I did not drink broccoli juice willingly the first time. Someone at a market stall handed me a thimble of it and watched my face, and I nodded politely while trying not to pull one. The problem was that broccoli had never met an apple. At home I found that two sweet apples, a couple of celery sticks, half a lemon and a thumb of ginger turn it into a completely different drink, green and grassy but properly sweet, the way a good green juice should be. I make it when the vegetable drawer is full of broccoli bought with good intentions, and it uses the lot, stem included. Ten minutes later there are two cold glasses and nothing left to feel guilty about.
Why these ingredients work
Broccoli is the brassica everyone forgets to juice, which is a shame because it is one of the few vegetables that still tastes like something after the juicer has had its way. One glass carries around 125mg of vitamin C, more than three times the 40mg adults need in a day, along with a serious amount of vitamin K and a good slice of your daily potassium. It also contains glucosinolates, the compounds behind that sharp, cabbagey edge, which turn into sulforaphane as the plant cells break down. The apples are not a treat, they are the engineering: their sugar balances the broccoli in a way nothing else quite manages. The celery adds a savoury note and stretches the yield, the lemon stops the glass tasting flat and keeps the colour bright, and the ginger warms the finish and settles the stomach.
One honest note: juicing keeps less of the fibre than eating the broccoli whole, and the blender method keeps more than the juicer, which is why I use that version when I have an extra few minutes. Think of this as a pleasant top-up on top of real food, not a cure for anything.
FAQ
Does broccoli juice taste like broccoli?
Less than you would think, and nothing like boiled broccoli, which is the version most people are remembering. Raw broccoli is mild with a fresh, grassy edge, two sweet apples will sweeten almost anything, and the lemon and ginger keep the glass lively. If you are still cautious, pick the sweeter of the two apples or add an extra celery stick.
Is broccoli juice good for you?
It is a decent way to get a serious amount of vitamin C, around 125mg per glass, which is over three times the 40mg adults need each day, plus vitamin K and potassium. The sulforaphane story is real but still being researched, so treat it as an interesting extra rather than a promise. At roughly 150 calories and 21g of sugar per glass, with all the sugar coming from the fruit, it sits sensibly between a fruit juice and a green one. Like any juice, it tops up your diet rather than replacing the vegetables themselves.
Can I make broccoli juice without a juicer?
Yes. The blender method on the card does the whole job in one go: blend the chopped broccoli, apples, celery, lemon and ginger with 150ml of cold water, then strain through a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh sieve. You lose a little yield to the pulp but keep more fibre, which is a fair trade on a heavy vegetable day. A smoothie maker with a straining attachment works too.
More detox recipes: see the full Detox collection.
Broccoli Apple Juice
Equipment
- 1 Juicer masticating or centrifugal
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve to strain the blender version
- 2 Airtight glass bottles for storing
- 1 Budget cold press juicer a great value alternative
- 1 Budget blender a great value alternative
Ingredients
Juice base
- 250 g broccoli, florets and stem, roughly chopped one small head; peel the woody outer layer of the stem first
- 2 medium sweet apples such as Gala or Pink Lady, cored the sweeter the apple, the less you taste the broccoli
- 2 celery sticks, scrubbed
- 1/2 lemon, peeled peel it properly; the pith turns juice bitter
- 15 g fresh ginger, peeled about a thumb-sized piece
Instructions
Juicer method
- Wash the broccoli and celery. Cut the broccoli into florets, peel the woody outer layer of the stem and chop it, core the apples, and peel the lemon and ginger.
- Push the celery through the juicer first, then the apples. The wet pulp helps pull the broccoli through after it.
- Feed the broccoli through a handful at a time, alternating with the lemon and the ginger so nothing jams the chute.
- Stir the juice well, pour into two glasses and drink straight away. It settles as it sits, so give it a swirl if you put it down.
Blender method
- Prep everything the same way, then roughly chop the broccoli, celery and apples so the blender does not labour.
- Tip everything into a high-speed blender with 150ml of cold water and blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds, until completely smooth.
- Pour through a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh sieve and squeeze out as much juice as you can.
- Taste, add a splash more water if it is thicker than you like, and serve over ice.