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Broccoli Leaves

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Baby spigariello or Italian broccoli leaves by an old red barn

Broccoli and some tender young leaves. The whole plant is delicious.

Yes, you can eat broccoli leaves, and they’re delicious, but even as a veteran chef, until I met some farm broccoli growing in a garden, I didn’t know about them at all. 

I was walking through one of the large gardens at my girlfriends family farm, clipping some weeds (purslane, amaranth) to bring to the restaurant that grow in between the rows of broccoli. I’d cooked both nice farm broccoli and commodity broccoli over the course of my career, and I knew that the commodity stuff would generally have larger heads, but I’d never really stopped to look at a broccoli plant grow before. 

At first, looking at the plants from a distance, I thought they were kale, since more than anything, there were leaves. Lots and lots of leaves. I thought to myself, why have I never seen broccoli leaves for sale, and if there are so many leaves on the plant, why am I not cooking with them? Why is everyone not cooking with broccoli leaves? I swear, every time I walk through a garden, it seems like I find a new part of a plant to eat.

cooked edible broccoli leaves in a wooden bowl on wood background lemon wedge

Wilted broccoli leaves are great all on there own, especially Italian style with garlic, lemon and chili.

There’s more to broccoli than what’s at the store 

Throughout my life as a chef and consumer, I’d been trained by media campaigns and giant food companies to think of broccoli (as with so many other vegetables) as only the flowering portion of the plant, since that’s technically what “florets” are—literally a giant cluster of unopened flowers (broccoli flowers, when opened, are edible, and tasty too) The florets of high quality broccoli are great, no doubt about that, but there’s a lot more to broccoli, as you’ll discover when you start cooking the leaves, which you can handle much as you would kale, collards, or any other sturdy dark greens. 

broccoli leaves

There’s so many leaves on broccoli plants. I’m sure you can find interesting things to make with them.

All Brassica leaves, flowers, stems, and stalks are edible 

Both the broccoli with the large leaves pictured and common broccoli are both Brassica oleracea, and using the scientific name can reveal plenty of other common garden plants with different edible parts. The Brassicas are a genus of plants that include many different edibles we enjoy, from collard greens (Brassica oleracea var. viridis) to mustard greens (Brassica nigra and many others) to cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata).

Kohlrabi leaves? (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes) yep, you can eat those too. Giant Brussels sprout leaves? (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) Sweet and delicious! In fact, you can eat all of the leaves of every brassica that I know of. Isn’t science fun? 

Baby spigariello or Italian broccoli leaves

Baby spigariello leaves or Italian leaf broccoli. These will grow to be twice the size of regular collard greens.

Italian Spigarielo /leaf broccoli 

Broccoli leaves have been eaten by Italians for a long time, in fact they actually have a couple different types of broccoli grown only for it’s leaves called spigariello, also known as leaf broccoli, spig kale, spigariello liscia (it’s still Brassica oleracea, but has the name “variation italia” tacked on the end).

My friends at Dragsmith Farm grow leaf broccoli near Barron Wisconsin, and it’s excellent and I used to order it by the 25# case. Seeds are easily found online for planting, too (see link at the bottom of the page).

Harvesting 

Take only a few leaves from each plant 

Broccoli leaves and other Brassicas have those wide, floppy leaves for a reason: they’re specially designed by nature to catch the sunlight to give the plant energy. If you harvest too many leaves early in the growing season, you could stunt the plants growth and prevent yourself from getting broccoli florets.

If you grow species of broccoli specifically designed for their leaves like spigariello or other broccoli leaves, like the kinds you’ll find in deer plot seed mix, this is less of an issue since the plants won’t use their energy to develop flower stalks. 

Pick after a frost for the sweetest leaves 

Broccoli leaves and other brassicas are cold-hearty crops, meaning they can take more cool temperatures than something like lettuce, say. A good piece of science-based folk knowledge is to harvest broccoli after a frost. What happens is that the plant doesn’t want to freeze, so, when it’s exposed to cold temperatures, it converts simple starches into sugars, since sugar resists freezing (adding sugar to cream helps keeps ice cream soft, for example).

