Brocolli stalks and cauliflower bits?!

empy

Good morning, I hope everyone had an enjoyable BH?, I worked a nightshift Sunday night so spent BH Monday very tired:( but got to think of the pennies, right!:) As always seems to be the case I have a cooking related question:o I made toad in the hole etc yesterday along with the usual veg and I have kept the brocoli stalks and the nice leaves on the cauli and the middle bit of the cauli itself, now I bought the veg from an amazingly expensive farm shop, £2.00 for a bit of brocoli:eek: and want to make sure that I get my moneys worth:T now my question is can I use these bits for a soup, I am thinking a cauli and brocoli cheesy type soup, I have some actual broc and cauliflower left and some herb and garlic Roule that needs using up, would this work along with some vege stock?

I would be gratefull for anyother suggestions if making this soup is not going to work.

Many thanks in anticipation

empy x

p.s sorry for the rambling, soooooooo tired

tryingtoruletheworld

I try to get the most out of my veg by using broccoli stalks and cauliflower leaves in stock as I get through a lot of the stuff! But I think it would be good in a soup, sounds very tasty! I am not sure about the core of the cauli though, I would use the base of the stalks, but not the really hard white core.

Pink.

Hi empy,

Broccoli and cauliflower stalks make fabulous soup. Fry an onion and crushed garlic in a little butter, add a diced potato and the sliced stalks and allow it to sweat for a little while. Celery is a good addition too. Then top up with stock (I normally use chicken stock) and/or milk, season well and leave to simmer until all of the veg are cooked. Blend until smooth. You can add some grated cheese in until it melts or serve with a little cream if you have it.

If I don't have time to do it immediately I keep all ends of veg/peelings etc in a tub in the freezer until I have enough to make a soup or stock.

Saying that, you can just use the stalks when you're having the broccoli or cauliflower as they're every bit as delicious as the florets. There's more information in this thread:

Broccoli Blues

These threads may help with your soup:

broccoli and cheese soup recipes anyone?

Broccoli Soup

Cauliflower cheese & gruyere soup - recipe anyone?


Pink

Edit: I've just found this thread that may help: Brocolli & Cauliflower

man_of_faith

hi....my wife uses broccoli stalks in soup which is nice

SmlSave

Hi

I use the stalks with cheese sauce or even just chopped, steamed and served with dinner! It seems that as long as they are cut into 'sticks' no one cares what they are.

SallyForth_2

They would be good in a stir-fry as well, just slice them up the same way you would carrots.

lilian1977

Yeah I use them in stir fry, they retain a lovely crunch, a bit like water chestnuts.

lostinrates

I think the stalks are the tastiest bit. I often just munch them raw. They taste the tiniest bit sweeter, and delieciously fresh and crunchy. You can use them any way you'd use the florets:steamed with them as a veg, or in any recipe. Far too good to waste!

maman

Just a few observations:

I don't know if it's the same where you all live but more and more people are pulling the broccolli florets off the stalks in the supermarket.

I've found it really interesting that there have been newspaper articles recently saying caulifower isn't popular any more and suggesting tasty recipes. What they don't point out is thatprices of cauli are ridiculous some of the year so people are voting with their feet. I love it but only buy when at a reasonable price.

I've used the outer leaves of cauli in a stir-fry when cabbage not available.

billieboy_2

I use the ends of asparagus that you snap off in soup as well as broccolli stalks and cauli leaves. Yesterday I make a soup out of broccolli stalk, a few carrot sticks leftover from dips on Saturday night, asparagus stalks, some rubbery potatoes that had sprouted, leftover fried onion, a bit of cauliflower that was past its best and veg stock. Had it for lunch today and it was very tasty though I say so myself:D.

Yes, caulis have been incredibly expensive lately. I think of them as a treat nowadays.

tryingtoruletheworld

Caulis can be expensive, but I guess they take a lot of room to grow and they aren't in season yet. I usually get them pretty cheap in my organic box scheme/local farmers market when they are in season as they have so many of them!