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I read somewhere that cruiciferous vegetables might make a veggie stock bitter, so avoid using broccoli stems, cauliflower, etc.? If so, does that include ALL cruciferous vegetables? Which veggies do you really like to add?

Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

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This event was on February 20, 2024

Join Chef Char Nolan in her virtual office as she welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to ask anything – from cooking techniques to course-specific questions, to how to turn your cooking passion into profit or simply hearing the perspective of a professional chef, Chef Nolan is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Mitch Miglis

I read somewhere that cruiciferous vegetables might make a veggie stock bitter, so avoid using broccoli stems, cauliflower, etc.? If so, does that include ALL cruciferous vegetables? Which veggies do you really like to add?

Answer

They do render a slight bitter taste, but not as much as dandelions or mustard greens. And that's because of, um, gluconates that are in the broccoli and those cruciferous vegetables. I still use them to make stock because when you compare to the power of an onion and a carrot and a celery and maybe a leftover, um, uh, stalk from, uh, broccoli or cauliflower or whichever, um, it certainly isn't going to render a totally bitter, um, pardon my dog. That means that the mailman, um, postal worker is here. Sorry about that. Um, the other thing is that if you think that it renders that, that bitter flavor, you could, um, think about, um, using, uh, a little bit less of those, uh, greens and such in your, uh, you know, whatever it is that you're making. So that should be pretty helpful to you.

Char Nolan

Chef Instructor

Char Nolan is a serious crusader for plant-based education, armed with a degree in public health from Philadelphia’s Temple University. She teaches nutrition and plant-based cooking throughout Philadelphia, and in many underserved communities. Char holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification course in 2015. In 2019, Char completed post-graduate course work in social media marketing at the University of the Arts. When she is not cooking or teaching, she manages social media accounts for several plant-based influencers. Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are Brussels sprouts and kale, of course. Char originally hails from Queens, NY, but has lived in Philadelphia most of her adult life. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.