That being said, to really notice a difference in taste, you’ll want to harvest broccoli leaves and others after multiple hard frosts, not just one wimpy one. Quick side note: spring-dug parsnips and carrots left in the ground to overwinter also benefit from the same effect.

cooked edible broccoli leaves in a wooden bowl on wood background lemon wedge

Cooking 

Treat like collard greens 

Think of cooking and eating broccoli leaves just like you would any other firm, sturdy leafy green like collards or kale. 

Remove the stem 

I clip the leaves with a small knife or scissors, then I bring them back to the kitchen and strip the midrib/stem out of each leaf. 

Cutting into Chiffonade/shredding 

Broccoli leaves can make a good raw salad. One of my favorite ways to do it is to cut them into fine shreds, or chiffonade. 

removing the rib from broccoli leaves
First remove the rib from the broccoli leaves.
cutting broccoli leaves into chiffonade
Cut the leaves in half and lay them on top of each other.
cutting broccoli leaves into chiffonade
Cut the leaves into fine shreds.

Chiffonade of broccoli leaves recipe
Add a pinch of salt and oil and massage the greens.
setting a timer for broccoli leaves to wilt
Wait a few minutes for the salt and oil to wilt the leaves.
Massaged broccoli leaf salad
Add some lemon juice to taste and enjoy.

Steaming 

Steaming is another good thing to do with broccoli leaves. Remove the ribs, then cut into pieces and steam for 30 seconds, or until they’re tender and taste good to you. I like mine to be fresh and vibrant green—not overcooked. 

Steaming broccoli leaves
Remove the ribs, cut the leaves into pieces and put in a pot with 2 inches of water.
Steamed broccoli leaves
Cover the pot and cook on high until the leaves are tender and taste good to you.

Steamed broccoli leaves
I like to eat the steamed leaves as a salad.
Steamed broccoli leaf salad.
Pictured with anchovy vinaigrette and parmesan.

Using leaves as a wrapper (Dolmas)

Just like grape leaves, broccoli leaves can be blanched and stuffed. They’re more tender than grape leaves and can be used to make large rolls. 

Roll the leaves into packets. If you want it to really stick, brush it with beaten egg white.
Roll the leaves into packets. To really make them stick, brush them with egg white before rolling.
Stuffed broccoli leaves
Remove the ribs from leaves, steam them for 1 minute until they wilt, then fill with a meat and rice stuffing.
Stuffed broccoli leaves
Steam the stuffed leaves and enjoy warm or cool. Very good with a lemon sauce.

Freeze-Wilting

If you don’t want to blanch the greens, you can also put them in a freezer just until they’re firm, then thaw, which does the same thing as blanching without using excess water (you don’t get the salt either though, so the shelf life will only be a few days). 

The recipe below recently got a shout out from one of my favorite podcasts, The Living Experiment. Like me, they tend to defy convention, and ask plenty of interesting questions. Check them out.

Recipes 

cooked edible broccoli leaves in a wooden bowl on wood background lemon wedge
Print Recipe
4.65 from 14 votes

Broccoli Leaves with Garlic and Lemon

The simplest way I know to cook broccoli leaves, taught to me my a chef from Italy.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Broccoli Leaves
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 8 oz (8 cups) Broccoli leaves stems removed, leaves cut into 1 inch strips, rinsed and dried
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Fresh wedges of lemon to taste
  • 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil plus more for finishing
  • Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
  • 2 large cloves of garlic thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of water or dry white wine optional

Instructions

  • Warm the garlic and oil in a 10 inch or larger saute pan or cast iron skillet and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is aromatic, nutty smelling, and light brown.
  • Add the crushed red pepper and broccoli leaves to the pan along with the tablespoon of water or wine and cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and stir the broccoli leaves to evenly wilt them, season to taste with salt, then put the lid back on and cook a few minutes more until they're as tender as you'd like.
  • If the pan looks dry, add another spoonful of water to prevent it from drying out. When the leaves are tender, double check the seasoning and adjust as needed, then remove with tongs or a slotted spoon to prevent juice from leaking onto your plate. Serve with lemon wedges and more olive oil for drizzling alongside.

