It’s Plastic Free July and we’ve been busy thinking about other ways we can reduce, reuse and recycle, like this scrumptious zero-waste recipe. Did you know broccoli stalks are just as nutritious as the florets?

Our recipe for grilled broccoli florets and celery leaf pesto can be made as a vegetarian or vegan light lunch. This dish gives back-of-the-fridge veg a new lease of life, and saves them from an unnecessary trip to the bin.

Grilled broccoli stalks with yoghurt, grated carrot and celery leaf pesto

Serves: 4           Time: 30 mins         Level: Easy

Ingredients

For the salad

• Two broccoli stalks, quartered lengthways
• A tablespoon of Better Food olive oil
• Seasoning
• 250g salad leaves
• Two carrots, grated and the tops finely chopped
• Half a lemon

For the pesto

• 190g of celery tops, chopped roughly
• 10g cheddar (use a vegan alternative)
• 50ml of olive oil
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and roughly chopped
• Seasoning

For the dressing

• A dollop of Yoghurt (dairy or vegan) per serving

Method

Turn the grill onto a medium heat. Place the broccoli stalks onto a baking tray, drizzle over the olive oil and add the seasoning. Slide the broccoli under the grill for 8 mins, or until it starts to crisp.

Into a blender, add the pesto ingredients, and blitz until smooth.

Serve up the broccoli on a plate of mixed back-of-the-fridge greens and grated carrot, with a good squeeze of the lemon half. Top this with the pesto and yoghurt before enjoying as a zesty, zero-waste dish!

Cook’s tip: see our zero-waste beetroot recipe for a delicious side to complement this light lunch!