Are Broccoli Leaves Edible? YES! + 8 Broccoli Greens Recipes (2024)

Last Updated on November 4, 2023

Are you trying to cut food waste and stretch your grocery budget? If you’ve ever wondered whether you can eat those abundant broccoli leaves, the answer is yes, definitely! Here’s what to know about how to use edible broccoli greens in numerous recipes.

DID YOU KNOW BROCCOLI LEAVES ARE EDIBLE?

I love finding new ways to use plants in the kitchen. I’m always discovering new edible wild plants growing in my garden, like yummy purslane and versatile lambsquarters.

But sometimes we find that even cultivated plants have uses we hadn’t realized. In the case of broccoli, everyone is so into those florets, they don’t realize they can use the highly nutritious leaves and stems as well.

If you’ve never seen a broccoli plant growing, you may not realize how much of the plant is leaf. Check out these beauties!

Other brassicas have edible leaves as well, including cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi.

Numerous broccoli relatives are actually grown for their leaves.

So much usable food winds up in the compost pail, with no one the wiser.

But now you, savvy reader, you’re wiser. You’ll be using those broccoli leaves in all sorts of recipes now that you know you can eat them.

–> Since you’re exploring ways to make the most of your produce, be sure to check out our collection of more than 40 root to stem recipes. There are some yummy recipes for using broccoli stems (and so much more) you won’t want to miss.

Making the most of garden plants is just one way to make the healthiest food affordable. Want more tips for eating healthy on a budget? Grab The Savvy Guide to Eating Healthy on a Budget here.

WHAT DO BROCCOLI LEAVES TASTE LIKE?

Not too surprisingly, since broccoli is in the same family as kale, the leaves from the broccoli plant taste quite a bit like kale. Chopped and simmered in soup or stir fried, you’d have a hard time telling chopped broccoli leaves and kale apart.

Broccoli greens can be a bit thicker and chewier than kale, especially if you’re used to more tender types of kale.

I often toss broccoli leaves in with my kale when I’m making my ‘no-fail’ kale chips recipe. They come out a little less light and crispy than my usual curly kale, but they’re still quite tasty.

Smaller and larger leaves will likely taste different, as will broccoli greens picked at different points in the growing season. If you’re sensitive to bitter compounds, you may find leaves picked either early in the season or after a hard frost or two more to your liking.

ARE BROCCOLI LEAVES GOOD FOR YOU?

Broccoli greens, like other brassicas, are a good source of fiber and plant compounds called phytochemicals, which are potent antioxidants thought to reduce disease risk. A serving of broccoli leaf supplies a full day’s worth of vitamin C and far more than the RDA of vitamin A. Broccoli greens also contain potassium, calcium, and other minerals.

You can find detailed nutritional information from the USDA if you’re curious.

WHERE TO GET BROCCOLI LEAVES

Broccoli growers have twigged on to the fact that broccoli greens could be marketed as a “top superfood” akin to kale and have started selling them separately from the rest of the broccoli stalk. So you might actually see them for sale near the kale in your local supermarket or natural foods store.

You might also find them still attached to a broccoli stalk, especially if you shop at a farmers’ market. Consider the leaves a nice little bonus that comes with your broccoli purchase.

I’ve often gleaned the little extra florets broccoli plants put out along with their leaves right before the farmers at my amazing CSA till them in at the end of the season. You could probably ask to do the same at your CSA, or see if a friend who grows broccoli in their garden would let you harvest some of their leaves.

Just be mindful that if they’re still growing florets, you shouldn’t harvest too many leaves. The plants need leaves to make more broccoli. So pick leaves sparingly, or wait till they’re done and then have at it.

WHAT TO DO WITH BROCCOLI LEAVES / HOW TO COOK BROCCOLI GREENS

You can use broccoli greens pretty much anywhere kale is called for, so if you need some inspiration, be sure to check out these healthy kale recipes.

The younger, smaller leaves may be tender enough to enjoy raw, but certainly chewier than your average salad green. If you have a powerful blender (like my beloved Vitamix), you can toss them into your favorite healthy smoothie recipes.

Larger leaves can be chopped into ribbons and cooked or used like kale in marinated salads.

They can also be used whole as wraps, the same way you’d use a collard green. Blanch in boiling water for about a minute, then plunge in cold water. Pat dry and use to wrap your favorite sandwich or burrito ingredients.

As a cooked green, broccoli leaves can stand on their own or be cooked with other vegetables. Toss chopped greens into your favorite soup recipe, or add to casseroles or stir-fries. They’d make a great addition to this vegetarian stir fry with tofu and mushrooms.

If you find yourself with more greens than you can keep up with, you can blanch and freeze them. This tutorial from Your Hope Garden has some helpful tips for preserving them this way.

TASTY BROCCOLI LEAVES RECIPES

While cooking with broccoli leaves may sound novel, plenty of inventive cooks have been using these nutritious greens for years. Check out the creative broccoli leaves recipes below.

♦ Sub broccoli leaves for kale in your favorite kale chips recipe, or try these broccoli greens chips from Food52.

♦ Love cream of broccoli soup? Try using those broccoli greens in this delicious Cream of Broccoli Leaf Soup from The House and Homestead

♦ This broccoli greens slaw marinated in vinaigrette from Rachel Pounds sounds super-tasty!

♦ Key Ingredient subs broccoli leaves for cabbage in this take on cabbage rolls.

♦ Grace Berrow’s garlic-sauteed broccoli leaves make a versatile addition to numerous meals.

♦ Cheese and broccoli are a natural pairing. Try these broccoli greens au gratin from Isle Acre Farms.

♦ Broccoli leaves add nutrition and flavor to this homemade veggie broth from Brooklyn Farm Girl.

♦ Toss your broccoli greens into your favorite stir-fry or try this low-waste broccoli stir fry from Vegetarian Times.

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If you love using parts of plants most people don’t realize are useful and yummy, don’t miss these other low-waste ideas:

• Orange Peel Tea
• Banana Peel Tea for Sleep
• Genius Uses for Orange Peels
• Uses for Lavender Leaves

Save this info on what to do with broccoli greens and broccoli leaves recipes for later!