Can you eat cauliflower leaves?

Question: Can you eat cauliflower leaves? Are they to be eaten raw? How do I use them? -Paula T.

Answer: Unfortunately, many people throw out their cauliflower leaves, but they are edible and actually quite delicious. You can use the outer leaves just as you would spring greens, or as an alternative to leafy greens like collards or kale. They are ribbed and a bit chewy, but the ribs can be removed just like you would remove the stems of collard green leaves. The smaller, tender cauliflower leaves are great in salads or wraps. Both leaf types are great for flavoring soups and stews, and for making vegetable stock.

Can you eat cauliflower leaves raw?

Indeed, raw cauliflower leaves are edible and delicious. Toss the smaller, tender leaves directly into a salad. Remove the ribbing on the outer leaves and use them in a salad as well. You can also eat the larger, outer leaves raw as a snack dipped in hummus or baba ganoush.

Can I boil cauliflower leaves?

A simple way to cook and eat cauliflower leaves is to boil them for just a few minutes, pulling them out when they are still slightly crisp. Then, either serve them plain after boiling or toss the boiled leaves in a small amount of olive oil or butter and add salt and pepper to taste. They can then be enjoyed as a side dish. This is just one of several different ways that cauliflower leaves can be prepared. They can also be cooked with a variety of seasonings and sauces, tossed into salads when raw, paired raw with a dip such as hummus, added to any cauliflower dish for added texture and flavor, or used to flavor stocks or soups.

Can I use cauliflower leaves in stock?

Cauliflower leaves can be used to flavor vegetable stock or used in soups or stews. Both the large outer leaves and the smaller, tender leaves are edible and very tasty. The ribbed outer leaves are a bit tough, so you may opt to remove the ribs to improve the texture. You could also simply chop the outer leaves up into smaller pieces to make them easier to eat.