Broccoli Stem Pesto

If you have broccoli stems don’t throw them away, use them in this Broccoli Stem Pesto recipe. This pesto can be stirred through pasta dishes, risottos and salads, used to top pizzas, and it’s even great as a dip.

Using broccoli stems in pesto is a great and tasty way to reduce your food waste, however if you’re still unsure here are three reasons as to why you should save your stalks for pesto:

• Broccoli stems are tasty! Broccoli stems taste just like broccoli and compliment the other ingredients in the pesto.
• It lowers food waste. Often people don’t realise that the stalks are edible so they chuck them out. Using them in recipes saves them from the compost or the rubbish.
• They are super easy to use. Simply chop, steam and blend the broccoli stems with cashews, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic and some salt and pepper, and you have yourself a versatile and flavourful sauce that can be used in pasta dishes or risottos, as a salad dressing, to top a pizza, or as a dip.

How to Make Broccoli Stem Pesto

First things first, ensure you soak your cashews for a minimum of four hours. This will make the pesto creamy.

Chop and steam your broccoli stems just like you would with the broccoli head. In a high powered blender, combine broccoli stems with cashews, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic and some salt and pepper.

Prepping and Storing

This sauce will store for up to a week in the fridge and is also freezer friendly. Make double the batch to have on hand for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. Simply stir the sauce through some pasta or a risotto, use it to top a pizza, or use it as a dip to add some extra veggie goodness to your meals.

If you are looking for more lunch or dinner ideas, you’ll also love these other lunch and dinner recipes.

If you like this recipe and decide to share it on Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @theplantryco and #theplantryco, I would love to see all your recreations!