instructions
- Wash and peel the broccoli stems, removing the tough, fibrous layer, using either a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler.
- Cut the broccoli stalks into matchsticks (julienne). First, slice the stem into thin planks. Then stack them together and slice again to make matchsticks. See Note 5.Add the broccoli stem matchsticks to a bowl.
- Wash the carrot and cut into matchsticks using the same method as for the broccoli stem. Add to the bowl with the broccoli stems.
- Cut the apple into matchsticks, add to a separate small bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Then, add to the bowl with the broccoli stems and carrot.
- Using the bowl which contained the apple, combine all the dressing ingredients well. Check that the balance of flavours is to your taste.
- Add the dressing to the broccoli, carrot and apple and toss well together. See Note 6.Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to blend together.Season to taste just prior to serving.
- Serve with the dried cranberries sprinkled on top.
Notes
- The broccoli stems weighed 380gm (13 oz) before trimming and 270gm (9.5 oz) after trimming.
- You can peel the carrot and apple if you wish, or just wash well before slicing.
- Tossing the apple with the lemon juice will prevent it from oxidising and discolouring.
- If you would like to add salt, do so just before serving. If done early, the salt will draw moisture from the ingredients, making the dressing watery.
- You could also use a mandoline to julienne the vegetables or use the shredding disc of a food processor. It is better if they are not shredded too finely, some texture is preferable.
- If you’re preparing the salad in advance, prepare the slaw ingredients and the dressing separately. Toss them together about a half-hour before serving to allow the flavours to blend together.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on this recipe serving four people as a side dish. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Richard Kitrick
Amazingly simple, surprisingly quick, & crazely tasty…thank you because I’m gonna use the dressing on regular cabbage slaw too.
Alexandra Cook
Hi Richard,
Thank you for your feedback on the Broccoli Stem Slaw. I’m delighted that you enjoyed it and plan to use the dressing on regular slaw. 🙂
Ally
My family only wants the floret part of the broccoli which means I’m left with a fridge full of just the stems. Well tonight I made this broccoli stem slaw and guess what? They loved it! I’m so happy I found a great use for the stems that’s delicious and easy to make. I followed your recipe exactly except used raisins instead of cranberries. Still delicious!
Alexandra
Yay! This is great news, Ally! Glad your family enjoyed the stems as much as we do 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Elizabeth
This is delicious! I love how flavorful it is–I could eat it by itself for a meal. 😀
Alexandra
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for your lovely comments. I agree, it makes a delicious meal. 🙂
Annie
I had some broccoli I needed to use up and made this for dinner as part of a broccoli-two-ways meal! I used the stems to make this salad the the florets to make your broccoli bacon salad! It was crunchy, delicious, and a great way to get in some green veggies. Love it!
Alexandra
Hello Annie, you put your broccoli to very good use – 2 salads, one product. I’m delighted that you enjoyed them. 🙂
Anjali
This slaw was so light and healthy! It was the perfect side dish for our veggie burgers this evening!
Alexandra
Hello Anjali, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Slaw. Thank you so much for letting me know. 🙂
Ashley
Love the tip on using the broccoli stems! Such a great idea and such a tasty salad!
Alexandra
Thank you, Ashley!
Courtney
This is such a great and easy to make side dish! It’s perfect with just about everything. Such a great way to use up broccoli stems too – we always have plenty!
Alexandra
Hi Courtney, I am so pleased that you enjoyed the Broccoli Stem Slaw. It’s a great way to use stems which are often discarded. 🙂
Audrey
This is both easy and tasty.
Alexandra
Thank you, Audrey!
Amanda Marie
A great idea and so delicious!
Alexandra
Thank you, Amanda – we do too! So glad you like this recipe!
Sue
Delicious! I love the pop of flavor from the dried cherries!
Alexandra
Thank you so much, Sue!
Elizabeth
Fabulous recipe! So delish!
Alexandra
Thank you so much, Elizabeth!
Felicia
I’m always looking for ways to use up the broccoli stem and then I found your recipe! This was super yummy and I loved the flavor the cherries brought to this salad!
Also I tossed the apples in lemon juice like you said and they kept their color. Great tip! I’ll be remembering this for the future!
Alexandra
Felicia, I am so pleased that you are like me; we see the value in a broccoli stem. This is a great salad recipe, so healthy and full of flavour. I’m delighted you enjoyed it. 🙂
Bree
This looks so delicious! It looks so simple and easy to make, and perfect for a quick side!
Alexandra
Thank you Bree 🙂