broccoli leaves and floret

Are Broccoli Leaves Edible?

I don’t like wasting anything in the kitchen, especially if it’s something that I’ve grown myself. Any food scraps that are produced in my kitchen either go into the compost where they turn to soil and nourish future plants, or they go to my chickens, where they take scraps I wouldn’t eat and turn them into something I would: eggs. My chickens do love broccoli leaves, but could my family be eating them too?

It’s common knowledge among gardeners that there are just some parts of plants that you can’t eat. But what if you could? We may be missing something important about this shade-tolerant vegetable.

Can you eat broccoli leaves?

In short: yes, you can absolutely eat the leaves from your broccoli plants. They are safe to consume, provided you don’t have an allergy to broccoli and are highly nutritious. They can be braised, sauteed, stir fried, steamed, baked, added to soups, and are even good in a salad. There are many ways to incorporate them into our diets and not waste a perfectly good food source growing in the garden.

There are probably some out there rolling their eyes a little bit: this isn’t exactly a secret to Italians, for example, who grow spigariello broccoli that is actually grown for its leaves more than its florets.

Nutritional value of broccoli leaves

Below you will find a table that lists the nutritional value of broccoli leaves per 100 gram serving.

  • Vitamin A • 320%
  • Vitamin C • 155%
  • Calcium • 5%
  • Iron • 5%
  • Thiamin • 4%
  • Riboflavin • 7%
  • Vitamin B6 • 8%
  • Niacin • 3%
  • Magnesium • 6%
  • Phosphorus • 7%
  • Zinc • 3%
  • Copper • 2%
  • Pantothenic Acid • 5%

As you can see, they are extremely high in vitamin A and vitamin C, helping build a strong immune system. These days, it seems like our immune systems just can’t be strong enough. It’s even higher in vitamin A than the florets!

What do broccoli leaves taste like?

Flavor-wise, they aren’t exactly like any other leafy green. It has a mildly bitter, very earthy flavor. Of course, it also tastes a little bit like broccoli florets, which makes sense. Broccoli can be used in place of kale, cabbage, chard, and collards in most recipes. Broccoli is already not the most popular vegetable, and the bitter, earthy flavor of its leaves prevent many people from trying them.

How to harvest leaves from your broccoli plant

Before you get too excited about making a broccoli leaf salad, let’s talk about the correct way to harvest the leaves of your broccoli plant. We want a delicious, nutritious leafy green to add to our favorite recipes, but we don’t want to kill the plant in the process. There’s definitely a few things you want to do to harvest the leaves from your broccoli plant the right way.

First, use a cutting tool that has been washed and disinfected. This will help prevent disease being spread to your plants. Try to harvest your leaves only in the evening, as the plant has an easier time of healing from the cut when the weather is cooler. Snip the leaves off right where they meet the stem. Providing a little extra water after harvesting will help your plant bounce back. Strive to never harvest more than a third of your plant’s leaves.

And that’s all there is to it! Now you know: you can absolutely make a meal out of broccoli leaves.

Thomas Nelson
Gardening Expert
Hi! I'm Thomas, one of the founders of The Garden Magazine. I come from a long line of gardeners who used the art of gardening as a way to live long, healthy lives. I'm here to share my knowledge of gardening with the world!