This recipe for Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli Stems is for everyone who likes to nibble on the broccoli stems while they’re cutting up the broccoli!

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Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli Stems shown on serving plate with chopsticks

Broccoli stems are one of those under-appreciated vegetable parts that don’t get much respect, yet when I’m cutting up stalks of broccoli, they’re my favorite part to nibble on. After I realized how much I liked them, a few years ago I started to save the broccoli stems in the vegetable crisper.

I’ve mostly used my broccoli stalk bounty in salads, but this idea for Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli Stems is something I came up with when I had a whole pound of stems saved up, and if you’ve never eaten the broccoli stems, this recipe just might turn you into a fan.

I ate this as a vegetarian dish for lunch the day I made it, but you might use it as a meatless side dish with something like Sesame Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce or Stir-Fried Tofu

What ingredients do you need?

Do you need a wok to cook broccoli stems?

I stir-fried my broccoli stems in a wok, but if you don’t have that type of pan any large frying pan will be fine.

Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli Stems process shots collage

How to make Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli Stems:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

  1. First cut off the ends of the broccoli stalks, which might be kind of brown if the broccoli has been in the fridge for a while.
  2. Use a sharp knife to cut away the smaller ribs and leftover pieces of leaves.
  3. Then use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel the stems.
  4. I like to cut them stems on the diagonal, which I think looks nice and helps them to cook evenly.
  5. Mix the soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link) and sweetener of your choice to make the sauce. Be sure to use Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) and Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce (affiliate link) if needed.
  6. Heat the wok over high heat for one minute, add the oil and heat 30 seconds, then add the garlic and cook about 45 seconds. 
  7. Then add the broccoli stems and start to stir-fry.
  8. Continue to cook the broccoli stems until they are starting to brown but are still crisp, about 6 minutes.
  9. Then lower the heat to medium, add the sauce, and cook about 1 minute.  Serve hot, garnished with green onions if desired.

More Tasty Ways to Use Broccoli Stems:

Asian Chopped Salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Broccoli Slaw Salad with Honey Mustard Yogurt Dressing from The Perfect Pantry

Super Simple Broccoli Stem Soup from Clean and Delicious with Dani Spies

Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli Stems
Yield: 4 servings

Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli Stems

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes

This recipe for Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli Stems is for everyone who likes to nibble on the broccoli stems while they’re cutting it up, and this a tasty and interesting side dish!

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. broccoli stems (see notes)
  • 1 T oil (see notes)
  • 1 T minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup diagonally sliced green onion for garnish (optional)

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 T soy sauce (see notes)
  • 2 tsp. Hoisin sauce (see notes)
  • 2 tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce (see notes)
  • 1 T sweetener of your choice

Instructions

  1. Cut off both ends of the broccoli stems, trimming away any discolored parts.
  2. Use a sharp knife to trim extra leaves or ribs from the stems and then peel with a sharp vegetable peeler.
  3. Cut the peeled stems on the diagonal into slices about 1/2 inch thick.
  4. In a small glass mixing cup or bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce, and Stevia granulated sweetener, or sweetener of your choice.
  5. Mince the garlic and thinly slice the green onions.
  6. Heat a wok or large heavy frying pan over high heat for one minute.
  7. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds more, or until the oil is shimmering.
  8. Add the garlic and stir-fry about 30 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant.  (Watch carefully and don’t let it get brown.)
  9. Add the broccoli stems and cook, turning often, until the broccoli stems are starting to get slightly browned, but are still a little crisp, about 6 minutes.
  10. Lower heat to medium, add the sauce and cook stirring for one minute more.
  11. Serve hot, with green onions scattered over for garnish if desired.

Notes

One pound of broccoli stems is about 8-10 thick stems. I used Peanut Oil (affiliate link) but Grapeseed Oil (affiliate link) would also be good for this recipe. Use Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) and Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce (affiliate link) if needed. Most grocery stores will have some brand of Chile Garlic Sauce (affiliate link). I would use Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) for this recipe, but use the sweetener you prefer.

This recipe created by Kalyn to feed her craving for broccoli stems.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 87Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 357mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
If you’re making the broccoli stems recipe for a low-carb eating plan or the original South Beach Diet, you’ll need to use an approved sweetener. Hoisin sauce is relatively high in sugar, but since the amount per serving in this recipe is only half a teaspoon, I would consider this okay for South Beach or low-carb diets.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Stir-Fry Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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