How do you do it? Easy – just use a vegetable peeler! Peel the broccoli stalks the same way you peel the potatoes or cucumbers. Therefore, you need to remove the outer peel. You absolutely have to peel the broccoli stalks before you cook them, otherwise you’ll be eating tough chewy skin and spitting it out! The tough outer layer of the broccoli stalks doesn’t quite cook through no matter how long you cook it. The secret to tasty and soft broccoli stalks is peeling them.
When they are cooked through, they become as soft as the florets, they just need longer cooking time! Yes, raw broccoli stalks are quite hard, but you don’t need to eat them raw. The reason why the broccoli stalks are usually discarded is because they are too tough compared to the broccoli florets. However, broccoli stems are not a food waste – they are completely edible and are, in fact, really tasty when cooked properly!
When most people buy broccoli, they end up eating the broccoli florets and discarding the stems.