Notes

The only thing to know about cooking these is that you need to remove the stem. Just like collard greens and kale, they require a gentle braise.

 

Steamed broccoli leaf salad.
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Steamed Broccoli Leaf "Caesar"

Steamed broccoli leaves or kale with anchovy vinaigrette and parmesan will remind you of Caesar salad, but is much lighter. Perfect for a light meal with something grilled alongside.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time1 min
Course: Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Anchovy, Broccoli Leaves, Caesar
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 8 oz broccoli leaves, ribs removed and cut into large squares
  • 2 Tablespoons Anchovy vinaigrette or to taste
  • High quality parmesan grated, peeled, shaved--your choice
  • Fresh ground black pepper for serving

Instructions

  • Put the trimmed broccoli leaves into a pot with a steamer basket, turn the heat to high, cover and cook for 30 seconds, or until the leaves are just barely tender.
  • The leaves should be bright green and vibrant. I like them a little crunchy still and full of life.
  • Remove the steamed leaves to a salad bowl and toss with some of the dressing to taste, or serve in small salad bowls and let guests dress the leaves to their taste. Pass the parmesan and fresh black pepper alongside.

Related 

Deer food plots=more than animal food 

If you have some extra land, and, say, have hunters that rent from you, or like to hunt yourself, consider planting a deer food plot with a brassica seed blend. These commonly contain varieties of leaf broccoli, as well as delicious turnips, radishes, and mustard greens you and animals can eat.

This is a great way to have a “low-maintenace” garden to produce extra food, and, if you eat meat or want to attract hunters to lease your land, rest assured, the deer will come. You’ll be shocked how much food one bag of seed mix can produce for you and wild animals. Brassica Deer Food Plot Seed Blend (Includes leaf broccoli) 

Further Reading 

Spigariello / Leaf Broccoli Seeds 

Calabrese Broccoli Seeds (Broccoli leaves shown in this post) 

Romanesco Broccoli

More Garden Plants

broccoli leaves

Broccoli leaves can be huge. Spigariello leaves will be even bigger than these! 

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Previous Post: « Vegetable Confit with Hedgehog Mushrooms
Next Post: Hen of the Woods Mushroom Cooked Under a Brick »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ron

    September 26, 2017 at 8:13 am

    Broccoli and kale are the same plant beer with different traits! Kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts and cabbage too!

    Reply
    • Dayna

      September 16, 2020 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      Can you kohlrabi leaves?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        September 18, 2020 at 7:42 am

        Yes

        Reply
  2. Julie Martinez

    September 26, 2017 at 9:26 am

    Love this, sounds delicious! My broccoli hardly ever flowers, so I’ve taken to eating the leaves.

    Reply
  3. Dotty bacon

    September 26, 2017 at 9:57 am

    Did not know what treasure I had. Once again thanks Alan

    Reply
  4. Sharon Brezina

    September 26, 2017 at 10:20 am

    Additionally, I find kohlrabi leaves are very tasty. I prefer the bulb uncooked with served with hummus, but the star of the plant is the leaves cooked similar to this recipe.

    Reply
  5. Barbara

    September 26, 2017 at 11:47 am

    In 03′-04′ there was in a farmer in southern California that had fields of broccoli growing that did not mind people going into it after his workers got his out of it for market. Plenty of leaves there to play with, that I got more of than broccoli itself. Cooked some in bacon grease and fell in love with the taste, even with the stem left in, it just added a crunch to it that i liked. After that it was olive oil and wine most of the time served over wild rice, it was a meal all its own that we enjoyed. Thank You for the memory!

