I stumbled across the idea to save the broccoli stems while perusing Instagram one day. I thought it was so genius! When I went back to try and find the recipe, I couldn’t locate it anywhere. I searched, but I couldn’t find a recipe I liked. This end result is my own concoction! Save those broccoli stems, especially after you make my delicious broccoli salad. While I had found an idea for “broccoli stem fries,” after making this a few times, I found it easier to eat as broccoli bites. After all, they are the stems of broccoli and can be a bit chewy. Chop them into bites that you can pop in your mouth, and you’ll enjoy even more. You can serve with whatever sauce you want, but I really enjoyed this Sriracha mayo dipping sauce.
Ingredients (Broccoli Bites):
About 2 cups broccoli stems, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup flour (you can use any flour, but I liked chickpea flour because it was lighter and also gluten free!)
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
A few dashes black pepper
For the Sriracha mayo dipping sauce:
3 tablespoons vegan mayo
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 clove of garlic
Directions:
Put your flour, milk, and panko into three separate bowls. Pour your spices for the broccoli stems into the panko bowl.
Stir the spices until completely mixed throughout the panko.
Dust your broccoli stem in flour first.
Then dip in the milk.
Then dip back into the flour.
Dip into milk once more.
Finally, dip in panko, making sure to cover generously.
Place into your air fryer. Repeat the dredging for all the pieces.
Air fry at 400F for 10 minutes, shaking the basket once while cooking.
While broccoli stems are cooking, make your dipping sauce.
Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients for dipping sauce.
Serve alongside broccoli stems for a delicious appetizer.
The Veg Table 