Too often ignored, this part of broccoli is nevertheless full of essential nutrients. Here’s how to prepare it to take full advantage of its benefits.
Broccoli: a versatile vegetable full of benefits
Did you know? Broccoli has many benefits. Made up of 90% water, it deeply hydrates the body and proves to be a fantastic source of potassium. Low in sodium (19 mg per 100 g), it also has a slight diuretic effect. Broccoli is finally richer in fiber than other vegetables. All of these qualities are confirmed by our dietitian-nutritionist, Julie Boët.
“Broccoli is a true concentrate of protective nutrients: it contains vitamin C, powerful antioxidants (such as sulforaphane), fibers that are gentle on the intestine, essential minerals and anti-inflammatory compounds which play a key role in the prevention of many diseases,” confides the expert.
However, in the kitchen, many of us make a major mistake, depriving ourselves of its virtues: throwing its fibrous trunk in the trash. “We often talk about its very green florets, but we also forget that the whole broccoli has these advantages, and even a little more when we are interested in a part that is often neglected: its trunk”, confirms the nutritionist.
The stalk of broccoli: an element too often despised
While it could simply be blended, roasted or even eaten raw (grated), many shun the broccoli stem. Certainly, its skin is a little tough and its interior fibrous, but it is also tender and sweet once peeled. So many good reasons to consume it!
“This broccoli stalk, which many throw away mechanically, nevertheless concentrates a large part of the insoluble fibers, very useful for nourishing transit and supporting regular digestion”, confirms Julie Boët.
Its firm texture should not be perceived as a defect: this is precisely what makes it so valuable for your microbiota. By integrating it into your meals, you are offering your “good” bacteria a form of fuel.which helps reduce bloating, improve transit and stabilize blood sugar levels thanks to slower and more regular digestion”,
further specifies the specialist.
Finally, beyond these “digestive” benefits, the trunk is also rich in vitamin C, calcium, antioxidant compounds and water, making it essential for the immune system.
How to prepare it?
If you are now convinced of the virtues of said foot, be careful not to jump on it without caution. You must first observe the labels in the supermarket to choose untreated broccoli, from organic farming.
“The trunk is in fact more exposed than the florets to pesticide residues, because it constitutes the very base of the plant, the one which absorbs water and nutrients… but also sometimes less desirable substances. Choosing it organic therefore means limiting this exposure and preserving all its nutritional qualities”, reveals the dietitian.
Then wash it with plenty of water. Remove the slightly dry base, then lightly peel the outer part if it is fibrous or damaged. Once this thin layer is removed, the flesh becomes tender and soft, almost sweet.
“It is then cooked like any vegetable: cut into small pieces and added to a soup to provide velvety texture, cut into thin strips and integrated into a gratin to give it fondant, mixed in a vegetable puree to increase its nutritional richness, or even roasted in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil to reveal its sweetness”,
advises the nutritionist.
Enough to finally convince all those who shunned this green vegetable!