    Reply
  6. Bethe Hagens

    September 26, 2017 at 3:13 pm

    The Italian broccoli are to die for! Once I got accustomed to how good bitter could actually be, with the right “companion leaves,” I started letting things bolt and created salads in my mouth as I weeded. It’s AMAZING what’s out there hiding from our taste buds.

    Reply
  7. Will K

    September 27, 2017 at 3:57 pm

    Interesting post. We had some issues with the broccoli in our church garden this past spring, probably because we got it in the ground too late. Anyway, it ended up mostly producing greens. I suggested taking the greens to the food pantry that we serve to be used as cooked greens, and they ended up being very popular. A few weeks ago, I saw some organic broccoli greens in a local grocery store, and they were crazy expensive- creative marketing for something a lot of people throw in the compost heap. Being a big fan of wild greens in addition to the various domestic greens (collards, kale, turnip, mustard, etc.), it would never occur to me to throw them out. This recipe looks great, BTW.
    -Will

    Reply
  8. Pete Hautman

    September 27, 2017 at 6:25 pm

    I always go for the leafy broccoli. The leaves are like meaty, tender kale. Kohlrabi greens too.

    Reply
  9. Mike

    April 2, 2020 at 12:24 pm

    Do you crush the garlic or cook it whole ?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      April 3, 2020 at 10:56 am

      Hi Mike. Thanks for pointing that out. I’ve had some issues with small tidbits missing from recipes from a tech issue. The garlic is thinly sliced and cooked until lightly nut brown–the Italian preparation called “en padella”.

      Reply
  10. Ur a dreadful choad

    July 12, 2020 at 9:46 am

    5 stars
    You weren’t forced or trained by companies to hate broccoli. Take some fucking responsibility! Go back and watch more YouTube pseudoscience vids. I’ve always loved broccoli, even though my dad who touches where my bathing suit covers made me eat it.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      July 12, 2020 at 8:11 pm

      Hey Choad, wow, thanks for the 5-star rating! I hope you get everything figured out with your dad. A

      Reply
  11. Romulo Lim

    August 23, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    the broccoli plants we have do not have crowns, how to eat the plant leaves, raw as salad or cook ?

    Reply
  12. Jim C

    August 30, 2020 at 10:50 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks, I will be out cutting leaves in my Garden when I get up tomorrow!

    Reply
  13. Giulia Latini

    September 19, 2020 at 2:56 pm

    Awesome! I cooked them all the time in Italy, for my kids too who loved them this way. Although i actually like cooking them a little crispy at the end.
    We called the stalky ones “Spigarello in Padella”.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      September 20, 2020 at 3:03 pm

      Spig is actually a different type of broccoli grown specifically for it’s leave. All are great.

      Reply
  14. Schwinn

    October 16, 2020 at 11:46 am

    5 stars
    I just harvested 3 lbs of leaves and will try this recipe.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      October 16, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      Just strip the ribs out and you’ll be good. I’m picking some more tonight. Cut into fine shreds is also a great way to cook them.

      Reply
  15. Patricia O'Donovan

    October 25, 2020 at 11:43 am

    5 stars
    I live in Ireland and soon we have a season where we get this beautiful purple sprouting broccoli and the leaves are fab! I love to fry them both together in cast iron in a little bit of oil and sometimes press them with a heavy pot lid. Then add lots of garlic, kalamata olives and tuna – a bit more olive oil and serve over some nice quality pasta! I never get tired off it!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      October 25, 2020 at 2:22 pm

      That sounds great.

      Reply
  16. Mae Ashley

    November 13, 2020 at 7:07 am

    Will Frost kill broccoli?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      November 14, 2020 at 8:40 am

      Not at first, at the beggining of the cold season the frost will make it sweeter as the cold forces the plant to convert carbohydrates to sugars which help prevent freezing. Multiple freezes will eventually kill it, but you have a good window to continue harvesting.

      Reply

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