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Would you use cauliflower stalks

(80 Posts)
Patsy70 Thu 06-Jan-22 08:31:39

Before I dispose of them in the food waste bin, would you use the stalks of a cauliflower to make soup? I would obviously add other ingredients. Thank you.

GrammarGrandma Sat 08-Jan-22 11:31:05

Yes, in soups, and I have a fabulous cauliflower and sweetcorn chowder recipe, where you added the chopped fried leaves, more sweetcorn and peanuts as a topping. Yum.

MickyD Sat 08-Jan-22 11:30:04

Thank you everyone… what a no-brainer using the stalks and it never even crossed my mind. ?. From now on the stalks stay.

Mummer Sat 08-Jan-22 11:17:58

EllanVannin

I save them for the neighbour's bunnies grin

Blimey, I haven't reached that stage yet, eating stalks and peelings !

You've not lived mate! Never had a jacket spud? Most veg only has a peel as you put it to prevent attack In the wild! Old fashioned way was to strip off all evidence of raw state to show how well off and posh one was! Zero to do with edibility, (a few exceptions as we know)

Theoddbird Sat 08-Jan-22 11:16:16

Definitely...I love cauliflower and smoked paprika soup and always use the stalks as well smile

Ascot12 Sat 08-Jan-22 11:15:13

Ive always cut the stalk out before cooking and just eat it raw same with broccoli

icanhandthemback Sat 08-Jan-22 11:11:15

Why wouldn't you eat them? We just keep them on the caulk when we cook it. We either steam or roast cauliflower and the latter gives you a really nutty, flavoursome vegetable.
I don't really understand the idea of using the peelings of veg for soup. Potatoes, for the most part, are used with their skins on in this house. Carrots are peeled because the Government advice was that they can be carcinogenic. Up until that point, we just scrubbed or scraped them. The dog eats a lot of our other veg waste or it goes in the compost.

Lulubelle500 Sat 08-Jan-22 11:09:26

I love the stalks! I'm not a fan of al dente vegetables; cauliflower, carrots etc should be firm but tender IMO. My grandmother was a superb cook, who believed vegetables, salads and fruit should only be eaten in season -she would have been particularly horrified by the trend for bullet hard asparagus. The short sparagrass (as she called it!) season was a joy at her table, served with melted butter or, just for me, some of her wonderful creamy mayo. To me cauliflower stalks have that same delicious flavour and spark the same lovely memories.

Kamiso Sat 08-Jan-22 11:03:28

Elegran

If you peel off the thick outer skin to leave the crisp juicy inner, you can even eat the chunks raw (not the coarser lower parts of the stalk) Try it, you may be pleasantly surprised. I munch these while cutting up the rest of the cauliflower.

That’s what I tend to do. Crunchy and tasty.

Kali2 Sat 08-Jan-22 11:00:28

Use them as part of the cauliflower dish, same with broccoli- my favourite bits actually.

Kartush Sat 08-Jan-22 10:56:31

If you chop them finely they are really nice in stir fry

4allweknow Sat 08-Jan-22 10:45:30

Definitely. Also roast them. Cauliflower is more nutritious than broccoli. Can't remember broccoli in shops or being grown in gardens when I was young, but cauliflower, yes for both.

jenni123 Sat 08-Jan-22 10:44:32

I made cauliflower cheese soup yesterday and used stalks as well as flower parts, I also use the green leaves. The soup is lovely. I make soup each week and then have a mug of it for my lunch.

clbm48 Sat 08-Jan-22 10:38:20

So do I! I've always loved raw cauliflower stalk. Crisp and nutty once you peel it

Sarnia Thu 06-Jan-22 18:49:53

Our rabbits get all the stalks in this house but after reading this I will snaffle a few for soups.

Larsonsmum Thu 06-Jan-22 18:47:34

Yes, everything goes into my soups!!

CraftyGranny Thu 06-Jan-22 18:45:20

I like munching on raw cauli stalks.

Try using them for cauli and stilton soup. delicious.

highlanddreams Thu 06-Jan-22 17:58:06

I use the leaves as well if they're in good enough condition, they're delish, but only usually find them left on when buying from a market stall or greengrocers though.

Patsy70 Thu 06-Jan-22 16:59:10

Thank you, everyone. I try not to be wasteful, so will use the stalks in various ways in future, as suggested above.

mokryna Thu 06-Jan-22 16:04:45

I eat the cooked stalks of both cauliflower and broccoli. However, I have never added, like my neighbour does, wilted lettuce leaves to her soup.

AreWeThereYet Thu 06-Jan-22 15:12:15

Me too GagaJo - not a great fan of broccoli but the stalks are much the nicest bits.

Riverwalk Thu 06-Jan-22 15:11:00

BlueBelle

I crunch the stalks like a radish yummy

Talking of radishes, I eat the radish leafy tops - they're peppery and very tasty. A few years ago M&S had them as bagged salads but not for long, more's the pity.

grandtanteJE65 Thu 06-Jan-22 15:08:35

I always use cauliflower stalks for soup.

Wash them first, slice them and boil with other vegetables.

Strain soup, or blend it. If some of the stalks look thick and tough when you get as far as blending them, you can put them in the compost bin at that stage.

When making cauliflower curry, I use the thinner stalks, sliced finely and sometimes, if I feel they look a little tough, boil them seperately first then add them to the curry.

If you don't keep hens, rabbits, goats or pigs, it is shear waste just throwing the stalks out.

GagaJo Thu 06-Jan-22 15:02:39

I really like broccoli stalk. Prefer it and the leaves to the green flowery bits.

Jaxjacky Thu 06-Jan-22 14:46:56

We eat the lot as a veg, just discarding any ropey outer leaves.

BlueBelle Thu 06-Jan-22 14:42:23

I crunch the stalks like a radish yummy