How to Turn Broccoli Stems to Delicious and Nutritious Chips

Do you habitually throw away those broccoli stems? Don’t! According to nutrition experts, broccoli stems are just as nutritious as broccoli florets. In fact, those crunchy and really fibrous parts of a broccoli are slightly higher in vitamin C, calcium and iron than the florets themselves!

Just imagine those vital nutrients that go to waste each time you fling broccoli stems in the trash can!

So what can you do to make it so much easier for those broccoli stems to be incorporated into your diet? Turn them into crunchy chips! Snacking on some homemade broccoli chips is a wonderful way to drive away those food cravings and hunger pangs without the guilt.

Vegetable chips are getting more and more popular these days most especially among health-conscious shoppers who are alarmed at the sight of unhealthy chips at the supermarket that are loaded with sodium, cholesterol and trans fat. Chips out of vegetables are definitely healthier, particularly if they’re homemade — they are guaranteed to be devoid of anything that can instantly turn even healthy chips into unhealthy ones.

Not everyone is aware that broccoli stems make for excellent vegetable chips. This does not come as a shock because a lot of people think that those broccoli stems contain nothing but water and stringy fiber. However, just like what’s mentioned earlier, broccoli stems are just as good for you as broccoli florets. The only thing that makes broccoli florets outshine broccoli stems nutrition-wise is the fact that more vitamin A can be found in them.

So without further ado, here’s the easy-to-follow broccoli chip recipe:

Ingredients:

2 to 3 broccoli stumps 

1 cup of panko bread crumbs 

1 medium-sized egg 

1 tablespoon of fresh whole milk 

Onion powder 

Cayenne pepper 

Sea salt

Directions:

Start by having your oven preheated to 350°F. 

Begin slicing those broccoli stumps thinly with a sharp knife — the thinner, the better! If you are into dehydrating fruits and vegetables, chances are that you have a mandolin in your kitchen. Feel free to use it so that you may achieve broccoli chips having the same thickness. 

In a small mixing bowl, combine medium-sized egg and 1 tablespoon of whole milk. Beat with a fork. 

Grab another small mixing bowl. Combine 1 cup of panko bread crumbs and a dash of onion powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt. 

Dip an uncooked broccoli stem chip in the egg and milk mixture, and then toss it in the mixing bowl with the panko bread crumbs and seasoning to have it covered. Place on a cookie sheet. 

Repeat these steps until each and every uncooked broccoli chip is coated and neatly placed on the cookie sheet. 

Stash the cookie sheet in the oven that you have preheated earlier. Allow the broccoli chips to cook for about 10 minutes or until they are already browned. 

Once cooked, take the cookie sheet out of the oven. Place on a cooling rack and allow your homemade broccoli chips to cool to room temperature. 

Serve or keep in a Ziploc to keep those super nutritious broccoli chips crunchy and fresh.

That’s how easy it is to come up with your very own broccoli chips! So the next time you are whipping up something that requires you to get your hands on some broccoli heads, don’t throw away the stems — turn them into broccoli chips! Even kids who hate broccoli will love those broccoli chips that you have made from scratch. This is especially true if you serve those chips with a yummy — but nutritious! — dip.

After you have tried this recipe for yourself, do come back to this page and share in the comments section below how you and your family and friends find your homemade broccoli chips!